Column:

Football's seniors deserve a thank you

By Mark Levitt

Published Nov. 13, 2008

Senior night, last Saturday at Faurot Field, was a night to celebrate, a night to remember, a night to gain closure. But regardless of what you took out of the festivities before and during the game, one thing is certain: It is impossible to understate the importance of this class of Tiger seniors.

It is easy to forget how dismal the football program looked when these seniors arrived back in 2005. In the previous 15 seasons, the Tigers had three winning campaigns. Eight wins was the peak of that span. Some around Columbia were even ready for coach Gary Pinkel to move on. His team went 5-6 in 2004, including being blown out by Kansas for the second-straight year. The hope Brad Smith briefly provided faded as quickly as a Jeremy Maclin streak.

Enter Chase Daniel. Enter Chase Coffman. Enter William Moore. Enter Jeff Wolfert. In their first year, they went 7-5, including a riveting comeback over Steve Spurrier's South Carolina Gamecocks in the Independence Bowl. In 2006 they improved, finishing 8-5. There is no need to remind anyone what happened last year. This season's script is still incomplete. However, another Big 12 North title is well within reach of their paws.

The 2008 Tigers are on pace to have a shot at the Big 12 Championship for the second time in as many years. The past two seasons will go down as the best back-to-back seasons in recent memory. Were the two losses against Oklahoma State and Texas, ending the National Championship dream, disappointing? Absolutely. But those who think this is a lost season have a warped vision of what defines success in college football today.

The full effect of these seniors on the program cannot be determined for a few years. No class can immediately transform a mediocre program into a national powerhouse. But these guys put Missouri on the map in capital letters. They have an opportunity to finish their careers with 39 victories, the most all-time. The responsibility now falls on the underclassmen and the coaching staff to use this solid base as a springboard.

But the future can be saved for another day and another article. Usually, sports is a "what have you done for me lately" world. Not today. These guys have earned their right to be celebrated.

Everything about senior night was perfect. The cold weather was overpowered by the warmness of the crowd's ovation. And though the Tigers might not have played their best game, they won in a dominant fashion. Aaron O'Neal's father represented his fallen son, providing a fitting end to what should have been O'Neal's final home game. Chase Patton threw the first touchdown pass of his career. It took a Mark Mangino-sized character for Patton to honor his commitment to MU when he could have started at some other school.

There are two things every Tiger fan needs to say to Van Alexander, Mack Breed, Castine Bridges, Colin Brown and Adam Casey. To Tommy Chavis, Brock Christopher, Chase Coffman and Chase Daniel. To Justin Garrett, Earl Goldsmith, Ziggy Hood and Jimmy Jackson. To Ryan Madison, William Moore, Chase Patton and Steve Redmond. To Tommy Saunders, Stryker Sulak, Tru Vaughns and Jeff Wolfert. To Aaron O'Neal: Congratulations and thank you.