Michael Sam, the first openly gay man drafted into the NFL ( by the St. Louis Rams this past May ), signed autographs June 27 at the three-day Fanatics Authentic Sports Spectacular, held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont. Sam agreed to a brief interview—his first exclusive interview since April, according to his representatives—to discuss the sports memorabilia industry, including Jackie Robinson, Michael Jordan, and more.
Jason Lansing was first in line to get an autograph from Michael Sam, appearing June 27 at the Fanatics Authentic Sports Spectacular, a three-day sports memorabilia convention held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont.
He high-fived Sam and walked away smiling, carrying his full-size St. Louis Rams helmet—signed and inscribed in gold ink. The helmet is going on a shelf above Lansing's bed.
The signature cost $59, but the memory was priceless.
"I had the helmet for a couple of years. My dad got it for me and it was under my bed," said Lansing, 15, who will be a sophomore in the fall at Francis Parker High School in Chicago, where he plays tennis and basketball. "I thought, 'There's not a better person to get [signed] on a Rams helmet than Michael Sam. He's [already] one of their most historic players in franchise history.
"To meet someone like that is pretty cool. He's a trivia question that people will always remember him. I think it's a great piece to add to my autograph collection, and very unique."
Lansing said Sam has shown "how brave he is, how much courage he has" by coming out as gay before playing his first down in the NFL.
"I'm really interested to see how he will do in the NFL," Lansing said. "I'll follow him for his [entire] career, see how he does."
And yes, Sam is now "one of my favorite [players] in the NFL, for sure," Lansing said.
Sam signed autographs for an hour, alongside 25 former Chicago Cubs players who also were signing. Bob Dernier, a former Cubs outfielder, walked over to meet Sam. Lou Brock, a Baseball Hall of Fame outfield who started his career with the Cubs yet earned his notoriety while playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, spent several minutes talking with Sam.
Brock and Sam also posed for pictures together.
Brock asked to get a copy of the photo with Sam, and so did Brock's longtime agent.
"This is the biggest signing I've ever done, which is great. I didn't know what to expect coming in," Sam said minutes before meeting the public. He was lounging on a leather chair, watching TV, waiting to start signing. Video cameras for a Sam documentary filmed Sam, and my interview with him, too.
"I was just expecting to sit at a table, some fans would come [for my autograph]; I wasn't expecting all this."
When asked for his first impression of the massive sports memorabilia convention, which includes a behind-the-curtain area where athletes often have to sign hundreds of additional items, he said, "Oh man, my hand is about to fall off."
A Texas native, Sam played four seasons at the University of Missouri, highlighted by the 2013 SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Year award. He also was first-team All-SEC last season—and the Rams drafted Sam in the seventh-round ( 249th overall ).
Sam came out publicly this past February, though his team learned he was gay last August.
"Growing up, I didn't really focus on signatures because I didn't have the money to go buy some, or buy online. But if I see a big sports star, I'd ask for his autograph," Sam said.
When pressed to name one autograph he'd like to have, Sam answered, "That's a good question. I guess it would be … Jackie Robinson."
Fitting, some will say, as Sam has been compared to the groundbreaking former baseball player.
"I knew, through mutual friends, that Michael Sam was gay before he came out. My first response was, 'It doesn't faze me; it doesn't affect me. Who cares?!' said Cole Greenhouse, 27, who lives in Evanston, is in the Navy, and was a 2009 Missouri graduate and former water polo player at the school.
Greenhouse, sporting a Missouri baseball hat, attended the Fanatics Authentic Sports Spectacular with his fiancé, Rachel Landa, 24, a special-education teacher.
Greenhouse had Sam sign a Missouri mini-helmet.
"He was awesome [at Missouri], definitely a big key [to the team's success.] If we didn't have him, I don't think we would have done as well as we did. He had a breakout season [in 2013]," Greenhouse said.
Greenhouse said rumors of Sam's sexual-orientation spread around campus before his coming-out. "Honestly, most of Mizzou kind of knew," he said.
Still, Greenhouse is "so excited" to watch Sam on Sundays—for his favorite team, the Rams.
"What he's done and gone through, especially with all of the media, I don't think I'd be able to do it. There's no way I wouldn't freeze up," Greenhouse said.
Landa said "it was incredible" the way Sam responded to all of the criticism of the draft-day kiss with his boyfriend. "If it was a straight couple, there would have been no [negativity]," she said. "If two people are in love, it's no big deal [if they are same-sex]."
When asked if the kiss between Sam and his boyfriend, Vito Cammisano, bothered or offended him, Greenhouse shook his head and immediately said, "Not at all."
And Greenhouse was proud to tell how thousands of Mizzou students supported Sam when members of the anti-gay Westboro Baptist Church were going to protest Sam's appearance at a Missouri basketball game after coming out.
"We're protecting one of our own. Just another Mizzou member of the family," he said.
Greenhouse, grinning ear to ear after meeting Sam at the show, said the football star "was awesome to meet, just a normal guy."
Landa told Sam: "All of America is proud of you."
She later added, "He's doing something that might make other [athletes] feel comfortable to come out."
Being gay, Landa said, "is just a part of him."
"Being a special education teacher, we talk about labeling [often]," she said.
So, for instance, someone with autism is not an autistic child, but rather, a child who has autism. Thus, Sam is not a gay football player; he's simply a football player who is gay."
Sam is always a willing autograph signer. In fact, he added, "I love when young kids come up to me, asking for my autograph.
"Yeah, [autograph requests] do kind of get annoying when adults ask their kids [to get the autograph], just so they can sell it. But someone wants [the signature], so that's all that matters."
Sam said he "does not mind signing" autographs that come via the mail.
And he said he keeps the notes that accompany the autograph requests.
"I have a bag of fan [letters]," he said.
Sam saved his helmet and jerseys from Missouri.
And who's game-worn and signed jersey would he like?
Michael Jordan, Sam said. "That'd be awesome."
