Missouri defensive end Shane Ray had some big shoes to fill entering the season as Michael Sam’s replacement along the defensive line, but Ray has not only lived up to expectations — he’s exceeded them.

In just nine games this season, Ray already has broken Sam’s school record for sacks in a single season with 12. He added two more sacks to his SEC-leading total in Saturday’s win over Kentucky, and will have three more games to distance himself from the rest of the pack in the Mizzou record book.

After the game, a number of Missouri players and coaches shared high praise for the new Missouri record holder, beginning with head coach Gary Pinkel:

“I’m happy for (Ray). He is such a team player. He’s a good leader. He talks to the team just like a senior captain. Players have great respect for him because he works incredibly hard and he performs at this high level all the time.”

Sophomore linebacker Michael Scherer:

“The kid’s a freak. I was just waiting for it to happen. I feel good for him. He’s such a hard worker on and off the field. You feel good for a kid like that. Michael Sam got close last year, about this time, and some people were calling it the curse because I think the same thing happened to Aldon, where he had 11 and a half and couldn’t get that extra one. When he got that 12th sack, I knew it right away and went up to him and congratulated him on the field. You feel good for a guy like that to break a record.”

And, of course, Ray himself was asked about breaking the sack record:

“It means a lot. It’s a huge deal, just getting up there with those guys, those prestigious names. Who doesn’t want to be in the same category as Aldon Smith, one of the top players to play in college football and the NFL? It just meant a lot. I really just shared my excitement with my family, which consists of my teammates, my mom and everybody that came up. It was just pure joy.”

In honor of Ray’s accomplishment, we compiled his sacks into one action-packed highlight video, which can be found at the top of the page.