Missouri All-American Michael Sam says he is gay, and the defensive end could become the first openly homosexual player in the NFL. Cheap Jordan 5 Wholesale . In interviews with ESPN, The New York Times and Outsports that were published Sunday, Sam said he came out to all his teammates and coaches at Missouri in August. "I am an openly, proud gay man," he said. Sam will participate in the NFL combine later this month in Indianapolis and is currently projected to be a mid-round draft pick in May. "Its a big deal. No one has done this before. And its kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL," he told ESPN. The 6-foot-2, 255-pound Sam participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., last month after leading the Southeastern Conference in sacks (11.5) and tackles for loss (19). He was the SEC defensive player of the year. There have been a few NFL players who have come out after their playing days, including Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay. Last year, NBA player Jason Collins announced he was gay after the season. Collins, a 35-year-old backup centre, was a free agent when he came out and has not signed with a new team this season. MLS star and U.S. national team player Robbie Rogers also came out a year ago. "His courage will inspire millions to live their truth," Rogers tweeted about Sam. Division III Willamette kicker Conner Mertens, a redshirt freshman, said last month he was bisexual. "We admire Michael Sams honesty and courage," the NFL said in statement. "Michael is a football player. Any player with ability and determination can succeed in the NFL. We look forward to welcoming and supporting Michael Sam in 2014." Sams announcement comes at a time gay rights issues and sports have collided at the Olympics in Sochi. Russias anti-gay law has received much attention, and criticism, because of the games. "By rewriting the script for countless young athletes, Michael has demonstrated the leadership that, along with his impressive skills on the field, makes him a natural fit for the NFL," said Sarah Kate Ellis, president of GLAAD, a leading lesbian gay, bisexual and transgender media advocacy organization. "With acceptance of LGBT people rising across our coasts -- in our schools, churches, and workplaces -- its clear that America is ready for an openly gay football star." The NFLs sexual orientation, anti-discrimination and harassment policy states: Coaches, General Managers and others responsible for interviewing and hiring draft-eligible players and free agents must not seek information concerning or make personnel decisions based on a players sexual orientation. This includes asking questions during an interview that suggest that the players sexual orientation will be a factor in the decision to draft or sign him. Examples: Do you like women or men? How well do you do with the ladies? Do you have a girlfriend? Carolina Panthers running back DeAngelo Williams tweeted: "I could care less about a mans sexual preference! i care about winning games and being respectful in the locker room!" Williams teammate, cornerback Drayton Florence, posted on his Twitter account: "No comment but it can be a distraction in the locker room. At least hes open with it much respect!" Sam said many people at the Senior Bowl, an all-star game for NFL prospects, seemed to know he was gay. "I didnt realize how many people actually knew, and I was afraid that someone would tell or leak something out about me," he told ESPN. "I want to own my truth. ... No one else should tell my story but me." Sam told the Times he dated a man on the Missouri swim team and came out to teammates LDamian Washington and Marvin Foster about a year ago, before letting the whole team know during last preseason. "Coaches just wanted to know a little about ourselves, our majors, where were from, and something that no one knows about you," Sam told ESPN. "And I used that opportunity just to tell them that I was gay. And their reaction was like, Michael Sam finally told us." Missouri coach Gary Pinkel said in a statement Sunday night he was proud of Sam and how he represented the program. "Michael is a great example of just how important it is to be respectful of others, hes taught a lot of people here firsthand that it doesnt matter what your background is, or your personal orientation, were all on the same team and we all support each other," Pinkel said. "If Michael doesnt have the support of his teammates like he did this past year, I dont think theres any way he has the type of season he put together." Missouri linebacker Donovan Bonner was a teammate of Sams for five years. "We knew of his status for 5 years and not one team member, coach, or staff member said anything says a lot about our family atmosphere," Bonner tweeted. Cheap Air Jordan 5 For Sale . Weise will have his hearing with the NHL head office over the phone, while the league has requested an in-person hearing with Kassian. Oilers centre Sam Gagner suffered a broken jaw after getting hit with a high stick from Kassian in Edmontons 5-2 win. Wholesale Jordan 5 . Or how his team has defended Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Or just about anything that has happened on the court in the first-round playoff series. Instead, Rivers and his players spent Saturday talking about how they would respond to an audio recording of a man identified as Clippers owner Donald Sterling telling his girlfriend not to bring black people to games. http://www.wholesaleairjordan5.com/ .com) - Devin Booker scored 19 points and top-ranked Kentucky put on a defensive clinic in an 83-44 obliteration of UCLA in the CBS Sports Classic.EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Law enforcement agents in New Jersey have redoubled efforts to fight what they worry could be one of the biggest menaces to come with next months Super Bowl: sex trafficking. Hundreds of thousands of visitors are expected to descend on New Jersey for the Feb. 2 football game. Many believe the states sprawling highway system, proximity to New York City and diverse population make it an attractive base of operations for traffickers. "New Jersey has a huge trafficking problem," said U.S. Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who is co-chairman of the House anti-human trafficking caucus. "One Super Bowl after another after another has shown itself to be one of the largest events in the world where the cruelty of human trafficking goes on for several weeks." Law enforcement in New Jersey has worked for years to battle forced prostitution. The state strengthened its human trafficking law in early 2013, but it hit a roadblock in August when a federal judge ruled that a portion of the law that pertains to commercial sex ads posted online may conflict with federal legislation. The state is appealing. There are scant statistics and much debate over how much sex trafficking increases during a Super Bowl or other large sporting event, but its been enough of a concern to prompt New Jersey and previous Super Bowl host cities to pay attention to it. Danielle Douglas, a speaker and advocate who identifies herself as a sex-trafficking survivor, said any major sporting event attracts sex traffickers looking to make money. "The Super Bowl is a huge, huge arena for sex trafficking," Douglas said. Some visitors "are coming to the Super Bowl not even to watch football -- they are coming to the Super Bowl to have sex with women, and/or men or children." Soon after the announcement that the 2014 Super Bowl would be held at MetLife Stadium, New Jersey officials set up training for legions of law enforcement personnel, hospitality workers, high school students, airport employees and others on identifying the signs of sex trafficking. Local houses of worship are handing out fliers notifying congregants of warning signs, and truckers are being trained to look for people -- mostly women but also men -- who may be held against their will. Sex trafficking, to be prosecuted as such, must involve -- unlike prostitution -- not only a buyer and seller of sex but also a pimp or trafficker controlling the transaction, according to the New Jersey attorney generals office. Officials are also warning the public to watch for people who are forced into labour and individual pimps exerting control over young women and men who are oftentimes underage. "Weve enlisted, basically, every service provider that people coming to the Super Bowl are going to run into," Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said. "There are a lot of eyes that are going to be on their activities and going to be on spotting potential victims of this crime." The Super Bowl task force convened by Hoffmans office is composed of state, local and federal law enforcement officers, community groups, social workers and others. Bergen County Prosecutor John Molinelli said ads are starting to pop up on Internet sites and law enforcement officials are gleaning information from them. "When youre about ready to have 400,000 men come to this area of the country," Molinelli said, "youre invariably going to have more people try to take advantage of that by providing prostitutes and prostitution. Cheap Jordan 5 Free Shipping. " The National Football League said it shares law enforcement concerns and supports strong anti-human trafficking laws. The NFLs security department hosted a meeting in September with law enforcement officials who combat human trafficking and child prostitution. "We work closely with federal, state and local law enforcement to ensure that the Super Bowl is a safe environment for the host community and the fans who enjoy the game and the celebration," NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement. Similar concerns had been expressed before the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, McCarthy noted, but the NFL was "pleased to learn that the grave concerns about human trafficking and prostitution were not realized," thanks to law enforcement. Officials in Texas, Louisiana and Indiana strengthened efforts to combat sex trafficking ahead of previous Super Bowls. In Arizona, which will host the 2015 Super Bowl, U.S. Sen. John McCains wife, Cindy, has been speaking out, calling the Super Bowl the "largest human-trafficking venue on the planet." It is difficult to ascertain the exact number of trafficking cases in a given year or place because so much of it goes unreported. In 2012, the Polaris Project, a non-profit that works to combat human trafficking, received 20,652 calls reporting trafficking to its hotline, 330 of which were from New Jersey, CEO Bradley Myles said. "The overall size of the phenomenon in the United States is much more significant than statistics show," Myles said. Polaris plans to add additional staffers to the hotline in February, but the organization has seen only a modest uptick in calls during previous Super Bowls, Myles said. In December, Kathleen Friess led a two-hour presentation in Hamilton Township for hotel and nightclub employees and tried to dispel notions of what human trafficking looks like. Often, Friess said, its a local woman forced into sex work by a man she initially thought had romantic intentions. Other times, its a woman from another country whose family is threatened. Friess told the employees to look for women who may not be in control, who look frightened and may exhibit signs of physical abuse. Victims are often runaways, the impoverished, abuse victims or those living in the country illegally, she said. "You guys are at that front line, seeing them coming and going," Friess said. "Youre in a position to prevent human trafficking." Ronald Moore, the security manager at the Grand Summit Hotel in Summit, said he plans to replicate the presentation for his staff. A former police officer, Moore said the hotel has been preparing for the possibility of crime during Super Bowl week. "Youre going to have the potential for everything from stolen goods to assault to check fraud. Everything you can imagine is going to be happening," he said. "You have to be aware." Jane Wells, a filmmaker who recently released "Tricked," a documentary about human trafficking, said she wants law enforcement to focus on the crime all the time, not just around sporting events. "This is a 365-day-a-year problem," Wells said. 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