DALLAS — Michael Sam’s status as a free agent didn’t last long, as the defensive end was picked up by the Dallas Cowboys within hours of an online video surfacing in which Sam appears to use narcotics and assaults his boyfriend.

The St. Louis Rams released the seventh-round draft pick on Saturday, as the team finalized its 53-man roster. Shortly after Sam cleared waivers on Sunday, a video obtained by TMZ appeared to show an intoxicated Sam physically abusing his boyfriend. The Cowboys claimed Sam off waivers shortly after the video went viral.

“Michael Sam has many of the qualities we are looking for,” a statement from the team read. “We believe he possesses the talent to help propel the Dallas Cowboys forward in 2014, in addition to exemplifying the values and conduct we hope to see in NFL players.

“We had our doubts [about Sam], of course,” a source inside the Cowboys told Newslo. “He’s had questions swirling around him: whether he was mentally prepared for the demands of the NFL, whether he would be a good fit inside the locker room—if some of it was homophobia, I can’t say. But after we saw that video, we came to see that Sam is no different than any other NFL player. As long as he stays focused and works hard, I can’t imagine why he wouldn’t fit in with our organization.

“The National Football League is all about second chances, right?”