Former football star Matt Birk has stated that Michael Sam will not be the first gay man to play in the NFL.

Draft prospect Sam recently announced his sexuality on television, though Birk has suggested that he has played alongside gay footballers before.

According to CSN Baltimore, he told a local radio station: "It's being made into a big deal, but I've said many times, I've played with a lot of gay players.

"It was maybe the worst-kept secret around. When you're on the team, and you're teammates with somebody, you spend so much time together, you can only hide stuff for so long.

"The issue itself is not a big deal. The issue becomes how much attention does it get from the media. There's obviously going to be other non-traditional football media outlets that are going to be paying attention now to whatever team he goes to."

Former centre Birk retired from the NFL in 2012 after enjoying a career with the Minnesota Vikings and the Baltimore Ravens.