And the winner is...
Mug shots don’t have to be a bad thing. Take a look at these superlative studs
By
Kathryn Clark
October 22, 2009 | 12:00 a.m. CST
When football players are spotted off the field, fans often perceive the athletes as heroes without any normalcy in their lives. Whether they won any awards in their high school yearbooks, Vox picks this year’s top dogs. From tweeting to milk chugging, these aren’t your average yearbook superlatives.
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Most likely to be humming a tune — Jaron Baston, senior defensive lineman #96: “When I’m at the athletic training complex Jaron is always singing or humming something,” says team tutor Janie Gibson. Might his favorite iPod playlist include “The Missouri Waltz?” Hope “Party in the USA” isn’t on that list.
Video game addict — J.T. Beasley, offensive lineman #67: Contrary to the idea that football players spend all their time on the field, Beasley spends his spare hours gaming. “He plays X-box all the time,” says Kurtis Gregory, lineman and one of the team’s co-captains.
Most likely to cuddle his security blanket — Jacquies Smith, sophomore defensive lineman #3: He always has company when it’s time for bed. “He goes to sleep every night with a little baby-blue blanket,” roommate Jared Perry said on 102.3 BXR’s Tiger Talk show on Sept. 7.
Burliest Beard — Tim Barnes, offensive lineman # 62: “He can grow a pretty mean beard,” lineman Kurtis Gregory says. We were skeptical at first with his baby-face looks and charming smile. Then we saw the picture. Good-bye Ryan Seacrest, hello lumberjack. Too bad the uniforms aren’t plaid and flannel.
Destined to be a chef — Jared Perry, senior wide receiver #4: Perry isn’t the only roomie pointing fingers. Lineman Jacquies Smith shared Perry’s little-known talent during the Tiger Talk show: “He’s always cooking ... I don’t know how he’s still that skinny.”
Best smile — Jasper Simmons, junior safety #9: The team’s mug shots on mutigers.com display most players’ game faces, right down to their third-quarter death stares, but not Simmons. After their first glance at Simmons’ picture, female fans will want to tackle him — off the field.
Best all-around guy — Kurtis Gregory, graduate offensive lineman #78: He’s a candidate for the 2009 William V. Campbell Trophy and a finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which honors student athletes in character and the classroom.
Most likely to go pro — Sean Weatherspoon, senior linebacker #12: If you wonder why fans yell “SPOON” and wave giant dinner utensils when Weatherspoon takes his position on the field, it’s because his stats and performance in the football games are sure to boost his chances of playing professional ball. He was named 2009 pre-season All-American candidate and started the season off right with 302 career tackles. For the rest of the season, “Spoon” has a great shot at breaking the MU career record for 434 tackles.
Most likely to be Tweeting : “I always log on to Weatherspoon’s page and see a new tweet,” Gibson says. “He updates his page all the time.” While tweeting in his Mizzou Snuggie, whose updates do you think he reads more often, Shaq’s or MC Hammer’s?
Most likely to be carrying a gallon of milk — Kenji Jackson, sophomore defensive back #13 : Gibson spotted Kenji Jackson at Mizzou Athletic Training Complex sporting a jug of milk as an accessory. “It was really funny,” tutor Janie Gibson says. “It’s not the most normal thing.”
Coach’s pet — Blaine Gabbert, sophomore quarterback #11: “He’s the quarterback, and quarterbacks pretty much have to be with the coach a lot,” lineman Gregory says. “Blaine will be very experienced someday,” coach Gary Pinkel said during the Oct. 18 Tiger Talk show. It’s a match made in heaven.
Most intimidating — Dan Hoch, sophomore offensive lineman #77: Lineman Gregory claims Hoch is the player to fear: “He’s a huge guy.” He might be smiling, but at 6 feet 7 inches and 320 lbs., don’t mess with this guy.
Closet rapper — Carl Gettis, junior defensive back #19: At the Oct. 5 Tiger Talk show, Danario Alexander shared a little secret about Gettis. “He’s trying to be a rapper right now, but I mean that’s not going pretty good right now,” Alexander says.
Most likely to cry on the sidelines — Danario Alexander, senior wide receiver #81: On Oct. 9 the Tigers’ performance began slipping. Alexander showed his emotions when ESPN zoomed in on his face as he tried to fight back tears. He wasn’t successful.
Most stylin’ player : “He always dresses up and thinks he’s a trendsetter,” lineman Gregory says. “He and Jaron (Baston) got into an argument about it one day.” Maybe Baston even wrote a song about the altercation. Alexander probably doesn’t spend his nights awake trying to figure out what he’s going to wear. But don’t ask what’s wrong with him. He’s just being Danario.
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