This is a column for Tyler Badie’s scrapbook.
Mizzou’s star tailback surely will have one made for the sensational senior season that is nearing its end.
It should hold stories from this season that capture the on-field heroics of one of this year’s most dominant SEC players. It should display photos of Badie breaking tackles, scoring touchdowns and, before Saturday’s thrilling 24-23 overtime win against Florida, standing proudly with his parents before a Senior Day celebration kicked off what was likely to be his last college home game.
Some sendoff.
Badie ran for 146 yards in the overtime win. He kept chipping away at the Gators in a quiet first half before breaking out for 128 yards in the second. The Tigers’ lone touchdown in regulation came, according to coach Eli Drinkwitz, after Badie suggested Drinkwitz use Florida’s focus on him to free up a tight end instead.
“He’s really good at what he does, so when they start keying on him, it’s time to step up and help him out,” said tight end Niko Hea,who caught Connor Bazelak’s fourth-quarter touchdown pass. “He does all the work. He’s a workhorse for us.”
Then Badie needed only two runs, one for 12 yards and another for 13, to answer Florida’s overtime touchdown with one of his own. And he was the first option on the play Drinkwitz dialed up after his bold decision to go for the game-winning two-point conversion. Part of the reason tight end Daniel Parker Jr. was so wide open? Badie. He had all Gator eyes on him once again.
“He put us on his back those last two plays,” Drinkwitz said.
All season, really.
Theoretically, Badie could come back next season because of the COVID-caused NCAA eligibility change made by the NCAA. But Badie has dreams of playing in the NFL, and he has left little to prove. He leads the SEC in rushing attempts (227) and rushing yards per game (126.6) while ranking second v rushing touchdowns (13) and sixth in rushing yards per attempt (6.1). He leads the conference in receiving touchdowns by a running back (four) and ranks second in receiving yards (335) among conference peers at his position.
NFL scouts should be intrigued by Badie’s versatility. Whatever doubts they had about his durability have been dashed. As singlehandedly as possible in this team sport, Badie has carried a season that seemed beyond salvaging into a bowl season. It would have been impossible to believe in October, but an eight-win finish is within reach.
Badie’s all-around impact, combined with statistics that will rank high in Mizzou football records for years to come, is part of his lasting legacy now. Something else should be remembered just as fondly. In an era of transfer madness and the constant search for greener pastures elsewhere, Badie is a modern tailback with a throwback path. Pay your dues. Stay motivated while remaining patient. Then, reap the rewards.
There’s nothing wrong with transferring. If million-dollar coaches can swap jobs like they do dealer cars, players should be allowed to change their minds, too. But at the risk of sounding old-school and outdated, I can’t help but have a greater appreciation for a player who commits to a school, stays put and works hard to break through. Who has done that better than Badie?
Badie committed to former Tigers coach Barry Odom’s staff after Tennessee and Vanderbilt undervalued him coming out of high school in the Memphis suburbs. He found a role immediately, but it became a rather defined one. He was the running back who could catch passes. He was the change-of-pace alternative. He was behind Larry Rountree on the depth chart through last season.
He could have easily developed a wandering eye. Especially when Drinkwitz replaced Odom. Other schools would have loved to have him. Memphis, where Badie previously committed before picking Mizzou, must have been slobbering over the idea of Badie, like he was a full rack of ribs from Central BBQ. But Badie stayed put and kept working. Wise move.
As Badie has churned through defenses this season, always seeming to get stronger as the game goes along, it has been impossible to keep from wondering if Mizzou could have asked him to do more sooner. Then again, part of his limited role before is what propelled him to take full advantage of this season. He bulked up, knowing he would have to prove wrong the whispers of fragility. He became mentally and physically prepared for his shot. He got it, and he did not miss.
Badie is Mizzou’s MVP. He is arguably the most crucial player to any winning team across the college football landscape. On top of that, he is a perfect example of patience and persistence in a world that doesn’t have much of either these days.
“Being here for four years, I’ve seen a lot of people get carried off,” Badie said Saturday after he participated in the Senior Day traditions of selecting a rock from Memorial Stadium’s rock M and letting his teammates carry him off the field.
“I got a little rock. Because, you know, my arms were a little bit tired. I didn’t want to be carrying it and they’re carrying me and I drop the rock and it falls. I didn’t want it too look to ugly, so I got a small rock so I could hide it. I wanted it to be a successful mission going out.”
He is his team’s rock, and his success should be celebrated.
