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COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Michael Sam was just another recruit when he left his small Texas hometown and arrived in Missouri. Playing for the Tigers, he turned into a private loquacious leader ready to make a trailblazing announcement. The defensive star wants to become the first openly gay NFL player. "I told him: This is going to be mammoth," coach Gary Pinkel said Monday, a day after Sam came out to the world. "I dont have a word, OK, for how big this is going to be." Its a bigger deal for the older generation. Sams teammates and acquaintances easily made the adjustment, plus he proved himself on the field. "Hes a leader," former 49ers great running back Roger Craig said. "I would definitely welcome him on my team. Id play with him any day. I like people who stand up for themselves." Sam revealed he was gay at one of the football teams get-acquainted dinners last summer hosted by Pinkel and assistant coaches. The next day, Pinkel said, Sam told the entire team. Realizing the enormity of the situation, Pinkel left the next move up to the senior who blossomed into one of the best defensive ends in the country -- and one surrounded by teammates who didnt worry one bit about sexual orientation or reveal his secret until he came out on Sunday. Athletes across the campus approve. "Love is love," basketball guard Jordan Clarkson said. "Thats their personal life." Pinkel, athletic director Mike Alden and other school officials applauded Sams courage Monday at Faurot Field. As a backdrop, the first two letters of Sams last name were etched in snow to join the giant "M" just beyond the north end zone. "Pretty cool," Pinkel said. Coaches and Sam agreed that making an announcement during the season might be a distraction. It was Sams call to skip all the weekly media days and postgame news conferences, too, the better to avoid the risk of the topic coming up. Sam broke his silence prior to the Cotton Bowl and the conversation stayed on football, just like he wanted. Sam was prompted to make his decision to come out after the Senior Bowl, where it became apparent the players sexual orientation was widely known. This meant a declaration just days before the NFL combine and shouldering the pressure that goes along with the historic declaration. "Its very clear that everybody in the NFL knew," said Howard Bragman, a consultant hired by Sams agent to help manage the announcement in the media. The NFL and many others, including the White House, publicly applauded Sams decision. President Barack Obamas spokesman, first lady Michelle Obama and Vice-President Joe Biden all called him a courageous and inspirational athlete. But now, after a few high-profile interviews, its back to silent Sam. The fifth level of the stadium was jammed with dozens of reporters for Mondays news conference but there was no sign of the star attraction. Bragman said Sam was travelling Monday to a camp at an undisclosed location where hell prepare for the combine. Though hes been a most reticent public speaker, Pinkel described Sam as a virtual chatterbox. "He drove me crazy a lot of times, he doesnt shut up sometimes," Pinkel said with a chuckle. "He talks and talks and talks. "You always know hes in with my secretary because I can hear him and I have to close the door -- I cant concentrate." Sam arrived at Missouri without fanfare. Rivals.com gave him just two stars when he was coming out of Hitchcock High School. He had 10 career starts before his breakout senior season. The All-America defensive end led the Southeastern Conference with 11 1/2 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. He was the co-SEC defensive player of the year. But Sam has been projected as a mid-level NFL draft pick, probably because hes a bit undersized at 6-foot-2 and 255 pounds and is likely headed for a transition to outside linebacker. Pinkel doesnt think the announcement will hurt Sams draft status. "Our team was able to move past it and work together," defensive line coach Craig Kuligowski said. "So why shouldnt a bunch of professional football players be able to do the same thing?" There have been a few NFL players who have come out after their playing days, including Kwame Harris and Dave Kopay. "There will be some adjustments that will have to be made, sure," Craig said. "I think it will be a learning curve for the whole league." Nike Air Max 95 Herr Rea . Though the 26-year-old said he was able to participate, coach Dwane Casey kept Johnson out as a precaution. Nike Air Max 98 Sverige . The team made the announcement