The SEC Media Day on Wednesday, July 16, in Hoover, Ala., was full of questions and expectations for Mizzou Football Head Coach Gary Pinkel, defensive end Markus Golden, center Evan Boehm and quarterback Maty Mauk. Golden, Boehm and Mauk went behind the scenes with a Go Pro camera to give fans a more accurate example of what all goes on during media day.

Mauk answered questions about what he likes to do for fun, while the always entertaining Boehm answered questions about the offensive line growing beards last year. Golden and Boehm then answered who had the best beard and decided not on an offensive linemen, but quarterback Maty Mauk. Golden answered questions about being from St. Louis and always wanting to attend Mizzou as well as what his favorite Halloween costume was. Golden and Boehm said Power Rangers, while Mauk said a football player.

After last year’s success in winning the SEC East Division and the AT&T Cotton Bowl, Golden, Boehm and Mauk have some big shoes to fill. However, not quite as big as the AT&T Cotton Bowl rings they were sporting at SEC Media Day.

Evan Boehm, a junior offensive lineman, Maty Mauk, a redshirt sophomore quarterback, and Michael Scherer, a redshirt sophomore linebacker, decided to spend a warm and sunny Missouri summer day touring Mizzou’s beautiful campus in honor of everything it has meant to them during the duration of their student-athlete careers.

The trio fittingly started at the historic Tiger Walk Bridge, which they cross en route to making their way to the field two hours prior to every home game.

“We have fans, cheerleaders, band, the Golden Girls, everybody out here cheering us on and getting us ready for the game,” Mauk said.

The three then took the exclusive Mizzou Football golf cart to South residence hall, where all of the freshman football players live while attending their first year at our great school. Redshirt freshman tight end Jason Reese was then kind enough to give them a tour of his dorm room at South, all of which come equipped with desks and beds for two, as well as a walk-in closet and bathrooms that players share with their suitemates.

The threesome’s adventure progressed to Mizzou’s Greek Town, where they were received very warmly by our university’s sororities and fraternities.

“They get really festive in the homecoming, and they are very big supporters of Mizzou football,” Boehm said as they were driving through.

Stankowski Field, the proud site of the first ever homecoming in the world, was the next destination on the list.

“They have three fields, and a whole bunch of rec sports are played out here,” Boehm said as he and his compadres stood next to the track overlooking the turf field.

Stankowski was renovated last year at the same time as The ZOU.

The three then moved on to Cornell Hall, the impressive building that houses Mizzou’s Business School.

“This is where me and Evan spend most of our day going to class,” Scherer said. “It is home to the largest classroom on campus.”

After a quick visit to this classroom, the players headed over to the Student Center, where a great number of students spend a lot of their time hanging out and studying between classes. It was renovated in 2012 and offers a wide variety of products and services, from technology assistance to Mizzou merchandise, to plenty of tasty places to grab a quick bite to eat. Boehm himself has carved out time to relax at the Student Center.

“In the wintertime they have the fireplace turned on,” Boehm said. “You can sit by the fire and hang out, maybe read, study a little bit.”

The group then headed over to the Mizzou Store to show off a pretty snazzy shiny black-and-grey themed Mizzou football shirt that was designed by Mizzou Made quarterback and current Kansas City Chief Chase Daniel.

Mizzou’s Recreational Center was the next stop on the tour, which was No. 1 on Sports Illustrated’s list of recreational facilities back in 2005. Mauk certainly agrees.

“We have the nicest rec center in the country,” he proudly says. “We have 10 basketball courts. We’ve got three swimming pools. You go in here in the Grotto, we got a steam room and a sauna.”

Boehm also revealed that Coach Pinkel often treats the players and the coaching staff to a trip to the Grotto during fall camp.

“Some of us hang outside, some of us go inside,” Boehm said, “and just have a good ol’ pool day….and keep our mind off of football for a little bit.”

Mauk and Boehm also have a little rivalry going amongst themselves, and it has nothing to do with basketball or the Grotto.

“We play a lot of racquetball,” Mauk said. “And to this day he’s getting better, but he still needs practice.”

Boehm isn’t ready to concede to defeat to Mauk just yet.

“It’s my main goal before I leave here, is to beat Maty in at least two games of racquetball,” Boehm said. “Right now it’s not really working out too well.”

Mauk Boehm and Scherer then found themselves looking up at the towering prestige of Mizzou’s Memorial Union, another popular study area for students that also hosts many different events, ranging from campus ministry services to awards banquets. The building is comprised of two components, a north side (built after World War I to honor the 116 students who lost their lives during the conflict) and a south side (constructed following World War II to honor those fallen during that time as well).

Speaker’s Circle was a must-stop along the way, and the three made sure they didn’t miss it.

“It’s part of one of the seven traditions, is to stand right in the middle of the circle and scream ‘I love Mizzou’ three or four times,” Boehm said as the golf cart circled the circle.

Scherer then decided to give a demonstration of this tradition, while Mauk tossed a pass to a fellow student.

Shakespeare’s Pizza, another Mizzou staple, was calling the player’s names after a long day of touring the campus, so they all piled back into the golf cart to head down to the beloved pizza joint to enjoy an exceptional meal.

