EARTH CITY, Mo. -- Michael Sam made history Saturday afternoon, as the St. Louis Rams made him the 249th overall choice in the 2014 NFL draft.

The Missouri defensive end became the first openly gay player to be drafted in league history and seeks to be the first openly gay athlete ever to play in the NFL.

Video of Sam receiving the call from the Rams and coach Jeff Fisher revealed the player's emotion while surrounded by friends, family and his boyfriend.

Sam's emotion carried over into a conference call with the St. Louis media.

"Let me tell you something, if we were playing the Vikings right now, I'd probably have three sacks the first game," Sam said. "Since February and my big announcement, this has been a whole [lot of] speculation of the first openly gay football player, but you know what? It's not about that. It's about playing football.

"Can Michael Sam play football? Yes, I can, and the St. Louis Rams know I can. I am going to give everything I've got to the St. Louis Rams to help the Rams win a championship."

Sam added in a statement: "The moment my name was called was the single greatest moment of my life."

For the Rams, drafting Sam added another significant moment in franchise history that has little to do with sports.

In 1946, a year before Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers, the Rams signed Kenny Washington, the first African-American football player in the modern era of the NFL.