Pitt Gorilla
09-30-2008, 12:34 PM
From the STL Tiger Club:
by OSR Staff
Columbia, MO: Mizzou senior WR Tommy Saunders is one of the great stories about perseverance, hard work, dedication, faith, all of those traits that makes one excel individually. He certainly fits that bill on the football field, as the Kearney, Mo. native was a highly-accomplished athlete in high school. But the 6-foot, 210-pound Saunders, despite racking up impressive numbers as a prep player, didn’t get the notice he wanted from major college football programs. Undeterred, he chose to walk-on to the Missouri program and prove himself, and he did that rather quickly as he earned a full-ride scholarship after his redshirt freshman season for the Tigers.
But this story isn’t about Saunders’ many achievements on the field, even though there are plenty to speak of. With 19 receptions for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns through four games in 2008, he’s well on his way to a career season for the 6th-ranked Tigers. With 1,075 career receiving yards and 6 TD's, Saunders has gotten it done time and again for the Tigers.
Saunders’ story is about more than what he does for the Tigers, it’s about what he gives back to others. Saunders came from a loving family growing up in Kearney (outside of Kansas City, Mo.), and he was taught at an early age about how important his faith was, and as part of that, how important it was to serve others and to make a difference in others’ lives ? to be a good role model. Tiger fans might only see what Saunders does on the field each Saturday, but what they don’t realize is how much of an impact he makes, and how much effort he puts into that facet of his life.
Saunders is highly involved in many numerous team activities throughout the season that involve work for local charities, and he’s usually front and center to participate when called upon, whether it’s working in the warehouse for the Central Missouri Food Bank, or reading to grade school children during the week, or many other activities during the year.
But Saunders has gone out of his way to provide a positive experience for two Columbia children in particular through the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. For the last three years, Saunders has been a Big Brother, and he picks up Cecil (13 years old) and Chris (11) Williams in his spare time (which isn’t much due to the rigors of football and school), and gives them mentoring and friendship that they don’t have from a male figure. The boys will spend 2-3 hours with Saunders during the week, and on occasion, he’ll grab them on a weekend to have some fun.
“We do things like play basketball, football or golf,” said Saunders. “We like to go to the arcade too, and act like kids, I’ll take them to their basketball practices and pick them up too when their mom needs help,” he said. For one full week this past summer, the boys stayed with Saunders at his place in Columbia while their mother was working a job in Tennessee.
“It was awesome, we went to Oceans of Fun (a Kansas City-based water park) and rode go-carts and played mini-golf, it was a great weekend,” Saunders said. The boys evidently had a good time, because Saunders said they’ve been back to stay with him at his house a few times since then.
Saunders shrugs off any praise for his efforts with the boys, saying that it’s the right thing to do. “These kids need someone who will be there for them, someone they can depend on, and that’s what we’re called to do for others,” he said. “I almost think I have more fun than they do, it’s a really rewarding experience for me that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” he said.
As if that wasn’t enough of a great example to show what kind of person Saunders is, Head Coach Gary Pinkel recently told his weekly radio show audience a story that shows the depth of Saunders’ nature.
“We get Monday meals catered into our office for the coaches and staff,” said Pinkel. “And there’s usually some food left over, and after our senior player meeting that afternoon, Tommy came through and saw the food laying there and asked if he could take it. I thought he was just going to box it up and take it home, which any college kid would usually be thinking about themselves first. But here he gets the food boxed up, and on his own, he takes it to a local shelter to give to people who are struggling and who don’t have food like they need. I just think that tells you a lot about what kind of a young man he is, and what a great representative of this University he is,” Pinkel said.
There’s no doubt that Tommy Saunders (who, by the way, was voted a team captain by his teammates in this, his senior season) has made an impact on the Tiger football program based on his leadership on the field. Off the field, it’s clear to see that his impact transcends football, and shows just how special this Tiger is.
by OSR Staff
Columbia, MO: Mizzou senior WR Tommy Saunders is one of the great stories about perseverance, hard work, dedication, faith, all of those traits that makes one excel individually. He certainly fits that bill on the football field, as the Kearney, Mo. native was a highly-accomplished athlete in high school. But the 6-foot, 210-pound Saunders, despite racking up impressive numbers as a prep player, didn’t get the notice he wanted from major college football programs. Undeterred, he chose to walk-on to the Missouri program and prove himself, and he did that rather quickly as he earned a full-ride scholarship after his redshirt freshman season for the Tigers.
But this story isn’t about Saunders’ many achievements on the field, even though there are plenty to speak of. With 19 receptions for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns through four games in 2008, he’s well on his way to a career season for the 6th-ranked Tigers. With 1,075 career receiving yards and 6 TD's, Saunders has gotten it done time and again for the Tigers.
Saunders’ story is about more than what he does for the Tigers, it’s about what he gives back to others. Saunders came from a loving family growing up in Kearney (outside of Kansas City, Mo.), and he was taught at an early age about how important his faith was, and as part of that, how important it was to serve others and to make a difference in others’ lives ? to be a good role model. Tiger fans might only see what Saunders does on the field each Saturday, but what they don’t realize is how much of an impact he makes, and how much effort he puts into that facet of his life.
Saunders is highly involved in many numerous team activities throughout the season that involve work for local charities, and he’s usually front and center to participate when called upon, whether it’s working in the warehouse for the Central Missouri Food Bank, or reading to grade school children during the week, or many other activities during the year.
But Saunders has gone out of his way to provide a positive experience for two Columbia children in particular through the local Big Brothers/Big Sisters program. For the last three years, Saunders has been a Big Brother, and he picks up Cecil (13 years old) and Chris (11) Williams in his spare time (which isn’t much due to the rigors of football and school), and gives them mentoring and friendship that they don’t have from a male figure. The boys will spend 2-3 hours with Saunders during the week, and on occasion, he’ll grab them on a weekend to have some fun.
“We do things like play basketball, football or golf,” said Saunders. “We like to go to the arcade too, and act like kids, I’ll take them to their basketball practices and pick them up too when their mom needs help,” he said. For one full week this past summer, the boys stayed with Saunders at his place in Columbia while their mother was working a job in Tennessee.
“It was awesome, we went to Oceans of Fun (a Kansas City-based water park) and rode go-carts and played mini-golf, it was a great weekend,” Saunders said. The boys evidently had a good time, because Saunders said they’ve been back to stay with him at his house a few times since then.
Saunders shrugs off any praise for his efforts with the boys, saying that it’s the right thing to do. “These kids need someone who will be there for them, someone they can depend on, and that’s what we’re called to do for others,” he said. “I almost think I have more fun than they do, it’s a really rewarding experience for me that I wouldn’t trade for anything,” he said.
As if that wasn’t enough of a great example to show what kind of person Saunders is, Head Coach Gary Pinkel recently told his weekly radio show audience a story that shows the depth of Saunders’ nature.
“We get Monday meals catered into our office for the coaches and staff,” said Pinkel. “And there’s usually some food left over, and after our senior player meeting that afternoon, Tommy came through and saw the food laying there and asked if he could take it. I thought he was just going to box it up and take it home, which any college kid would usually be thinking about themselves first. But here he gets the food boxed up, and on his own, he takes it to a local shelter to give to people who are struggling and who don’t have food like they need. I just think that tells you a lot about what kind of a young man he is, and what a great representative of this University he is,” Pinkel said.
There’s no doubt that Tommy Saunders (who, by the way, was voted a team captain by his teammates in this, his senior season) has made an impact on the Tiger football program based on his leadership on the field. Off the field, it’s clear to see that his impact transcends football, and shows just how special this Tiger is.