COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri running back Cody Schrader isn’t one to miss practice. But last Dec. 15, the day the Tigers held an afternoon practice before leaving for their bowl game in Florida, Schrader had an excused absence.
He was graduating.
Schrader attended his commencement ceremony for the College of Arts and Sciences instead of practice. But that night, as several prospects gathered at the team facility for a big recruiting weekend, Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz sent running backs coach Curtis Luper a video from his phone. There was a player practicing on Faurot Field. In the dark.