Sam returns to CFL's Alouettes after absence

Jun 30, 2015 - 12:02 AM Montreal, QC (SportsNetwork.com) - Michael Sam returned to practice for the CFL's Montreal Alouettes on Monday after leaving the team for unexplained personal reasons earlier this month.

The 25-year-old defensive end was the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team when he was taken in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams in 2014.

The former SEC Defensive Player of the Year at Missouri was cut by the Rams and signed to the Dallas Cowboys' practice squad, but didn't appear on their active roster last season.

The Alouettes signed Sam to a two-year deal on May 22, then announced on June 12 that he was leaving training camp for "personal reasons" that would remain confidential.

Sam, who returned home to Texas, was placed on the team's suspended list a few days later. The Alouettes announced on Friday that he would rejoin the team over the weekend and be at practice Monday.

His return followed the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to legalize gay marriage across America. Gay marriage has been legal in Canada since 2005.