This past weekend marked a new age for the National Football League when the St. Louis Rams selected Michael Sam, a defensive end out of the University of Missouri as the 249th overall pick. Sam, the first openly gay player to enter the league, came out to the public in the months leading up to the draft.

While the news was shocking to the sports world, his teammates at Missouri already knew, as he had opened up to them during the preseason. Sam was a first-team all-American and was named the Associated Press defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference, considered by most the top conference in Division I football. Additionally, his teammates voted him Missouris most valuable player.

The native from Texas has since heard from critics who have been vocal about his sexual orientation and how it will not be tolerated in the locker room, while others seem to think he will be judged more on his actions on the field as opposed to those off of it. When asked why he made his announcement before the draft, potentially alienating some teams, Sam stated I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it, I just want to own my truth.

The question that lingers is how will the team and his fellow players react to all of the attention he commands? Will the fact that a 7th round selection is receiving so much media attention for simply admitting who he is cause him to be an outcast? How does this situation differ from Tim Tebow, another decorated collegiate star who was forced into the spotlight for his lifestyle, his being a man of God?

While the stories of Tebow and Sam appear to differ on most stages, they both have stirred the pot for what used to be socially acceptable and what is now tolerated. Neither one appeared to be searching for the attention that found them, yet neither choose to be silent. Tebow found harsh criticism from the media, the non-religious and even some believers who simply didn’t like that he chose to be vocal about his beliefs. Sam seems to be garnishing praise from the media, the president and resistance from those with more traditional values.

How will the overall comparison of these two different, yet similar situations pan out? At the end of the day, will one be treated differently or will we have to wait for more athletes in the NFL to speak out to make a change?

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