Michael Sam hopes to make NFL return in 2016

Mar 22, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Defensive end Michael Sam (11) participates in drills during the NFL Veteran Combine at the Arizona Cardinals training facility. (Mark J. Rebilas/USA Today Sports)

Newly signed defensive end Michael Sam smiles as he is introduced to the media by the Montreal Alouettes CFL football team in Montreal, May 26, 2015. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi

Michael Sam, newly signed defensive end for the Montreal Alouettes CFL football team runs off the field as rain falls during rookie training camp in Sherbrooke, Quebec May 27, 2015. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi

Michael Sam (L), newly signed defensive end for the Montreal Alouettes CFL football team stretches during rookie training camp in Sherbrooke, Quebec May 27, 2015. REUTERS/Christinne Muschi

Mar 22, 2015; Tempe, AZ, USA; Defensive end Michael Sam (11) participates in drills during the NFL Veteran Combine at the Arizona Cardinals training facility. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Sam, who decided to take a break from playing football when he quit the Montreal Alouettes last month, plans on trying to make an NFL roster in 2016.

Sam was the first openly gay player drafted by an NFL team when he was selected in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams last year. He was released by the Rams during the preseason and later picked up and let go by the Dallas Cowboys, before playing on and off in the Canadian Football League.

“I’ll try to pursue my NFL career,” Sam told ABC-17 in Missouri on Thursday. “Taking a break this year was very smart. I think it was one of the smartest things I’ve done in a long time.”

Sam said he has fired his agent and publicist and is focusing on his media training.

“Right now, I’m just focusing on me and what my needs are,” Sam said.

Sam, who said he reached a point where he was worried about his own mental health when he decided to leave the Alouettes, has been at the University of Missouri, where he has been working on his master’s degree.

The 25-year-old Sam encountered difficulty in the NFL because at 6-foot-2, 260 pounds, he did not exactly fit the prototype of a defensive end or an outside linebacker. Sam was co-defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference while at Missouri.

In May, Sam signed with the Alouettes. He left the team during training camp for unexplained personal reasons and returned after a two-week absence. He made his debut for the Alouettes in August, becoming the first openly gay player to appear in a CFL game.

“It’s been a roller coaster,” Sam said of his life. “I’ve been trying to figure out what’s next in my life. I’ve just come to a conclusion, as I take this break from football, I want to focus on my media training, just try to get into broadcasting and commentating.

“Since I came out (as gay) in February 2014, I realized that I’ve been in the media for so long and so much, that I’ve kind of gotten used to it. I wanted to wet my feet a little bit and see if this could be a career of mine in the future.”