Few defenders in recent SEC history have meant as much to their program as Cale Garrett has meant to Missouri but all good things must come to an end.

Garrett’s run in Columbia will soon be coming to an end and the senior linebacker didn’t want his final home appearance in Columbia to come and go without offering up a special thank you to the Mizzou program, Barry Odom, his teammates and coaches heading into Saturday’s game against Tennessee.

The All-SEC linebacker was well on his way to earning All-American honors before an injury suffered against Troy ended his final season in Columbia prematurely. Despite tearing his pectoral muscle early in the contest, Garrett finished out the game for Missouri. It wasn’t until after the game the significance of the injury was revealed.

While Garrett has missed five of Mizzou’s 10 games this season, he still ranks second on the team in tackles. That’s an example of how dominant his performance on the field was this season before disaster struck. In addition to his impressive tackling numbers this season, Garrett also had three interceptions and three defensive touchdowns on the season.

Following his injury, Garrett has been serving as a coach during Missouri practices.

Heading into his final home game at Missouri, the senior issued the following statement of thanks for everyone involved in his growth as a player: