Michael Sam, a prospect for the 2014 NFL Draft, has announced he is gay in an interview with ESPN on Sunday.

Sam was an All-American defensive lineman at Missouri and is expected to be a mid-round pick.

Sam came out to his teammates and coaches at Missouri in August.

"I am an openly, proud gay man," said Sam.

Assuming Sam is drafted, he would become the first openly gay player in the history of the NFL.

"I understand how big this is," he said. "It's a big deal. No one has done this before. And it's kind of a nervous process, but I know what I want to be ... I want to be a football player in the NFL."

Sam led the SEC with 11.5 sacks, and 19 tackles for a loss. 

Sam could switch positions to outside linebacker and is rated as the 12th best outside pass rusher in the draft.

"I just want to go to the team who drafts me," he said, "because that team knows about me, knows that I'm gay, and also knows that I work hard. That's the team I want to go to."

Many NFL talent evaluators previously knew that Sam is gay and that the public announcement won't impact his draft status.

“We admire Michael Sam’s honesty and courage," said Roger Goodell. "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.”