A number of NFL executives have revealed that they would be wary of drafting openly gay defensive end Michael Sam.
The SEC defensive player of the year, who had been projected to be a mid to late-round pick in May's Draft, came out in an interview at the weekend.
One player personnel assistant told Sports Illustrated: "I don't think football is ready for [an openly gay player] just yet. In the coming decade or two, it's going to be acceptable, but at this point in time it's still a man's-man game. It'd chemically imbalance an NFL locker room and meeting room.
"There's nothing more sensitive than the heartbeat of the locker room. If you knowingly bring someone in there with that sexual orientation, how are the other guys going to deal with it? It's going to be a big distraction. That's the reality. It shouldn't be, but it will be."
A scout added: "I just know with this going on this is going to drop him down. There's no question about it. It's human nature. Do you want to be the team to 'break that barrier?'"
Following the 24-year-old's announcement, a number of current NFL players took to Twitter to show their support for Sam.
Sian Cowper