The threesome then traded some “M-I-Z”, “Z-O-U” chants with some patrons, and they cruised to the last, but not least, destination of the tour: the famed Mizzou Columns. The six pillars are one of the most historic landmarks in the whole state of Missouri and also hold the honor of being the second most photographed entity in the state as well.

“When you get here your freshman year, you run through the columns and you go get ice cream on the other side,” Boehm said. “It’s just a special tradition we have here at Mizzou.”

Anyone who saw these fine young men on this tour can surely come to one conclusion above all: This campus, this university—Mizzou through and through—is not just a place where they will receive an excellent education and accomplish great things out on the gridiron. It is, and forever will be, their home.

This week on ZOU Unit, host Evan Boehm sat down with four of Mizzou’s newest players: Brandon Lee, Logan Cheadle, Kenya Dennis and Marvin Zanders.

Lee hails from Lawrence Central High School in Indianapolis, Ind. He wants to go to medical school upon graduation, so he chose Mizzou for its outstanding academics, first and foremost. Mizzou’s first-rate coaching staff and their knack for producing NFL talent also factored heavily into the linebacker’s decision.

Zanders, a.k.a. Dr. Lee (see Drumline), is from Raines High School in Jacksonville, Fla. The coaches are what originally drew the quarterback to Mizzou, and once he arrived on campus for his official visit, he fell in love with the environment and family atmosphere.

Dennis is from Leyland, Miss. After graduating from Leyland High School, he attended Hinds Community College in Jackson, Miss. for three semesters. The cornerback developed a strong relationship with Coach Cornell Ford during the recruiting process, and once he experienced the brotherhood of the Mizzou Football Family, he knew Mizzou was the place for him.

Cheadle played his high school ball at Boehm’s alma mater, Lee’s Summit West in Kansas City, Mo. He watched Boehm win a state championship during his freshman season, and then made the Mizzou center proud by taking home a state title of his own as a senior. The cornerback grew up a Tigers fan, so as he put it, Mizzou has been home to him from the get-go.

Fun fact: Cheadle is the cousin of award-winning actor and producer Don Cheadle, who starred in Crash, Iron Man 2 and 3, and numerous other blockbuster hits.

After Boehm gathered a solid foundation on the new guys, he prodded into more pressing matters. First off, he asked Lee why he always wears a hat. As it turns out, the Indianapolis native is a hat collector, and has one to match just about every outfit he wears.

On the topic of fashion, Cheadle questioned Zanders about the capris that the quarterback supposedly rocks around campus. Rumor has it, he’s in the process of kilt shopping online to make his next fashion statement. Zanders denies any such rumors.

After Dr. Lee finished talking about the “Florida swag” that his style encompasses, the conversation switched to academics, and Boehm asked the newcomers about the hardest class on their schedule.

Cheadle and Zanders both mentioned English 1000, saying the biggest difference from high school to college is the amount of weight that the tests carry. Unlike high school, where homework can save you, exams tend to determine the majority of your grade in college, especially in freshman-level courses.

To round out their chat, Boehm asked each of his teammates to give one bit of advice to incoming Tigers.

“If you’re from Florida, just bring anything warm,” Zanders said. “I went to class my first day, and I swear I had frostbite.”

“Be in shape,” Dennis said, as he reminisced about the infamous Mat Drills.

“Drop your ego,” Cheadle said. “It’s really a humbling experience coming in here. Just come in hungry and ready to learn. If you come in with the attitude that you’re bigger than the team, the coaches will knock you down. Once you get to college, none of the stars, honors, or awards matter. Be ready to work.

“Drop the ego, and be willing to learn as much as you can,” Lee said, building off Cheadle’s advice. “They don’t tolerate ego here. You’re not the man here like you were in high school. Try and keep a positive attitude and be ready to work for the team.”

ZOU Unit is your source for the inside scoop on Mizzou Football. Each week, host Evan Boehm will give you a behind-the-scenes look at a different aspect of the football program, from facility tours to exclusive interviews.

This week, we get to see how Mizzou Football celebrates Easter: with an epic Easter egg hunt inside the press box at The ZOU.

The Mizzou family split into three teams to search for a total of 12 plastic football eggs filled with Reese’s eggs. Boehm paired up with offensive lineman Mitch Morse, wide receivers Bud Sasser and Levi Copelin matched up, and quarterback Maty Mauk and wide receiver Darius White made the third team.

As they searched for eggs, the team also found slips of paper with fun-facts about Mizzou Football, like this one:

“Mizzou Football has a 97% graduation rate and the No. 1 academic progress rate in the SEC.”

After searching high and low throughout the press box, the ZOU Unit reconvened to count their eggs. Boehm and Morse found two eggs, Sasser and Copelin had three, and Mauk and White found seven although they accused Sasser and Copelin of stealing their eighth.

While enjoying their prize of Reese’s eggs, the team talked about their favorite types of candy. Boehm and White said Reese’s is their all-time favorite and Mauk added that he also likes Snickers. Sasser said his favorite is Hershey’s Cookies’ n’ Cream, and Copelin said he prefers the classic Hershey’s Milk Chocolate. Morse agreed with just about everyone, but eventually settled on Rolo’s as his favorite.