Ex-Cowboy Michael Sam Signs with CFL's Montreal Alouettes

Michael Sam, whose last NFL experience came as a member of the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad, is headed to Canada.

Sam has signed a two-year deal with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League, the team that has had his CFL rights since his senior year at Missouri.

“I am very excited and proud to join the Montreal Alouettes," Sam said in a statement, via ESPN. “... I cannot wait to put on the pads, get back on the field and work hard each and every day with my teammates to bring a Grey Cup to the great fans here in Montreal.”

Sam became the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL last year when the St. Louis Rams selected him in the seventh round, but he was among the Rams’ final cuts coming out of training camp. Less than a week after that, Sam signed with the Cowboys, and he stayed on as a member of the practice squad for a month and a half.

Dallas ultimately released Sam to add linebacker depth in October, and we last saw him at the inaugural veteran combine, where he ran a 4.99 40-yard dash.