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“The last 12 months have been very difficult for me to the point where I’ve been concerned with my mental health,” the 25-year-old wrote. “Because of this, I am going to step away from the game at this time.

“I thank the Alouettes for this opportunity and hope to be back on the field soon.”

First off, football is secondary to Sam’s mental health. We can only hope he gets the help he needs. Then, he can devise a game plan for the rest of his life. For Montreal is likely the final stop in professional football for Sam, who simply lacks the raw skill needed to play at this level.

All the signs were there at the 2015 veteran combine. He ran the 40-yard-dash in 5.07 seconds — impressive for most of us, but tortoise-like for anyone making his living rushing the quarterback in the CFL. His vertical jump is 25.5 inches, also pedestrian at this level.

In truth, Sam nailed it at his introductory news conference. He told us the film doesn’t lie.

It doesn’t. The St. Louis Rams gave Sam a chance by selecting him in the seventh round of the 2014 NFL Draft. They watched hours of film from training camp and opted to send him on his way.

The Dallas Cowboys brought Sam in for a look, examined the film and sent him on his way.

Enter the Alouettes, a team that has never shied away from signing a big name south of the border — Chad Johnson and Lawrence Phillips come to mind. Within 24 hours of his finalizing the contract, Michael Sam’s No. 94 jerseys were already available for sale on the team website. Then he reported to camp out of shape fresh off a stint on Dancing With the Stars.