Our countdown of the top 25 Mizzou players of the last 25 years has reached the final five. The top player will be revealed the day before Mizzou kicks off the 2024 season against Murray State.
Number 5: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, 2006-09
They weren't booing. They were saying "SPOOOOON." One of the most charismatic and popular players at Mizzou in the last quarter century, he was also unequivocally one of the best.
Weatherspoon was committed to Houston, but very few people even knew it. In the infant days of recruiting coverage, Spoon was a two-star prospect who just didn't get all that much attention. He took his first official visit to Missouri and famously flipped his commitment when he was walking through a mall in Jasper, TX and saw a Mizzou sweatshirt left out on a rack. He took it as a sign.
Weatherspoon saw limited action as a true freshman. He played in 11 games and made 13 tackles, mostly on special teams. Gary Pinkel had a track record of getting young guys in whom he saw big time potential some seasoning on special teams before they stepped into a bigger role in the next year. Spoon's 2006 season wasn't even an inkling of what was to come.
In Missouri's breakout 2007 season, no player was more of a breakout than Weatherspoon. While the team was led by upperclassmen who were turning into stars, nobody was talking about the sophomore linebacker before the year. They would be afterwards. He was a first-team all-conference selection after leading Mizzou with 127 tackles. He added 9.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 8 passes defended (5th in the Big 12) and two forced fumbles.
While 2008 was a bit of a disappointment for the Tigers, it was Spoon's best year. He led the Big 12 and all of FBS with 155 tackles (2nd in Mizzou history) and solo stops with 76. He added 18.5 TFL, 5 sacks, and three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns (#1 in FBS). He was second in the conference in tackles and once again the leader in solo tackles with 79. He was named a second-team all-American by the Walter Camp Foundation.
With most of the other big names from the 2007 team gone, Spoon was Mizzou's anchor in 2009. He helped the Tigers transition to the next round of stars with 111 tackles, 15 TFL, 4 sacks and an interception. He was named all-Big 12 for the third consecutive season. He is the only three-time first-team all-conference selection in the time period we're covering with this list.
Spoon was drafted 19th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2009. He played 67 games over seven seasons for the Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. He finished his pro career with 330 tackles, 25 TFL, 8 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a touchdown. Many making guesses at the top of this list did not put him in the top five, but that has a lot to do with offensive positions getting more of the headlines. Spoon is one of the top two defensive players of the last 25 years and one of the most decorated individuals regardless of position. He was inducted to the Mizzou Hall of Fame in 2017.
Up Next: No. 4
Previously
6 Chase Coffman
7 Danario Alexander
8 Markus Golden
9 Shane Ray
10 Justin Gage
11 Martin Rucker
12 Henry Josey
13 Aldon Smith
14 Nick Bolton
15 William Moore
16 Cody Schrader
17 Justin Britt
18 James Franklin
19 Jeff Wolfert
20 Michael Sam
21 Ziggy Hood
22 Drew Lock
23 Tyler Badie
24 Mitch Morse
25 Michael Egnew
Five that just missed the cut
Number 5: Sean Weatherspoon, LB, 2006-09
They weren't booing. They were saying "SPOOOOON." One of the most charismatic and popular players at Mizzou in the last quarter century, he was also unequivocally one of the best.
Weatherspoon was committed to Houston, but very few people even knew it. In the infant days of recruiting coverage, Spoon was a two-star prospect who just didn't get all that much attention. He took his first official visit to Missouri and famously flipped his commitment when he was walking through a mall in Jasper, TX and saw a Mizzou sweatshirt left out on a rack. He took it as a sign.
Weatherspoon saw limited action as a true freshman. He played in 11 games and made 13 tackles, mostly on special teams. Gary Pinkel had a track record of getting young guys in whom he saw big time potential some seasoning on special teams before they stepped into a bigger role in the next year. Spoon's 2006 season wasn't even an inkling of what was to come.
In Missouri's breakout 2007 season, no player was more of a breakout than Weatherspoon. While the team was led by upperclassmen who were turning into stars, nobody was talking about the sophomore linebacker before the year. They would be afterwards. He was a first-team all-conference selection after leading Mizzou with 127 tackles. He added 9.5 TFL, 3 sacks, 8 passes defended (5th in the Big 12) and two forced fumbles.
While 2008 was a bit of a disappointment for the Tigers, it was Spoon's best year. He led the Big 12 and all of FBS with 155 tackles (2nd in Mizzou history) and solo stops with 76. He added 18.5 TFL, 5 sacks, and three interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns (#1 in FBS). He was second in the conference in tackles and once again the leader in solo tackles with 79. He was named a second-team all-American by the Walter Camp Foundation.
With most of the other big names from the 2007 team gone, Spoon was Mizzou's anchor in 2009. He helped the Tigers transition to the next round of stars with 111 tackles, 15 TFL, 4 sacks and an interception. He was named all-Big 12 for the third consecutive season. He is the only three-time first-team all-conference selection in the time period we're covering with this list.
Spoon was drafted 19th overall by the Atlanta Falcons in 2009. He played 67 games over seven seasons for the Falcons and Arizona Cardinals. He finished his pro career with 330 tackles, 25 TFL, 8 sacks, two fumble recoveries, two interceptions and a touchdown. Many making guesses at the top of this list did not put him in the top five, but that has a lot to do with offensive positions getting more of the headlines. Spoon is one of the top two defensive players of the last 25 years and one of the most decorated individuals regardless of position. He was inducted to the Mizzou Hall of Fame in 2017.
Up Next: No. 4
Previously
6 Chase Coffman
7 Danario Alexander
8 Markus Golden
9 Shane Ray
10 Justin Gage
11 Martin Rucker
12 Henry Josey
13 Aldon Smith
14 Nick Bolton
15 William Moore
16 Cody Schrader
17 Justin Britt
18 James Franklin
19 Jeff Wolfert
20 Michael Sam
21 Ziggy Hood
22 Drew Lock
23 Tyler Badie
24 Mitch Morse
25 Michael Egnew
Five that just missed the cut
