First openly gay football player Michael Sam has made some new friends in the cast of the Fox American drama series "Empire."

TMZ exclusively revealed that Sam reaped the benefits of being unemployed after he was seen hanging with TV stars Terrence Howard and Jussie Smollet.

On his Instagram account, the football player posted a photo of him with the "Empire" stars and added the caption "Thank you @jussiesmollett #lusciouslyon and @empirefox for having me on set today. It was an awesome experience. Can't not wait for #empirewednesday."

He also shared a separate photo of him and Smollet wearing Forever Dream Foundation shirts.

Sam said that the proceeds of the sale of the clothing "will benefit the Forever Dream Foundation which provides inspiring experiences to underprivileged children."

The 25-year-old defensive end has had a frustrating football career, with him being unable to make a team in the NFL.

In a recent interview, Sam reportedly claimed that it would have been better for his career if he did not come out as gay.

"I'm not going to say ... but it probably would have been better for me if I didn't come out, I would be on a roster. But, as I said, I have no regrets whatsoever," Sam was quoted by Outsports as saying.

The same report agreed with Sam saying that NFL teams "discriminated against him" because he opened his sexuality to the public.

After failing to make it to an NFL team, Sam tried his luck with the Montreal Alouettes but he also left the team citing personal reasons.

In an earlier statement, the team revealed that the defensive lineman "asked a special permission to leave training camp and return home for personal reasons," as per Yahoo Sports.

He also reportedly had a hard time adjusting to some of its rules, including the yard off the ball and the two-point stance.

There were rumors that a comment from someone on the team may have led Sam to completely change his mind.

"All I know is I heard somebody made a comment about him, about how he wasn't very good and wasn't having a very good camp. He took it personally and was pouting in his room. It's very strange. I have no idea what's going on. He might have a personal issue," a Montreal Gazette  source revealed.

He also reportedly did not mingle with his teammates during practice, but there is also the possibility that too much pressure and attention from the media have made him unsure of his plans for his career.