Missouri defensive end Michael Sam made history Saturday night, becoming the first openly gay player in the NFL.
Sam was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the final round of the 2014 NFL draft with the 249th overall pick.
Sam’s historic moment provoked a strong positive reaction on social media, as thousands tweeted to welcome the 24-year-old to the NFL with open arms.
See below for some notable tweets, including Sam’s own reaction to joining the Rams.
[tweet https://twitter.com/MikeSamFootball/status/465269464477356033 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/nfl/statuses/465263029911695360 align=’center’]
[tweet https://twitter.com/MikeSilver/statuses/465262475366002688 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/AdamSchefter/status/465262856301477889 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/jasoncollins34/status/465270546415235074 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/RQuinn94/statuses/465268171604512769 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/EricDickerson/status/465265329086922752 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/sfujita55/statuses/465267813066625024 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/haha_cd6/statuses/465267044028776448 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/KaraHenderson/status/465263454862180352 align=’center’%5D
[tweet https://twitter.com/SI_PeterKing/statuses/465266845340024832 align=’center’]
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@MikeSamFootball
