Missouri linebacker Michael Sam has yet to gain a foothold in professional football, but he’s not giving up yet.

The 2013 Co-SEC Defensive Player of the Year had a message on Wednesday saying he’s not giving up on the dream quite yet.

Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL, was taken in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams in 2014. However, Sam didn’t survive the Rams’ final cuts.

Sam was later brought on to join the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad a few days later with only a week before the start of the regular season, but he was released after a little more than a month after never making the active roster.

Owner Jerry Jones said the team simply needed Sam’s roster spot to devote to another position on the team.

Back in August, Sam sent out a series of tweets saying that he’d be stepping away from football after starting the season with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.

“The last 12 months have been very difficult for me, to the point where I became concerned with my mental health. Because of this I am going to step away from the game at this time. I thank the Alouettes for this opportunity and hope to be back on the field soon. Thank you all for your understanding and support.”

In 2013, Sam proved himself to be an elite pass-rusher while playing with Mizzou, notching 11.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss while earning First-Team All-SEC honors.