COLUMBIA, MO. • For years Missouri football coaches crossed the Mississippi River to recruit the legion of athletes at East St. Louis High School. They almost always came home empty.
Across generations, the Flyers produced many of the area’s best teams and elite players, but they rarely found their way to Columbia. Between 1960 and 2000, the Tigers had just nine players from East St. Louis High earn a football letter — most notably tight end Kellen Winslow, from 1976-78.
How things have changed.
These days, Mizzou stockpiles Flyers like jockstraps and Nike cleats.