Montreal Alouettes general manager Jim Popp, right, and defensive end Michael Sam pose for a photo at a press conference in Montreal on Tuesday, May 26, 2015.Ryan Remiorz/The Canadian Press
Barely 17 days after he was introduced amid unusual fanfare, defensive end Michael Sam has abruptly left the Montreal Alouettes – perhaps only temporarily, but the circumstances are murky.
The Texas-based lineman, who became the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL last season, departed the team's training camp in Sherbrooke, Que., on Friday, citing "personal reasons."
"With all due respect for Michael Sam, the nature of this decision will remain confidential," the team said in a statement. "The Montreal Alouettes fully respect Michael Sam's decision and rally around him to offer him all time and support needed. The team has left the door open and Michael is welcome to come back whenever he feels ready."
The formulation clearly suggests Sam's departure may be more than temporary, but team officials were close-mouthed when contacted about the prospect of his return.
It could well be he'll be back in the fold within a matter of days.
Should Sam not come back to resume his stay in the CFL, a decision he said he made after it was clear there was limited NFL interest for this season, it will necessarily throw his pro football future into serious doubt.
At very least it's a curious turn of events for a player who was clearly enthusiastic about coming to Canada on the day of his official unveiling.
He was expected to play a central role in the Als' pass rush, and his free agent signing was held up by general manager Jim Popp alongside the name of Jackie Robinson – who played minor-league baseball in Montreal before breaking major-league baseball's colour barrier – in terms of historical import.
The 6-foot-2, 260-pound Sam happened across TSN radio announcer Rick Moffat at the Montreal airport on Friday, who tweeted that the rookie was carrying only a small carry-on bag and a distracted expression ("don't think he had enough luggage with him to be bailing or bugging out," Moffat wrote).
Barely two weeks ago, Sam's arrival was heralded as a huge coup ("he's an outstanding football player, that's the only reason we signed him," Popp said at the time), and his departure complicates the plan for the Alouettes, who publicly trumpeted his acquisition and gave him the star treatment – his jersey was on sale before he'd even officially arrived in town.
Though Sam saw mostly spot duty in the opening weeks of camp and practised with the defensive reserves, the team placed incumbent rush end Aaron Lavarias on the injured list earlier this week with an arm problem; it seems fairly clear a roster spot was Sam's for the taking.
The 25-year-old hasn't practised in recent days – various reports indicated he was suffering from migraine – and wasn't expected to feature in the Als' first preseason game in Quebec City on Saturday.
He did reportedly attend team meetings on Thursday evening.
Sam is a former defensive player of the year in the NCAA's powerhouse SEC conference – he played at the University of Missouri and was a team captain in 2013, his senior year – and after spending the 2014 preseason with the St. Louis Rams, who drafted him in the seventh round of the NFL draft, he was released and closed out the year on the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad.
Before joining the Als he was a contestant on the popular television program Dancing with the Stars.