The All-America defensive end who could became the first openly gay player in the NFL, later blew a kiss to the student section and shook hands with fans.
Sam and football team were honored at halftime for their Cotton Bowl over Oklahoma State.
Wearing a shirt declaring "We Are All CoMo Sexuals," 51-year-old Michelle Carmichael joined more than a thousand others in forming a line of support for Sam. She didn't hesitate to answer why.
"Because Michael Sam stood up for Mizzou his entire career and we need to stand up for him," she said.
The shirt plays off the nickname of Columbia, Mo., where Sam announced to his teammates in August that he was gay. The NFL hopeful shared his sexuality with the world last Sunday.
A Facebook event created this week called for the community to stand together for Sam outside Mizzou Arena on Saturday. Nearly 5,000 people said they would attend, though not as many turned out in the 30-degree chill.
Mason Schara, the student body president who posted Monday on Twitter that he's gay, said the university will always treat Sam as one of its own.
"The majority of us knew and we just didn't think anything of it because that's just who we are here," Schara said. "The fact that there's been such a positive reaction across the nation is what sparked us to be here today."
