MONTREAL – The coaches left the locker room, closed the door, and allowed Michael Sam to have a few moments in front of his teammates.

Sam addressed the Montreal Alouettes on Sunday night, telling them he was sorry for leaving the group, he needed some time to take care of his personal life, and now he is back and fully committed.

When he finished speaking, he got a rousing ovation.

Michael Sam signs an autograph after practice on Monday. (Yahoo Sports) More

Sam dreamed of Dallas or St. Louis or some other NFL city, but Montreal is likely a detour worth taking. In fact, becoming the first openly gay player in the CFL is probably his only way to get a real shot at becoming the first openly gay player to get a roster spot in the NFL. The NFL veterans combine in Arizona last spring showed some of Sam's combine issues – a little slow, a little small – and here on this field with two 50-yard lines and a premium on end rushing, he can prove himself as a player who can close space using his instincts as well as his feet. Game tape has always been Sam's best ally, and he can create plenty of it here on a professional level.

What's more, the spotlight is less glaring here, and the internal support may be a little stronger. Head coach Tom Higgins called Sam's personal situation "nobody's business" on Monday, and fellow defensive end John Bowman said, "I wish people would relax a little and give him a chance to play." The crucible and criticism would be tougher in the U.S.

That doesn't mean it will be easy here. Sam will start out as a scout team member, both on defense and special teams. Higgins said the Missouri product needs to "get into shape," even though Sam insisted Monday, "I never got out of shape" during his time at home in Dallas. Sam was testy with the media at times, sighing when asked to take a few questions.

When asked why he left the team, he said, "For personal matters like I said before." Asked to elaborate, he said, "For personal matters like I said before." When asked if he was better now than he was out of college, he said, "I don't know how to answer your question. I don't know what you're talking about, really … Are you comparing college football to the CFL? Because it's not the same." After less than three minutes, he said, "I think that's about it."

Still, there were pockets of the affable and charismatic Sam. He signed every autograph and posed for every fan's picture, including one man who asked for a signature of his Michael Sam jersey, along with a photo and a selfie. When asked by a reporter about the U.S. Supreme Court's decision last week to uphold same-sex marriage in all 50 states, Sam called it "freaking awesome" and said he was proud and happy to be an American.

"I'm just happy I can get married and it can be legal," he said with a smile. When asked if he had plans to marry, he said, "My focus is on football. That can wait."

Can the NFL wait? Next summer there will be a younger batch of linebackers and pass rushers coming out of college, and this year's rookies will be that much better. Sam's road to history is still long.

But the kind of personal issues he has dealt with might have torpedoed him had they occurred in the NFL. The intensity of that league has ruined more than one career in the U.S. The Alouettes were patient and caring throughout this process, and Sam will finally have a shot to prove himself on a professional team.

This may be Michael Sam's last chance, but it is still a pretty good chance.