Nov. 30, 2004

Columbia, Mo. - Post-season honors came in today for a pair of Tiger football redshirt freshmen, as tight end Martin Rucker (St. Joseph, Mo.) and center Adam Spieker (Webb City, Mo.) were both named 2nd-Team Freshman All-Americans by Rivals.com.

Rucker, a 6-foot-5, 240-pound tight end, was an impact player for the Tiger offense in 2004, as he caught 19 passes for 263 yards and four touchdowns. His touchdown total ranked second-highest on the team. Rucker had a season-best five catches against Oklahoma State on Oct. 23rd, and had a best of 48 yards on three catches at Texas. He played a crucial role in MU's 30-10 win at Baylor on Oct. 9th, when he caught three passes for 34 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

Spieker, a 6-foot-3, 305-pound center, also provided a huge impact for MU this season, as he started all 11 games at the critical center position. Spieker, who replaced four-year starter A.J. Ricker, graded out as the second-best among all Mizzou linemen for the season in blocking.