Texas Born, Mizzou Made

The Mizzou Football Family works tirelessly to land the top recruits in the nation from all over the United States. The state of Texas has been very good to the Tigers and has produced some standout players for Mizzou in recent years.

They say everything is bigger in Texas, and the number of current or former Tigers who hail from the Lone Star state is no exception. There are 22 players on the Mizzou roster from Texas, including SEC Special Teams Player of the Year Marcus Murphy, safety Braylon Webb, who led the team with four interceptions this season, and wide receiver Bud Sasser, who led the team with 12 touchdowns this season.

“I have a lot of pride in representing my city and my state and the people that enjoyed watching me from Texas,” Sasser said. “It was important to prove to a new crowd in Missouri that you can be one of the best.”

Former Tigers from Texas include first-round pick and current Jacksonville Jaguars defensive lineman Ziggy Hood, first-round pick and current Atlanta Falcons linebacker Sean Weatherspoon, and Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Chase Daniel.

To continue successful recruiting from Texas, former Mizzou center and current offensive line coach A.J. Ricker focuses heavily on recruiting from his home state. Ricker was born in Windsor, Missouri, and graduated from high school in Klein, Texas. He started 47 consecutive games for Mizzou from 2000-2003. This established a record at the time for any position, and he now stands No. 5 all-time for any position and No. 2 for centers. He also was a two-time team captain and was first-team All-Big 12 center in 2003.

After graduating from Mizzou in 2004 with a degree in agriculture, Ricker signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears. He also played for the Arena Football League’s Tampa Bay Storm. After retiring from playing, Ricker coached at various college football programs for eight years, including Illinois, where he was an offensive line coach, before coming to Mizzou. Coach Ricker’s knowledge of the area helps Mizzou lock down talented prospective student-athletes.

These current and former Mizzou Tigers may have been Texas born, but most importantly, they are Mizzou Made. The defending Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl Champions will continue their recruiting success this year with athletes not only from Texas, but all over the U.S. Be sure to follow Mizzou Football on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more news about Mizzou Football in the offseason.