Barcelona Dragons Hire Michael Sam As Assistant Defensive Line Coach
The Barcelona Dragons have added former Mizzou Tigers and Los Angeles Rams defensive end Michael Sam as an assistant defensive line coach for the 2022 season.
In his time at Missouri, Sam appeared in 45 total games (14 starts) and totaled 110 tackles (59 solo/51 assisted), 17.5 sacks, 31.5 tackles for loss, 4 pass deflections, 2 interceptions, 5 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 2 touchdowns. He was also a unanimous All-American (2013), SEC Defensive Player of the Year (2013), First-Team All-SEC (2013), and the Arthur Ashe Courage Award (2014).
Micheal Sam was drafted by the Rams in the 7th round of the 2014 NFL Draft and made appearances throughout the preseason, making 11 tackles and 3 sacks in 77 pass-rush snaps, averaging pressure on the quarterback once in every 8.5 pass-rush snaps.
The Rams cut Sam as part of their final roster cuts, but kept 9 defensive linemen that season, choosing undrafted rookie Ethan Westbrooks over Sam. The two posted similar stats in the preseason, but Westbrooks had the versatility to play anywhere on the defensive line, while Sam had played exclusively at left defensive end.
Sam signed with the Dallas Cowboys practice squad shortly after clearing waivers but was never called up to the active roster. He was waived by the Cowboys on October 21, to make roster space for linebacker Troy Davis.
In May of 2015, Michael Sam signed a 2-year deal with the CFL’s Montreal Alouettes. However, before the Alouettes’ first preseason game, he was granted permission to leave camp for personal reasons, returned home to Texas, and was placed on the team’s suspended list. He returned to the Alouettes, appearing in only 1 game, but did not record a tackle and left the team shortly after, citing concerns with his mental health after a 12-month stretch he described as “difficult”. He was placed on the Alouettes suspended list once again and left Canada.
Sam later appeared on The Dan Patrick Show and stated he never wanted to play in the CFL, to begin with. “It was a really last call to go to the CFL. I never really wanted to go to the CFL, but I did, and I committed to going”. He announced his official retirement from football in August of 2015.
The 32-year-old football veteran now returns to the game of football, this time in Europe with the Barcelona Dragons.
Players Signed/Re-Signed
- Leipzig Kings – LB – Burak Efendioglu
- Leipzig Kings – WR – Anthony Dablé-Wolf
- Frankfurt Galaxy – LB – Wael Nasri
- Frankfurt Galaxy – LB – Louis Achaintre
- Düsseldorf Rhein Fire – DL – Christian Van Horn
The Leipzig Kings have resigned former NFL wide receiver Anthony Dablé-Wolf for the 2022 season.
Dablé-Wolf was one of the first athletes ever to be invited to the NFL’s International Pathways Program back in 2016. He’d spend 2016 with the New York Giants and 2017 with the Atlanta Falcons, then would go on to play for the New Yorker Lions and the Hildesheim Invaders of the German Football League.
During the ELF’s 2021 season, Dablé-Wolf hauled in 43 receptions for 532 yards and 4 touchdowns for Leipzig.
The Frankfurt Galaxy have signed one of the ELF’s better linebacker duos in last seasons’ leading tackler, Wael Nasri, along with linebacker Louis Achaintre, who had an above-average season of his own.
Both men played last season with the Berlin Thunder, with Nasri ending 2021 with 141 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, and 4 sacks. Achaintre racked up a total of 68 tackles, 7 tackles for loss, and 1 sack in 2021.
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