Michael Sam will finally get a chance to play in a Canadian Football League game with the Montreal Alouettes, sometime in August, his coach said. Sam sat out Saturday's game in Calgary and the Alouettes have four games in August, starting with Friday's' game at Ottawa.

Coach Tom Higgins says Sam "is getting so much closer to being able to play. He wants to go, and I think it's going to happen sooner than later." Alouettes beat writer Herb Zurkowsky noted that "Sam wasn't practicing Tuesday with the starters on defense, for what it's worth. Higgins, of course, won't declare his status for this week."

Sam abruptly left the club for two weeks right before the start of the exhibition season for personal reasons. When he came back, he was not in game shape and has had a month to get ready. The Alouettes four remaining games in August are Aug. 7, 13, 20 and 27.

A year ago, Sam was just starting NFL training camp with the St. Louis Rams as an openly gay player. A year later, we are still waiting for him to take the field in the CFL as a defensive end and see what he can do.

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