Silence From Michael Sam As Montreal Alouettes Move Him To Suspended List

Still no official word as to why out footballer Michael Sam left training camp a day he was scheduled to make his first appearance with the Montreal Alouettes in an exhibition game on Saturday.

While Sam hasn't addressed the departure in any way, the Alouettes General Manager Jim Popp has made a few statements to the press.

“There’s nothing to tell you. He wanted to go home, and that’s what he did. I don’t know why. When a guy wants to go home, they go home. He had some personal things to take care of."

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he returns. I’m surprised he left. I was very surprised. If he doesn’t come back, I would think football’s over for him. He’s the one that has to face that. But I don’t think he doesn’t want to play football. That’s why he came here.”

“It’s a huge story because everybody keeps hounding and hounding and hounding. Michael Sam just wants to be a football player,” Popp said. “I would think anybody that’s 25 years old that has been going through it for a year and a half, it would have to affect him. I would think so. That’s one reason he didn’t want to do interviews and just concentrate on football.”

An anonymous source with the team told the Gazette that Sam may have had an negative reaction to a comment made by another player.

“All I know is I heard somebody made a comment about him, about how he wasn’t very good and wasn’t having a very good camp. He took it personally and was pouting in his room,” the source said. “It’s very strange. I have no idea what’s going on. He might have a personal issue.”