The St. Louis Rams have announced that Michael Sam, who made history as the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL, has been waived and did not make the team's final 53-man roster

Sam, an All-American defensive end who played for the University of Missouri, made history when he was picked by the Rams in the seventh and final round. He was the 249th of 256 players selected. One of eight children, the black athlete was raised primarily by his mother. At one point, he lived out of his mother's car and briefly stayed with another family. Three of Sam's siblings have died, including an older brother he saw die from a gunshot wound. Two of his brothers are serving prison sentences.