Michael Sam, Nastia Liukin will Compete on Season 20 of Dancing With the Stars

There’s always one or two active or retired athletes competing on Dancing With the Stars, and the upcoming season is no exception. This time around, football player Michael Sam and Olympic gold medal winning gymnast Nastia Liukin will fill those roles.

Sam, 25, played defensive end at the University of Missouri and came out as Gay before the NFL draft in 2014. He was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams but did not make the team. He then spent two months on the Dallas Cowboys’ practice squad before being released. He hopes to resume his football career, and this high profile gig should keep his name in the forefront.

Nastia Liukin, also 25, won a gold, three silvers, and a bronze in women’s gymnastics in the 2008 Beijing Olympics, plus a slew of World Championships before that. She was born in Russia, but emigrated to the U.S. and competed in the Olympics as an American.  Here she is on the Balance Beam during the Women’s Individual All-Around, her Gold Medal event.