Former New York Giants running back Derrick Ward is generating headlines Monday after a series of negative tweets regarding St. Louis Rams defensive end Michael Sam, the first openly gay player to be drafted into the NFL. Sam was selected in the seventh round of the draft on Saturday, and he has been a national story since publicly coming out as gay in February. After being drafted, ESPN cameras showed him celebrating with friends and family, and then embracing his boyfriend.
Ward, a Giant from 2004-08, retired in 2012 after a year with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and two with the Houston Texans.
I'm sorry but that Michael Sam is no bueno for doing that on national tv. I'm fine with it being a new day in age but for him to do that on
— Derrick Ward (@derrickward32) May 10, 2014
National tv is disgusting. Gay or not.
— Derrick Ward (@derrickward32) May 10, 2014
Man U got little kids lookin at the draft. I can't believe ESPN even allowed that to happen.
— Derrick Ward (@derrickward32) May 10, 2014
Gotta love twitter! I've never seen so much hate towards another persons comments in my life. I guess the power of words are meaningful
— Derrick Ward (@derrickward32) May 11, 2014
Those tweets were sent on Sunday and are still live on Ward's account. After retweeting a series of both positive and negative tweets (several are NSFW) he received in response, Ward had a few more tweets on the subject on Sunday and Monday.
Twitter. The people that twisted my words around are the same people who are on twitter 24/7 trying 2get some1 famous 2 say the wrong thing
— Derrick Ward (@derrickward32) May 11, 2014
I'll continue to speak my mind because it's my god given right and supposedly u can do it without being frowned upon here in America.
— Derrick Ward (@derrickward32) May 12, 2014