Michael Sam and Vito Cammisano have reportedly split after a six-month engagement.
Sam, the NFL’s first openly gay player, started seeing Cammisano as early as 2011 when both were still students at the University of Missouri.
Both were best known for the most famous same-sex kiss, something which happened back in 2014 after Sam was drafted by the St. Louis Rams.
While either party has yet to confirm the breakup, social media has all the indications of the separation. That includes Sam’s deletion of Cammisano’s photos via Twitter and Instagram. Among the celebrated photos no longer up include that of their proposal at the St. Peters Basilican in Vatican City.
As far as Cammisano is concerned, a photo showing both is still up via his Twitter account.
The actual reason for the split has yet to be known though various reports claim that the two have been experiencing a bumpy relationship from the last couple of months.
Such is seen as an apparent reason why Sam missed a large portion of training camp including the season opener for the Montreal Alouettes last June 12. Sam reportedly cited personal reasons as the one behind his absence.
Sam started out his NFL career with the St. Louis Rams in 2014. When he got cut, he tried out for the Cowboys practice squad. Unfortunately, Sam was not able to make the team. He would eventually hitch with the Alouettes and sign a two-year pact.
After missing the training camp, Sam is back in harness. He says that his personal issues are behind him now and had his first on-field practice with the team.
Sam was expectedly meted a suspension though such is not much of an issue considering that the door was always open for him to return.
"I was always coming back," said the standout college linebacker who is to play rush end in the CFL. "I had to deal with personal matters when I was home [in Dallas] so, that's all taken care of. "Now I'm back," Sam was quoted as saying via CBCsports.
Upon his return, questions were thrown on the speculated split between him and Cammisano. The only answer that he gave was plainly “for personal matters”.
Sam did mention as well that for now, he has no marriage plans and that his main focus was football. “That can wait," he said.
Apparently, Sam does need to focus as he was reportedly seen struggling with his new team. He needs to adapt to a totally different system, having to play on a wider field with 12 men per side and defensive players having to line up a yard off the line of the scrimmage
Coach Tom Higgins was of course not spared from being asked on why Sam left.
"It's nobody's business," said Higgins. "There are things he needed to take care of. It's confidential. He worked some things out that he needed to settle and he comes back, to me, a much more determined athlete than he was when he was first here."