Another NFL name – Michael Sam joins the Panthers Wrocław!

Another NFL veteran has joined the ranks of Panthers Wrocław – Michael Sam, a former player for the St. Louis Rams and Dallas Cowboys! The American will strengthen the coaching staff of Wrocław's team, taking on the role of defensive line coach.

A significant figure in Wrocław

In 2014, Michael Sam was drafted in the seventh round of the NFL draft by the St. Louis Rams, where he played in four preseason games. He then joined the practice squad of the Dallas Cowboys. Due to his commitment to supporting minorities, Sam's jersey became one of the best-selling rookie jerseys in NFL history, and the footballer even received congratulations from the President of the United States, Barack Obama.

After his NFL journey concluded in 2015, Sam signed a contract with the Montreal Alouettes in the Canadian CFL. In the 2022 season, he returned to football, joining the Barcelona Dragons first as a coach and later as a player. Sam has earned accolades such as Second-team All-ELF, Unanimous All-American, SEC Defensive Player of the Year, and First-team All-SEC.

Importantly, Sam began his NCAA career at the University of Missouri, where he was recruited by Craig Kuligowski – currently the defensive coordinator for Panthers Wrocław, and at that time, the defensive line coach for the Missouri Tigers.

– This is another crucial step in building our coaching staff. I am confident that Michael Sam will excel with our defensive line and bring new energy to the team. We feel that our team is becoming more complete! – says Dave Christensen, head coach of Panthers Wrocław.

– I joined the Panthers because I wanted to work under Coach Christensen and Coach Kuligowski. Coach Kool was my DL Coach at University of Missouri and Coach C was the OC there until he accepted the head coaching job at Wyoming. Both coaches have learned under college football Hall of Fame coach Gary Pinkel. In his first year as HC, Christensen took the Panthers to the playoffs. This team is full of competitors that want to compete for a championship. After playing and coaching in Europe I gained a newfound respect for football in Europe. Guys are eager to learn and with the right coaching guys could even take their talents at a higher level. Panther Nation, we need your support! Come out to meet the players and coaches and get involved. I truly believe this is going to be a great season! – commented Michael Sam.

Panthers getting closer to the season

In addition to Sam, another American with NFL experience, Matt Cole, a wide receiver who has played for the Miami Dolphins, New York Jets, New York Giants, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, Washington Commanders, and San Francisco 49ers, has joined Panthers Wrocław before the 2024 season.

Michael Sam is the sixth name in the coaching staff of Panthers Wrocław for the 2024 season. In addition to head coach Dave Christensen, the staff includes Craig Kuligowski (DC), Gabe Landa (OC), Sam Gooding (OL Coach), and Marquis Griffin (DB Coach).

Panthers Wrocław will kick off the European League of Football season on May 26th with an exciting game at Tarczyński Arena. They will face the Berlin Thunder, visitors from the capital of Germany. Tickets for this event are already on sale.

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