Missouri walk-on lineman admits to ‘bawling like a baby’ when he received surprise scholarship

Missouri is a team that has been in trouble for much of the season with scholarship numbers and staying above the minimum scholarship number of 53 players, including seven offensive linemen and four defensive linemen.

Tigers coach Eli Drinkwitz helped himself in one regard earlier this week when, at a team meeting, he announced that lineman Cannon York, a redshirt sophomore defensive end, who started against South Carolina last week, has earned a scholarship.

York shared with the media what that meant to him.

“I really can’t describe my reaction,” York said. “If you asked the guys in the locker room, they’d probably tell you I started bawling like a baby. To me, that was one of the coolest things too, is because just to have all my teammates jump on top of me and congratulate me and stuff. That’s one of the coolest things, to see that excitement from them too, it means a lot to me. I can’t thank Coach Drink and his staff enough, this means so much to me and my family, so it’s been a pretty special day.”

Saturday’s game was the fifth game York has appeared in this season for the Tigers, and he made one tackle against the Gamecocks.

FROM WALK-ON TO SCHOLARSHIP: #Mizzou lineman Cannon York (@cannonjyork) says Coach Drinkwitz surprised him with the news at a team meeting before today’s practice.

“If you asked the guys in the locker room – they’d probably tell you I started bawling like a baby.” pic.twitter.com/ESrAYN800b

— Andrew Kauffman (@AndrewABC17) November 24, 2020

Keith Farner

A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.