Goodbye Brad
By Shawn Davis, posted 11/18/05

He took over at a time when no one else would have wanted to. As just a freshman he entered a program that dwelled in the basement of the Big 12 for three years. He was put in a position where most people could never succeed, and not only did he succeed, but he flourished.

After playing his last game on Farout Field Nov. 12, Brad Smith could hold his head high, as he dazzled fans with his trademark sprint down the sideline in an elusive way that led to countless awards, records and wins. If it weren’t for Brad Smith, the resurrection of Mizzou football would have been delayed even further.

All Smith did was what was asked of him: run. He made offensive coordinator Dave Christensen look like a genius in 2003. Although the Tigers were often one-dimensional, every time he took off with the football there was a collective pause from everyone watching, wondering if he would take this one to the house. A lot of the time he didn’t disappoint those eager fans.

It is not very often that you get an athlete of Smith’s caliber, especially one who touches the ball on every play as Smith did. Smith took over after a three-year period where the Tigers were down. After the magical play of Corby Jones in 1997 and 1998 led to bowl appearances, the Tigers struggled to find a guy who could replace him, toying with the likes of Matt Dourghty and Kirk “Mr. Glass” Farmer. When Smith stepped onto the scene in 2001, he made the magical play of Jones look like a circus sideshow.

Smith gave the program its first win over Nebraska in 26 years. He took the Tigers to two bowl games. He gave Mizzou attention from the national media that wanted to see him play. He gave fans something to cheer for again, and hope for a bright future of Mizzou football. Although Smith often struggled throwing the ball, and made a few pivotal mistakes in big games, he still managed to group himself with other great Mizzou football players. It’s not often you are mentioned in the same breath as Phil Bradley and Corby Jones. Smith may have been a quarterback to most, but to others he was the ideal student athlete. He represented his team and his university with pride and respect. He was not just a football player, he was a caring human being who loved to compete, and always left it all on the field.

Join me in saying goodbye to not only the best football player in Mizzou history, but a student athlete who represented everything that we all stand for as students, faculty and a university as a whole. Let us say thank you to an athlete who, no matter what the outcome of the game, brought his best, game in and game out. Most of all, let us not forget that the most exciting player in the game played four glorious years here at Mizzou, and we should all thank him for that.

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