On Saturday, the Westboro Baptist Church came to the University of Missouri’s game against Tennessee to protest football player Michael Sam’s announcement earlier this week that he is gay.

Students at the university, many of them wearing “Stand with Sam” pins, formed a human wall to block off the extremist group.

http://instagram.com/p/kcwccEruh_/

It’s just one of many displays of support that the student body has shown for the SEC Defensive Player of the Year since his announcement last Sunday.

. @MikeSamFootball here at the arena, shown on the videoboard and got a huge cheer, over at the students' section waving and getting cheered — Ben Arnet (@BenArnetMU) February 15, 2014

Inside the basketball game, Sam showed his appreciation for the student section.

And later with this message on Twitter: