Missouri All-American Michael Sam Says He Is Gay

Missouri DE Michael Sam, a 2013 All-American, revealed he was gay Sunday.

Sam said he came to his teammates in the summer of 2013 and said he wanted to discuss his sexual orientation publicly on his terms.

“I just want to make sure I could tell my story the way I want to tell it,”. “I just want to own my truth.”

Sam said that he told teammates during a team-building exercise at practice. Each member of the team was asked to reveal something about themselves that teammates didn't know.

“I looked in their eyes, and they just started shaking their heads — like, finally, he came out,” Sam told the Times.

He said he's never had any problems with teammates and said once he came out to his teammates that he knew who he was -- a Missouri football player who happens to be gay