On Nov. 15, the Student Association presented Michael Sam, one of the first openly gay college football and NFL players, as a speaker for this year’s Fall Lecture Series.

Sam was named the Southeastern Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 for his excellent football performance at the University of Missouri. Sam was drafted in the seventh round of the 2014 draft by the St. Louis Rams.
After being waived by both the St. Louis Rams and the Dallas Cowboys, Sam played in the Canadian Football league for the Montreal Alouettes. After a tumultuous 2015 season with the Alouettes, Sam retired from professional football, citing mental health reasons. Now, Sam has decided to speak about his struggles in life and provide his insight into the LGBT community.
Riley Reeves, co-director of Special Events in SA, explained why SA wanted to bring Sam to the Fall Lecture Series. 
“This year, as part of the Student Association, we were trying to be more diverse in who we brought to campus, as to represent the entire student body at Mississippi State, so that is why we are bringing Michael Sam,” Reeves said. “Hopefully, he will attract a broad, diverse audience, and hopefully, we can hear his inspiring story. We chose Michael because, first of all, he is a very well-known person. He played in the NFL, he was on dancing with the stars, and he’s an ESPY, and along with the diverse population that he can bring to the speech, we thought he would be a great choice for this year’s Fall Speaker.”
Sam’s speech was his own personal story. He prefaced his speech with his own hopes on what his speech would bring.
“Hopefully you guys will get something out of it,” Sam said. “Maybe a new perspective of the LGBT community, the African-American community and a little bit about yourselves.”
Sam described his early childhood: how he lived with 6 siblings, how he lost two brothers, how his father left and the abuse of his remaining brothers due to their gang activity.
“I got death threats from my own flesh and blood,” Sam said.
However, football offered an outlet. After convincing his mother to let him play, Sam was on his path to the NFL. Playing football all through high school, Sam realized he wanted to play in college. Sam diligently applied himself to his schoolwork, and as a result, was admitted to the University of Missouri in 2009.
Instead of focusing on his impressive success on the football field during college, Sam explained the elation he felt on graduation day.
“The happiest day of my life was when my name was called, and I looked in the stands and saw tears just rolling down my mom’s face,” Sam said. “[It] was the proudest moment of my life.”
He described how he discovered his sexuality his freshman year of college, but did not come out as gay until his senior year, which was gladly accepted by his team. Shortly after being drafted by the Rams, Sam publicized his sexuality on ESPN.
The climax of the speech was Sam recalling one of his teammates asking him to speak to a family member of his, who was also a member of the LGBT community. The family member told Sam about her struggles from being bullied by family and friends for her sexuality, and how it had led her to attempt suicide.
Sam adamantly explained the importance of being there for others, because sometimes a seemingly small gesture can have a profound impact on a person’s life.
“I detest bullies more than anything in the world. I do. I detest bullies more than anything in the world because I was bullied by those who were supposed to protect me,” Sam said. “My mindset changed. I started reading people’s stories, who had been e-mailing me and contacting me over the past few weeks or few months actually, and I just couldn’t read what I was reading. Guys, if you take the time and start listening to people’s stories, I swear you might change somebody. You might save somebody’s life.”