Watch Michael Sam get a hero's welcome from Missouri basketball fans (BLOG, VIDEO)

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLj9tujbCxQd51rXhLSm33uc8MtNEeMqwx2y_AsOiTfRMhN4fGkqGyAtGKz1565pOtZ9-YVQMMlftnosBzeuvAYQYBKuUufAfVt616EVD6cU6P7arhtqUFsMIFk4gcW8caiJ9EQII9SI/s1600/sam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNLj9tujbCxQd51rXhLSm33uc8MtNEeMqwx2y_AsOiTfRMhN4fGkqGyAtGKz1565pOtZ9-YVQMMlftnosBzeuvAYQYBKuUufAfVt616EVD6cU6P7arhtqUFsMIFk4gcW8caiJ9EQII9SI/s1600/sam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; padding: 0px;">Michael Sam brought the crowd in Missouri to its feet on Saturday.</div><div class="p402_premium" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div style="padding: 0px;">The All-America defensive end and NFL prospect, who came out publicly as gay last weekend, received overwhelming support while making his first public appearance since his announcement.</div><div style="padding: 0px;">On hand with his football teammates and coaches for a halftime ceremony honoring their Cotton Bowl victory over Oklahoma State, Sam received a standing ovation when he was shown on the video board during the men's basketball game against Tennessee.</div><div style="padding: 0px;">Later he blew a kiss to the student section and shook hands.</div><div style="padding: 0px;">"Michael Sam stood up for Mizzou his entire career and we need to stand up for him,” said 51-year-old Michelle Carmichael, who joined more than a thousand others in a line formed to support Sam.</div><div style="padding: 0px;">The 2013 SEC defensive player of the year is expected to become the first openly gay player in the NFL after the draft in May.</div><div style="padding: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292727; font-size: 13px;">By Chuck Schilken</span></div><div style="padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292727; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div><div style="padding: 0px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292727; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></div></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #292727; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/J97zRC6O13M" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Watch Michael Sam get a hero's welcome from Missouri basketball fans (BLOG, VIDEO)

Michael Sam brought the crowd in Missouri to its feet on Saturday. The All-America defensive end and NFL prospect, who came out publicly as ...

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