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Podcast: Coming out at Missouri felt safe for Michael Sam

Michael Sam, Global Sport Institute, Arizona State
Michael Sam speaks with Global Sport Institute director of research Dr. Scott Brooks at Arizona State University. (Photo by Alex Simon/GlobalSport Matters)

Five years after coming out publicly, former football player Michael Sam recently spoke at Arizona State University on "Masculinity, identity and moving forward: I am Michael Sam."

Sam spoke with Global Sports Institute director of research Dr. Scott Brooks, who was at Missouri as a professor at the same time Sam played football for the school. Missouri is a conservative atmosphere on campus and in the town, yet Sam said he felt comfortable coming out there because of head coach Gary Pinkel. "He was a huge, huge factor in that," Sam said.