At this point, Michael Sam is getting used to making history.
The former Missouri standout on Saturday became the first openly gay player selected in the NFL draft. After St. Louis picked Sam with the 249th overall pick, the defensive end drew congratulations from across the sporting landscape as well as from President Barack Obama.
And in a testament to his popularity among fans, Sam's jersey sales were historically high in the hours after he got the call from the Rams. In fact, the only jersey that sold more than Sam's was the one belonging to Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel.
"This is unprecedented for a Day 3 pick, let alone a seventh-round pick, to crack the top five rookies sold following draft weekend," NFL spokesperson Joanna Hunter said.
Michael Sam was the 249th pick, but he's No. 2 in rookie jersey sales: http://t.co/JmldqGVSgH pic.twitter.com/YWotXYaYhE
— USA TODAY Sports (@USATODAYsports) May 12, 2014
Manziel and Sam were followed by Jadeveon Clowney (No. 1 overall), Teddy Bridgewater (No. 21) and Blake Bortles (No. 3).
Should he catch on with the Rams, Sam could become the second openly gay athlete in one of North America's four most popular sports. The first, Jason Collins of the Brooklyn Nets, also saw an enormous spike in his jersey sales earlier this year.
