Michael Sam's thank you letter to Missouri: 'You gave me a chance to live my truth without judgment'

Former Missouri defensive end Michael Sam, who is poised to become the first openly gay player in the NFL, thanked his alma mater for the "love and acceptance" it gave him in a letter published Thursday in the Columbia Missourian.

"From my first recruiting trip to the University of Missouri, I felt something extraordinary and special — something I didn't feel anyplace else," Sam wrote. "I didn't have a name for it then; I do now. It's called family."

"And to me that family is defined by unconditional love," he added.

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Head over to the Columbia Missourian to read the whole thing here.