Canadian Football League (CFL) player Michael Sam is still drawing interest from NFL teams, this is according to Montreal Alouettes general manager, Jim Popp.

"I do think there are still teams in this day that still have an interest in him, and they are hoping he does play in the CFL and he does well, because they want to take a chance on him for their team - or see him do certain things for their team," Popp told The Guardian.

Sam, who was a newly-signed member of the Alouettes, left the Montreal camp on June 12 due to personal reasons. The 25-year-old football player's agent, Joe Barkett, told the Montreal Gazette that his client "was suffering from migraine."

A source of the Gazette revealed that the 6-foot-2, 260-pound player may have overreacted to a co-player's comment that Sam "wasn't very good." Ever since Sam had gone home to Texas, various NFL teams were asking the general manager about the first openly gay player to be drafted in the NFL.

"They wouldn't be calling if they weren't interested. They were monitoring him to see how he did here. There's a lot of people who want to see Michael Sam play, and they are going to tune in to see him play, " Popp shared.

The Alouettes manager, who communicates with the University of Missouri alumnus everyday, is confident Sam will return soon.

"I think he will be back. I'll be surprised if he is not back. He wants to play. I will be very surprised if he is not back," Popp said.

However, the CFL season kicks off on June 25, and he has not been back yet. Still, the manager seems to understand Sam's situation and personally believes that Sam's love for the sport will motivate him to return.

"I think he needed a break. That's my personal belief. I think it was just overwhelming to some degree, and he needs to clear his mind, clear his head. Do I think he wants to play? Do I think he wants to be on the field? Do I think he wants to be Michael Sam the football player? I, 100%, believe that. Yes."

Sam was picked by the St. Louis Rams in the 2014 Draft, but he was cut from the team before the season started, noted Sporting News. The Dallas Cowboys reportedly entered him in their practice squad but did not sign a deal with him. It was only then when the Montreal Alouettes signed him in that his football career took a professional turn.

Although Sam's sexuality is known to his college friends and co-players, he may not have been ready when some people looked at it as a big deal, especially when he was drafted in the NFL and when he finally entered the CFL, Popp believed.

"I don't think he thought of it [as groundbreaking] when he came out... Now, when you're starting a pro career and that story is out, now you're every other rookie that comes in to a professional camp," commented the Alouettes manager.

Related