Vito Cammisano: Michael Sam’s Boyfriend Thrown Into National Spotlight After Draft Day Kiss

Vito Cammisano is quite possibly the most famous Missouri swimmer in the world right now.

The standout athlete was thrust into the national spotlight on Saturday when his boyfriend, Missouri Tigers defensive end Michael Sam, became the first openly gay player to be drafted by an NFL team. Sam and Cammisano kissed for cameras after the St. Louis Rams selected Michael in the seventh and final round of the draft.

Though it was known that Michael Sam had been dating a fellow Missouri athlete, it was not until after the draft and the now-famous kiss that he was identified as Vito Cammisano.

Cammisano was a standout on the Missouri swim team from 2009 to 2012, and has been dating Sam for several months. The two have the support of Cammisano’s family, who said they are thrilled that Vito’s boyfriend is headed to the NFL.

“I was very proud of them both,” Cammisano’s aunt, Cathy Nigro said of the kiss. “I think the whole family is.”

Even President Obama praised Michael Sam for his accomplishment.

“From the playing field to the board room, LGBT Americans prove every day that you should be judged by what you do and not who you are,” said Obama.

After the draft, Sam and Cammisano headed out to Tao nightclub in Las Vegas, where they partied until 3 am, the Las Vegas Sun reported. While there, Michael Sam got a shoutout from the DJ and chatted with Seattle Seahawks star Richard Sherman.

But not everyone was celebrating Michael Sam’s historic accomplishment. Miami Dolphins safety Don Jones tweeted “horrible” in response to Sam’s being drafted, but quickly took the tweet down.

Miami Dolphins Dennis Hickey also admonished Jones, saying the team is behind Sam.

“I was disappointed in those comments,” Hickey said. “That’s not what we stand for as an organization. The draft weekend is the culmination for so many players of their lifetime achievement of their dream to achieve their goal. For Michael Sam, for all the other players, it’s such a great celebration as they begin their future. We’re going to sit down with Don Jones and address (the tweet) appropriately.’

While Michael Sam and Vito Cammisano may be celebrating now, the seventh-round pick has a fight ahead of him. Sam is considered an odd fit for the NFL, too small to play his natural college position of defensive end but too slow to shift to linebacker. He is considered an outside shot to make the team’s final roster.