Sept. 14, 2005
This season's starting weakside linebacker is a project four years in the making. With numerous hours put in on the practice field, watching film and playing Saturday games, senior captain Derrick Ming will admit that he spent a majority of his time with the Tiger team learning from two of the best linebackers to come out of the University of Missouri football program.
Ming, a product of Webster Groves High School, came to Mizzou in 2001 looking for playing time as a true freshman. Rated as one of the top linebackers in the St. Louis area, Ming was an all-state selection and first team all-metro and all-conference pick. Shoulder surgery derailed the Missouri native's plans to play right out of high school, and instead, he was forced to the sidelines where he watched and learned from then-linebackers, Sean Doyle and James Kinney.
Over the next three seasons Ming saw time as a member of the special teams in almost every game. As a redshirt freshman in 2002, Ming recorded two tackles, earning the team's Big Hit Award for a blow he delivered at Texas Tech. One year later, Ming delivered 14 tackles on the season, including his first career sack (eight yards) in a game against Ball State. Playing both on special teams and defense, Ming recorded a career high five tackles in MU's third game of the 2003 season against Eastern Illinois, eventually earning his second MU Big Hit nod in the Tiger's game against Big 12 power Colorado.
Throughout the course of the 2004 campaign, Ming played in all 11 games, primarily on the Tiger special teams unit, but occasionally at weakside line-backer. Backing up All-Big 12 veteran Kinney, the 5-11 junior recorded his greatest game of the year against Ball State with a season-best three tackles and one quarterback hurry. By the close of Spring 2005, Ming was voted the team's Most Improved Linebacker.
During those three years, Ming had the luxury of learning and studying from Kinney. But after four years of studying other Tiger linebackers, Ming is now ready to step on the field and show what he has learned.
"They [Doyle and Kinney] both taught me about intensity, focus and how to play the game," Ming said." I always remember the way they played in the games. They were always flying to the ball and that's something that has stuck with me and is something that I've learned. This year, that's what I want to do... I'm just excited to get out there. I'm ready to display what I'm capable of doing."
Just like his former mentor, Kinney, Ming is also one of the team captains.
"I'm just excited that my teammates believed in me and trust in me to name me a captain," Ming said. "It's one of the greatest honors to be elected by your peers. The coaches didn't have anything to do with it."
But with his new responsibilities as team captain, Ming is also seen as the leader of a linebacking group that doesn't return any official starters from last season. The Tigers return four lettermen that combined for a total of 14 starts in 2004. Juniors Dedrick Harrington, Marcus Bacon and David Richard are the only returning linebackers to have started last season. Ming, however, isn't worried about a lack of experience among the linebackers.
"It's been kind of a challenge to get everybody on the same page and playing hard, but the guys have been doing a great job," Ming said. "Everyone played great through the spring and continued all through two-a-days. It really hasn't been much work having to lead the linebacking corp because we all help each other out."
Ming has been noted as one of the Tigers quieter leaders, but he does find it necessary to speak up when he feels his teammates need to be fired up. A captain on the defense alongside fellow senior Jason Simpson, one might think that Ming's words may become overlooked because of the very outspoken Simpson, but the players know when their captains speak, everyone listens.
"[Jason] Simpson and I both have a respect for each other and we both know when something needs to be said or done, whether it be at a practice that is going slow or if it's in a game," Ming said. "I think everyone respects us and when we tell them something they listen."
Now two games into his senior campaign, fans can count on Ming to use everything he's learned from former teammates to current coaches to help lead the Missouri football program to the next level.
-Written by John Pizzitola,Missouri Media Relations Student Assistant