University of Missouri

The latest ‘Bachelor’ was a Mizzou Tigers football player. Here’s what he did at MU

Missouri tight end Clayton Echard, left, is tackled by Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 10 2015, in Columbia, Mo.
Missouri tight end Clayton Echard, left, is tackled by Florida’s Vernon Hargreaves III during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Oct. 10 2015, in Columbia, Mo. AP

Years before he would become the next “Bachelor” on the ABC reality TV show, Clayton Echard was a walk-on for the Missouri Tigers’ football team.

Echard grew up in Eureka, Missouri, and played football at Eureka High School. He then joined the Mizzou program in 2011 and redshirted that year.

In his time with the Tigers under coach Gary Pinkel through the 2015 season, Echard played tight end but mostly saw time on special teams. He recorded two career catches for 14 yards, coming in consecutive games against South Carolina and Florida in 2015. He also had nine total tackles (four solo) in a Mizzou uniform.

Following graduation, Echard spent a brief period of time as a free agent with the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks before being cut in the preseason.

Now he’ll be the one doing the cutting, with the first episode of Echard’s season set to air on Jan. 3.

Clayton Echard, a Missouri resident and native, will helm the franchise as the Bachelor beginning Jan. 3.
Clayton Echard, a Missouri resident and native, will helm the franchise as the Bachelor beginning Jan. 3. Pamela Littky ABC

This story was originally published December 1, 2021 at 11:02 AM.

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Lila Bromberg
The Kansas City Star
Lila Bromberg covers the Missouri Tigers for the Kansas City Star. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and was ranked as the best college sports reporter in the country by the Associated Press Sports Editors in 2021. In addition to covering the Terrapins for four years, Bromberg has worked for Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports and USA TODAY Sports.
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