Tyler Badie declares for NFL Draft, won’t play for Missouri Tigers football in bowl
Star running back Tyler Badie will not play for the Missouri Tigers in the Armed Forces Bowl game against Army on Wednesday, Mizzou coach Eliah Drinkwitz announced in a news conference Tuesday in Fort Worth, Texas.
Badie revealed the reason about an hour later: He is declaring for the 2022 NFL Draft. Badie, a senior, would have been eligible to return for a final college season because of the pandemic.
“Being a student-athlete at Missouri has given me the memories of a lifetime,” Badie wrote in a social media post announcing his decision.
“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to pursue the next chapter of my career.”
Badie has been the best player for Mizzou this season and is one of the reasons the team finished 6-6 and qualified for a bowl game.
He recorded 1,604 rushing yards, passing Devin West’s single-season MU record of 1,578 yards set in 1998. (West rushed for 125 more yards in Mizzou’s bowl game, but bowl stats didn’t count for NCAA regular-season records then.)
Badie also recorded 1,939 all-purpose yards and 18 total touchdowns this season, which earned him first-team All-SEC honors.
He was also chosen to the Associated Press’ All-America second team, becoming Mizzou’s first running back to make an All-America team since West, who earned first-team honors from Sporting News in 1998. Badie was selected to the Walker Camp Football Foundation’s second team All-America list as well.
Additionally, Badie was one of three finalists for Doak Walker Award, won by Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III.
Badie recorded more than 200 rushing yards in five games in 2021 as well, becoming the first SEC player to do so in a single season this century.
Without him, the chances of the Tigers defeating Army decrease significantly.
Dawson Downing will start at running back in Badie’s place, Drinwkitz said. Downing only had 10 attempts and recorded 83 rushing yards during the regular season.
Drinkwitz also announced that Brady Cook will start at quarterback in place of Connor Bazelak.
This story was originally published December 21, 2021 at 11:04 AM.
