The Missouri Tigers Legends Draft: Round XII

Just jumping in? Here are the previous rounds of the Missouri Tigers Football Draft:

Round I

Round II

Round III

Round IV

Round V

Round VI

Round VII

Round VIII

Round IX

Round X

Round XI

We are halfway through drafting a team off 22 legends! This will be a good time to take stock of the teams that have been created so far.

Let’s first take a look at Team BK (Black) and Team Nate (Gold) when Black is on offense:

And now let’s take a look at Team Nate and Team BK when Gold is on offense:

Remember, at the end you all will be able to vote for who you think has the best team! And of course, we’d love to hear your picks for each round as well and why we are dumdums who don’t know what we’re talking about.

The second half starts with Team Nate!

Round XII, Pick 23: Nate selects CB Aarion Penton

Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images

In the super niche “Mount Rushmore of Missouri Cornerbacks of the Past 20 Years”, there’s basically three names that come to my mind: E.J. Gaines (a Team BK pick), Carl Gettis (who I drafted last round), and Aarion Penton, whom I’m drafting now*

*who would be on a Mount Rushmore of Missouri Cornerbacks of the Past 20 Years? Kevin Rutland? A.J. Kincade? Darnell Terrell? Kip Edwards? Let us know your thoughts!

Aarion broke into the corner rotation during the magical 2013 run. E.J. was the star corner and Randy Ponder was the steady “avoid mistakes” corner, but Penton was the “start $#!%” corner. It felt like every time he was on the field he was jawing at some receiver or sticking his face into someone else’s fight. And let me tell you, dear reader: for all the negatives that come with that type of attitude (on and off the field), that’s exactly what you want in a cornerback. Corners need to be the guys that frustrate the hell out of the offense, whether it’s them reading a run to the outside and blowing it up, sniffing out a screen, or simply being within 20 feet of an overthrown ball. I want a corner dancing around and laughing at the offense’s mistakes, and Penton was that guy. He also happened to be a damn-fine corner, breaking up 31 passes and nabbing 10 interceptions in his career, tied for 8th in school history. It’s a shame his last year was on the disastrous maiden voyage of the SS Barry Odom in 2016, where he totaled 43 tackles, 12 passes defensed, and 5 interceptions all on his own. But I am glad that he completes my personal corner rotation, a duo of St. Louis ball hawkers to round out my secondary.

Round XII, Pick 24: BK selects SS Cornelius “Pig” Brown

Well, there goes the CB I was hoping to select. Kick rocks, Nate. I suppose I’ll have to settle for (in my opinion) the second best Mizzou safety of the last 20 years: Pig Brown.

Brown wasn’t here for a long time, but he was certainly here for a good time.

Before he tore his Achilles in 2007, the JUCO transfer had already won two Big 12 defensive player of the week awards. Brown finished the ‘07 season with just eight games but was able to rack up 70 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, three interceptions and a 100-yard fumble return for a TD against Illinois that resulted in a 14-point swing and a huge win to open the best Mizzou season of the last two decades.

If you’re looking for the heart and soul of a defense, you’ve found it in Brown. The Tigers’ recent history at safety isn’t filled with greatness, but Brown certainly fits the mold of what I’m looking for. Welcome to the team.