As we approach the end of the 2014 calendar year, we’re looking back at the top 50 stories in college football for the year. Today, we continue on with the top 10 with our No. 6 story of 2014.

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NO. 6 – MICHAEL SAM

There were few stories as polarizing and inspiring in 2014 as Michael Sam’s journey to becoming the first openly gay player in NFL history.

But to fully appreciate the path Sam took in 2014, one must understand how he ended 2013.

Sam was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 after leading Missouri to an SEC East title in just its second year in the conference. He set a new school record for sacks in a season and was seen as a player with a bright future at the NFL level.

Then 2014 arrived, and Sam made a bold decision in not only coming out as an openly gay man, but in deciding to do so before the NFL Draft in late-April. Sam broke the news in mid-February, and from that point speculation swirled as to how it might impact his draft status, his pro career and the NFL as a whole.

His unexpected announcement sent shockwaves that stretched beyond the world of football and into our everyday lives.

Many wondered how the dynamic of an openly gay man in an NFL locker room might impact whatever team added Sam to its roster.

Would the players accept him and treat him like any other teammate? Or would his sexual orientation create a rift in the locker room?

Could Sam help shed the NFL’s identity as a misogynistic league? Or would his treatment as a professional athlete further that perception?

And most importantly, would the attention Sam was poised to draw be worth his value to a team as a late-round pick with upside as a pass rusher? (If you don’t think a media circus can end a player’s career, just ask Tim Tebow for his thoughts on the matter.)

Sam’s Missouri teammates gave an outpouring of support in the aftermath of his controversial announcement, many of them explaining they already knew he was gay and never let it bother them on their way to an East crown. Those accounts led many to believe that Sam’s sexual orientation might not have any impact on a locker room except for an added focus from the media, but as the draft inched closer that began to appear less and less the case.

Sam struggled in his pre-draft workouts, and his measurables were less than ideal. He began to free-fall in the draft, forcing us to wonder whether it was due to poor workouts, his sexual orientation or both.

He was finally taken by the St. Louis Rams late in the seventh and final round of the draft, and upon being selected was shown on national airwaves sharing a celebratory kiss with his boyfriend.

At that point, all hell broke loose surrounding the Sam storyline. Some saw the kiss as a sign of progress in America and the way the nation deals with openly gay people from all walks of life. Others saw it as a reason Sam might be a cancer to his new team, putting a social issue in front of his career even on the day his career officially began.

Many had differing opinions on the kiss, but one thing’s for certain — it kept Sam’s name at the forefront of the sports world for most of the summer as fans anxiously awaited his first training camp as a professional.

Sam recorded 11 tackles and three sacks in four preseason games with the Rams, but was cut at the end of training camp. Again we were forced to speculate whether it was due to his sexual preference or the Rams’ deep group of defensive linemen.

But Sam wasn’t unemployed for long, as the Dallas Cowboys signed him to their practice squad before the start of the regular season. Sam never recorded an NFL tackle as a member of the Cowboys and was cut in late-October. As of Dec. 22 he has yet to sign elsewhere in the league, forcing us to wonder if his pro career has already come to an end.

It was a whirlwind year for Sam, the NFL and Americans conscious of social issues ongoing across the country. We were forced to reflect on and discuss the issue in public settings more often than we had in a long time.

Sam’s year ended at the same place it began — with the former Mizzou superstar on the outside of the NFL looking in — but the journey leading Sam full-circle in the course of 12 months was among the most memorable in recent college football history.

Whether he plays another down of football in his life or not, Michael Sam will forever be the NFL’s first openly gay athlete. However this makes you feel, his story was absolutely among the most captivating in 2014.

WHAT’S NEXT?

As we continue counting down our top 10 stories, we take a look at the end of the SEC’s national title streak. Stay tuned.