His journey has been long and winding, but Michael Sam is finally set to make his pro football debut.

In Canada, at least.

After failing to latch on to an NFL roster and then briefly leaving his Canadian Football League club for "personal reasons," Sam is poised to play in his first non-exhibition football game since college, according to the Associated Press.

The former Missouri star "is getting so much closer to being able to play," according to Montreal Alouettes coach Tom Higgins. "He wants to go, and I think it's going to happen sooner than later."

Sam, however, was not made available for comment.

Since coming back to the team at the end of June, Sam has been working to get himself back in shape and ready to contribute to the team.

The club has not set a date for his debut, but the team plays five games in August, and it's likely he returns at some point during that span, possibly as early as this Saturday.

If and when he does step onto the field, Sam will make history as the first openly gay professional football player at that level. Prior to this season, he signed a two-year deal in Montreal.

But that's merely a consolation prize to a man who has repeatedly stated his desire to play in the NFL.

Despite performing well in preseason last year for the St. Louis Rams, Sam was cut before the regular season began. He joined the Dallas Cowboys as a member of its practice squad but was released prior to the end of the 2014 season.

Sam is hopeful that a strong performance in the CFL could open doors to an NFL career.

He'll be playing his first game in almost a year when he does step onto the field, so fans and reporters will be eager to see how he measures up after a long absence.

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