Hundreds of students formed a human wall around the basketball stadium at the University of Missouri on Saturday because the Westboro Baptist Church had pledged to protest gay football player Michael Sam.

After Missouri defensive lineman Michael Sam came out last week last week, anti-LGBT members of the Westboro church vowed to show up at Missouri's game against Tennessee. But a group of students wearing "Stand with Sam" pins made the extremist group's demonstration impossible by surrounding the stadium.

"Because Michael Sam stood up for Mizzou his entire career and we need to stand up for him," one counter-protester said.