The feel-good story was taking a turn late last week.
And then, thankfully, it didn't.
Last Saturday, Missouri defensive Michael Sam became the first openly gay player to be selected in the NFL draft when the St. Louis Rams picked him late in the seventh round.
Late-round picks normally are just announced by a faceless voice in New York, then listed on television by ESPN and the NFL Network. How many seventh-round picks were announced from the podium in New York by a real live person? Two. Sam and Mr. Irrelevant, a ceremony that traditionally honors the last selection in the draft.
For many people in the past six months, Sam's draft status was anything but irrelevant. The co-defensive player of the year in the Southeastern Conference announced he was gay prior to the draft? Who would take him? And when?
Nobody expected him to go in the first or second rounds, maybe in the third. But Friday turned into Saturday and after an early glimpse on ESPN of Sam, his boyfriend and Sam's agents early in the day, he disappeared from view. And as the picks dwindled to a precious few, it was a question of not when Sam would be picked, but if.
But you knew something was up when the Rams had an actual human being read their selection. He was going to St. Louis.
On Tuesday, Sam was treated like few seventh-round picks by being the center of attention during a news conference at the team's training facility. A good idea, let the media talk to Sam and get those stories out of the way and let him get to work on being a football player.
"My job is to focus on football and help this team win a championship," Sam said Tuesday.
Distraction is a four-letter word for many professional coaches and NFL teams knew Sam would bring more than a little extra attention along with him. Reportedly, at least one NFL team didn't have Sam on its draft boards because of the certainty selecting him would bring a media circus to town.
"There's some energy here," Rams general manager Les Snead said with a smile between rounds of interviews Tuesday. "But I don't think this is a circus. This deserves attention, but we'll get it over and we'll get to work."
Or not.
Wednesday, Snead might have been looking out of his office windows for the big-top tent and the elephants because the circus added its biggest act when the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN) announced plans to feature Sam in a reality series. OK, they called it a documentary series, but whatever.
Sam and his handlers were happy.
"I am determined," Sam said. "And if seeing my story helps somebody else accept who they are and to go for their dreams too, that's great. I am thankful to Oprah for her support and excited to work together."
The Rams, who felt good about the way things went Tuesday, felt their control on the situation start to slip from their fingers just 24 hours later. They were not happy.
I have a feeling they let that be known to Sam's people, who said while the TV deal was set in place before the draft, they didn't tell any teams about it because it might hurt his draft status.
You think so?
But Sam's handlers said they told the NFL about it. That was news to the NFL.
"No way," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said in a story on NFL.com. "Did not know anything about it until after the draft and have not agreed to anything about it."
I know who I believe.
On Friday, OWN said it was "postponing" the "documentary" series.
"After careful consideration and discussion with the St. Louis Rams, "The Untitled Michael Sam Project' has been postponed, allowing Michael the best opportunity to achieve his dream of making the team," network president Erik Logan wrote in a statement.
Michael Sam, the late-round draft pick, might need to concentrate on making the team. There's a novel idea.
Wait, novel? Hmm ... maybe somebody should write a book.