Sept. 29, 2001

By Mark Mannion
MU Media Relations Office

Transition is nothing new to Missouri linebacker/long snapper Sean Ain.

A native of Redondo Beach, Calif., Ain chose Missouri over Colorado.

"I wanted to go to a big conference that emphasized the run so I could be used as a linebacker a lot more. I just liked the power of this conference." said Ain, adding it took some time for him to adapt to life in Missouri. "I miss going to the beach a lot. It was only a five or 10-minute drive to go hang out there."

The move here did allow Ain to acquire some new backyard pastimes, Midwest style.

"I played washers for the first time ever and smoked everybody."

Ain acknowledges that while growing up he rarely had heard of Missouri.

"I didn't even think about Missouri. I barely knew where it was on the map," he said. "When I came out here and saw the facilities, I thought it was nice. I figured it was time for me to get away from home. I needed to take care of myself, and do things on my own.

"The people here are great. The area is great. From now on I'll always have a place to go visit friends, a home away from home."

Ain's football career humbly began at Torrance West High School in Torrance, Calif.

"I started playing as a freshman with my friends," said Ain, who as a 6-foot-1, 210-pound safety, was simply too big to garner serious NCAA Division I attention for that position. El Camino Community College coach John Featherstone recognized his size and ability, signing him to play linebacker. Ain did not disappoint. The shift from safety was smooth as he recorded 115 tackles, to go with three quarterback sacks. His hard work and love for the game earned him first team all-state honors as well as first team All-Mission Conference.

The move to Big 12 play came easily for Ain, who committed to Missouri prior to making an official visit.

"It wasn't as big a jump as you would think. Going to junior college before coming here made for a smooth transition," he said.

In 2000, Ain was thrust into a starting role, but not at linebacker. A back injury put Ben Davidson out for the season, and Ain was called to duty. Not surprisingly, Ain finished the season among the special teams leaders in tackles, including a season-high three against Nebraska in Lincoln.

"There's three main points to a football game: Offense, defense, and special teams," said Ain. "If your offense doesn't click one game, it'll be hard for you to win. Every time you use special teams though, it is basically a big play opportunity."

The Missouri coaching staff quickly took notice of Ain's remarkable tackling ability. He started two games in 2000 at inside linebacker, in which he broke up one pass, and intercepted another against Iowa State. An unexpected, but welcome surprise to the Tiger squad, Ain earned the special teams "Player of the Year" award last season. When asked about the recognition Ain stated "I don't really know what to say. I just go out there and play every down like it's my last."

Coming off of a strong spring, Ain set straightforward goals for the 2001 campaign. "It's real simple, just win and go to a bowl game." Ain is off to a good start. He established a career-high with five tackles and a forced fumble against Southwest Texas.

As for his future plans, Ain intends to graduate with a degree in nutrition and fitness.

"I hope to get a graduate assistant job here, or at another university, before I get my masters. From there I'd like to be a strength and conditioning coach," said Ain

While Ain might be from California, he maintains a blue collar Midwest work ethic and always keeps his mind on the job at hand.

"I'm trying to keep focused on football right now," said Ain. "I basically go about every game the same way. I want to play at my top level every down, preparing the same way for everybody regardless of their ranking."

Through all of the transitions, Ain has established himself as one of the hardest workers on the MU squad. While he will miss his days playing football for Mizzou, he has made it a point to remember those who got him to this point.

"I would just like to thank my parents for all their support," he said. "I just like to go out there and play football. Some people make it out to be more than it is, but for me, I'm just out there to play and have fun."