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Not many players will wait longer for a first career start than Drake Heismeyer.
The backup Missouri football offensive linemen arrived on campus in 2020, in a class alongside quarterback Brady Cook and since-drafted NFL corners Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine. Heismeyer was in one year before the Tigers’ three-year starting center Connor Tollison, and has spent most of his career down the depth chart along the offensive line.
Don’t get it wrong, he’s been out on the field for the Tigers.
He’s appeared in 48 games over the course of his career, mostly on special teams duties. This year, his role was mostly as the backup to Tollison and as part of the middle shield on MU’s punt team — a role Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz said that the O-lineman “takes extreme amount of pride in that.”
But then he was called up to the offense four games before his five-year college career was over. Not under circumstances he wanted, but under necessity. Tollison is one of his best friends, Heismeyer said, and the pair lived together for multiple years.
But Tollison sustained an injury against Oklahoma and was pulled from the game. Heismeyer came in and kept backup quarterback Drew Pyne clean as the Tigers staged a late comeback to beat the Sooners. Tollison’s injury required surgery, and the starter was ruled out for the year.
Heismeyer was the next man up, and he was up at South Carolina. Four years and some change, and there was that first start.
The Tigers lost 34-30 on the road to the Gamecocks, falling late after overturning a once-15-point deficit to give themselves a chance late at Williams-Brice Stadium.
“The game didn’t go the way we wanted it to, but I thought I played pretty well. I wasn’t as nervous as I thought it was going to be,” Heismeyer said Tuesday. “I had a really good time out there. It’s…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/missouri-football-ol-drake-heismeyer-090805998.html
Author : Columbia Daily Tribune
Publish date : 2024-11-20 09:08:00
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