Dec. 28, 2003
Shreveport, La. - Sunday, December 28th
The University of Missouri football team went through its first closed practice on Sunday in Shreveport, La., in preparation for the 2003 Independence Bowl, which is scheduled for Thursday, December 31st at 6:30 p.m., central time.
Mizzou practiced at Independence Stadium on Sunday, and went through a two-hour session in full pads that simulated a normal Tuesday practice for a game week. The practice was open to media for the first 45 minutes, and over 30 members of the media covering both Mizzou and Arkansas were in attendance. Coaches and players met with the media afterward to give their thoughts on the upcoming game.
Highlights of practice, which featured weather conditions in the 50s with overcast skies, included the first-team offense going a perfect 9-of-9 in 7-on-7 against the first-team defense in drills toward the end of practice. The offense connected on consecutive touchdown plays of around 40 yards each, the first going to Sean Coffey from Brad Smith, with the other going against the second-team defense when Brandon Coleman connected with Marcus James for a score.
Three injured players, who cannot play in the game or practice, helped the staff run security during practice, keeping peeping toms out of the closed practice. The budding security guards included junior tight end Victor Sesay (out with a torn patellar tendon), redshirt freshman tailback Alex Woodley (torn pectoral tendon) and redshirt freshman linebacker Seth Harrell (torn anterior cruciate knee ligament). The threesome didn't really kick anyone out, but they looked good regardless.
Following practice, players were on their own for a few hours, and some took advantage of the time to check out the Shreveport sites, while others just relaxed at the hotel after a long day of traveling on Saturday. Staff members in attendance had the opportunity to take their kids to a kids' fun center outside of town, and around 20 families spent a few hours running around there playing video games, riding go-carts, playing miniature golf, among myriad other activities.
The evening was capped off with the official team welcome dinner, which was held at the Bossier City Convention Center. Both teams were in attendance, and they were entertained by a comedian and a hypnotist. Several Tiger players got up on stage and fell prey to the power of suggestion by the hypnotist, and were very entertaining to the crowd of over 1,000 people. The superstars for MU included sophomore guard Tony Palmer, sophomore safety Jason Simpson, sophomore linebacker Doc Gooden and freshman tight end Josh Barbo, among others.
Palmer did many entertaining things during his time in the show, and his antics were capped off when he went through the crowd danced shirtless for several of the coaches, as he thought he was a female exotic dancer. Simpson wowed the crowd with an Elvis impersonation, and wore sideburns and glasses to even look like the King himself. Gooden won some pride for the team before the hypnosis began, when he won a stare off contest with an Arkansas player, and Barbo hammed it up on stage with his antics, least of which included doing the worm during one dance routine.
Also earning pride points for the team during the night were sophomore defensive lineman C.J. Mosley and redshirt freshman tight end DeQuincy Howard, who won a brief game of College Football 2004 on X-Box against two Arkansas players. Mosley and Howard played Mizzou and ran some wishbone offense, and scored a touchdown on their only possession to make it 7-0 Tigers. After holding Arkansas to a three-and-out possession, someone wearing red and white colors "accidentally" hit the reset button on the game, but Mosley and Howard claimed victory for Tiger Nation.
Be sure to check back here at www.mutigers.com for more updates throughout the week as Mizzou prepares for the 2003 Independence Bowl, which will be televised on ESPN.