In an intriguing, introspective analysis, the  editors of the University of Missouri’s (MU) student newspaper thinks that the campus may be taking way too much credit for Michael Sam.

Sam, once the Missouri Tigers’ defensive end,  is poised to become the the first openly gay player in the NFL.

…No one can deny MU’s inclusive campus culture; there’s even a BuzzFeed about it. MU had its first genderqueer Homecoming king nominee, Josey Herrera, in October. It’s clear that as a community we’re making strides toward acceptance.

We do applaud the effort it takes to foster this kind of campus, but this supportive culture isn’t the reason Sam came out. He came out publicly after he left MU. Yet, no matter how perfect the environment, coming out is still a hard thing to do. We can almost certainly bet that MU’s reputation wasn’t a consideration of Sam’s, and Mizzou shouldn’t benefit so heftily from his personal statement. Responses shouldn’t be, “Way to go, MU!” because honestly, the university had nothing to do with it (aside from keeping it under wraps until Sam was ready to go public).

We’re concerned that support for Sam is turning into an example of MU’s greatness. It’s fantastic that we’re an accepting community, but it’s becoming too much; more about us and less about Sam. Some even took it a step further, making it about themselves and saying they knew but didn’t spill the beans. Well, claps to you for being a decent human being.

Supporting Sam challenges the MU community. Sam’s sexuality forces football fans to be more comfortable with homosexuality. After all, Sam is someone you rooted for on the field when the game got close. He’s part of the Tiger family, and acceptance is key. We are One Mizzou, and now’s the time to show the nation how this rings true.

It’s important, though, to keep in mind that at this point in time with the barrage of news coverage, supporting Mizzou means standing behind the LGBT community. You can’t skip over the part you don’t like and still stand for Sam this Saturday. The two aren’t mutually exclusive. Don’t get us wrong, school pride is a fabulous and wonderful thing. We understand that many members of the MU community are doing what they can to be as supportive as possible, but this story is a bigger step forward to the LGBT community than it is for the MU community and spirit.