Jerry Reese only concerned with Michael Sam's ability

New York Giants general manager Jerry Reese has revealed that he is not concerned with the off-field issues surrounding former Missouri Tigers defensive end Michael Sam.

Sam revealed that he is gay earlier this month, and if drafted, he will become the first openly homosexual player to play in the NFL.

He told reporters: "I'm not talking about that. If you want to talk about him as a football player, that's fine. What people do in their personal life, I'm not concerned about that.

"That's not true, of course, because teams spent millions each year to perform background checks on prospects.

"They absolutely care about what players do off the field. I think he's a good football player. You have to be a pretty good football player to win [co-Defensive Player of the Year award in the SEC]. In our evaluation, he's a good football player."

Sam has been projected as a mid-round selection.