2014 ESPYS: Michael Sam Timeline

Telling The World

"I understand how big this is," he told ESPN's Chris Connelly. "It's a big deal. No one has done this before. And it's kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL."

When Sam decided to come out in public Feb. 9, he credited his Mizzou teammates, in whom he had confided during the preseason, for their support.

"Just to see their reaction was awesome," Sam told ESPN. "They supported me from day one. I couldn't have better teammates. ... I'm telling you what: I wouldn't have the strength to do this today if I didn't know how much support they'd given me this past semester."

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