Missouri Tigers dedicated their football weight room to Cody Schrader. Here’s why
From starring at Truman State, to walking on as a running back at Mizzou, to becoming the Tigers’ 15th All-American in program history, and now locking down a spot on an NFL roster ... the name Cody Schrader has been inspiring others for years.
Like a legendary Schrader workout session, that will continue in perpetuity.
On Saturday, the Missouri Tigers dedicated the football program’s agility and weight-room area as the “Cody Schrader Athletic Performance Center.” On hand were Schrader, school officials and donors Steve and Lisa Trulaske, whose gift funded the facility and who first brought the running back from St. Louis to the attention of MU football coach Eli Drinkwitz.
“This is such a rare opportunity for me to have everyone who’s played such an important role in my life in the same room,” Schrader, 25, said in a Mizzou news release. “I’m happy to be able to celebrate this with everyone because it wasn’t just me.”
Said Trulaske: “This gift would have never happened without coach Eliah Drinkwitz. From the start, he made it a point to make me feel part of the program. He’s changed the whole dynamic here, and it shows in their culture.”
It also wouldn’t have have been possible without Schrader’s relentless work ethic. At Truman State, he piled up 3,084 rushing yards on 479 carries with 39 touchdowns, plus 60 receptions for 497 yards and two TDs.
After Schrader’s fourth season in Kirksville, after he led all of Division II in rushing, Trulaske asked Drinkwitz to look at Schrader’s film.
The coach obliged and eventually offered Schrader a spot on the team as a walk-on. Schrader then worked his way up from eighth on the depth chart, landing a scholarship and ultimately a starting — and starring — role with the Tigers.
“The trusting relationship we’ve built is why I felt like I could introduce him and Cody in the first place,” Trulaske said. “I’m so proud to have played a part of Cody’s legacy here at Mizzou and am thrilled to support Coach’s vision in this way. Cody will now always be remembered as a True Son.”
Schrader led the Tigers in rushing during each of his two seasons in Columbia, finishing his time at Missouri with 2,372 yards on 446 carries with 23 TDs, plus 41 receptions for 328 yards.
He helped lead the Tigers to an 11-2 record and their first New Year’s Six bowl win this past season.
“When I first got here it wasn’t about the stats, it wasn’t about the yardage, it wasn’t about anything like that,” Schrader said. “It was to prove that I belong. This is just a really special moment, and I could not be more thankful.”
In May 2024, after his time at MU came to an end, Schrader signed with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. He was claimed off waivers by the Rams for the start of the 2024 season and remains on L.A. roster in March 2025.
This story was originally published March 9, 2025 at 11:31 AM.