after Saturdays 6-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. RHP Kenny Giles will be called up from Triple-A Lehigh Valley to fill Adams spot on the roster. http://www.reaairmaxsverige.com/air-max-90-rabatt.html . A person familiar with the decision told The Associated Press the Steelers will part ways with the former Pro Bowler, a move that hardly serves as a surprise after fifth-year linebacker Jason Worilds agreed to accept a "transition player" tag last week. Nike Air Max 2020 Rea . Off-season additions Jermain Defoe and Michael Bradley did not train with the club today, prompting Nelsen to declare its too early to tell if either will be ready for Saturday. Nike Air Max 270 Sverige . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. CHICAGO -- Down 0-2 in the count in the 11th inning, Leury Garcia did something surprising: He bunted for a base hit. What happened next was even more unexpected. Garcia scored on a balk and a pair of wild pitches by Samuel Deduno, giving Chicago White Sox a 7-6 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday. Before a crowd of just 10,625, Chicago came back from a 6-4 deficit in the ninth on Garcias run-scoring single off Glen Perkins and Adam Eatons RBI grounder. Garcia said he made the call on his own to try and bunt even though the count was against him. "You have to work on it," Garcia said. "Ive been working and that was the perfect time to do it, and I do it. It was perfect." The speedy Garcia bunted up the third-base line on an 0-2 pitch leading off the 11th and took second when, with Eaton at the plate, Deduno (0-1) never came to a set position and balked. Eaton struck out, Deduno bounced an outside pitch that hit off Suzukis glove as Garcia advanced, and Marcus Semien took a called third strike. After an intentional walk to Jose Abreu, Deduno threw way outside on a 3-2 to pitch to Adam Dunn, and the ball hit off Suzukis glove as Garcia came home. Ronald Belisario (1-0) pitched 1 1-3 hitless innings for the win. "You get momentum from that," manager Robin Ventura said. "There are ways to hit a home run and win a game, and theres another way to manufacture it and come back. By coming back and then you win later, I dont know how many times we did that last year, not many. You end up doing something that feels new and feels fresh for these guys." Dunns solo homer in the eighth off Jared Burton pulled the White Sox to 6-5, but Kurt Suzuki hit a run-scoring double in the ninth against Daniel Wenn for a two-run cushion. The game was delayed during the top of the seventh after Eaton appeared to catch Oswaldo Arcias fly ball to centre and then dropped it when he went to grrab the ball from his glove.dddddddddddd The play was ruled a catch, but the Twins challenged the call and it was overturned by a replay umpire in New York. Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said the long delay forced him to pull starting pitcher Kevin Correia earlier than he wanted. "We were definitely going to challenge," Gardenhire said. "The length of it couldnt be helped from what I heard but it took too long for everybody involved." White Sox left-hander Felipe Paulino, back from elbow and shoulder surgery, made his first start since June 6, 2012, against Minnesota as a member of the Kansas City Royals. He allowed two runs -- one earned -- and seven hits in 5 1-3 innings with six strikeouts and two walks. Paulino laboured at times and threw 109 pitches. Twins starter Kevin Correia gave up three runs -- two earned -- and five hits in six innings with five strikeouts and a walked. It wasnt really a situation where I couldnt go back out there," Correia said. "It was 35 degrees, and I dont know how long that inning was taking already. But it pretty much came down to that review. Without that review, I definitely think Im going back out there." Trevor Plouffe had three RBIs for the Twins, who took a 5-3 lead with a three-run seventh. Alexei Ramirez had a two-run double for the Whiter Sox. NOTES: Twins reliever Casey Fien was diagnosed with a bruised left ankle when hit on a ball up the middle off Eatons bat ending the seventh inning. ... White Sox C Adrian Nieto made his major league debut as a pinch runner in the ninth. ... White Sox 3B Conor Gillaspie (flu) was scratched from the lineup. ... LHP Jose Quintana starts for the White Sox in the series finale against the Twins, who start RHP Hughes in his Twins debut. ... Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said pitcher Brian Duensing (paternity leave) was to arrive in Chicago on Wednesday night and be activated before Thursdays game. ' ' '