Nov. 8, 2005
Nov. 8, 2005
Elgin Childress is smiling. That fact in itself would surprise most of the 60,000 fans that pile into Memorial Stadium on game days. The six-foot, 245-pound senior defensive end will most likely never play another down for the University of Missouri. A torn ACL, suffered the week before the Tigers took on New Mexico, effectively ended Childress' season, the last in a long line of physical setbacks.
Childress came to Columbia as a highly touted recruit from Southfi eld, Mich., where he starred as a linebacker for Head Coach David Reease, racking up 230 tackles in his time at Southfi eld High School. One publication rated him the No. 29 player in the state of Michigan after his senior season, in which he dominated the opposition by making 127 tackles and six sacks. The athletic linebacker also made his presence felt as a big-play threat, intercepting two passes, forcing three fumbles and recovering three of the same.
His exploits caught the eye of Gary Pinkel, then about to take over the reins of Missouri's football fortune, and Childress jumped at the chance to help the new leader turn the Tiger program into a winner.
"I chose Mizzou because of the new coaching staff," Childress said. "I'd seen the success they had at Toledo, and I thought the situation gave me a better chance to succeed."
He pauses, thinking back to a time when his body cooperated, when opportunity on the fi eld was endless, before the injuries set in.
"I had high expectations when I got here. I thought I was going to contribute right away. I never got hurt in high school." He shrugs. "I guess God has a different plan for me."
After taking a redshirt season to improve his strength and athletic ability, Childress entered his second campaign looking to enter the rotation at outside linebacker, but a balky shoulder kept him from taking his place on the field. The year gave him a chance to bulk up and increase his strength, and the added size prompted the coaching staff to move him to defensive end. Playing at a new position offered a new opportunity, but for the second straight year injuries kept him off the field.
Childress did make it onto the field as a junior, recording one tackle against Ball State, and two sacks in the spring game signaled the beginning of what was supposed to be a standout senior season among the defensive line rotation. The 2005 campaign opened with a promising beginning, as the defensive end saw the most action of his career in the Tigers' season-opening win over Arkansas State. For once, it felt like things were going right for Elgin Childress.
"It felt so good to be on the field, hitting somebody other than my teammates. I didn't want to let the feeling go, and I was expecting to do even better against New Mexico."
Then it hit, the ACL tear effectively shelving him for the remainder of his final season. Looking at Elgin Childress, it's easy to see the injuries, the three times he's had to go on the operating table, but to do so is to miss most of the growth that he's accomplished at Mizzou.
"Getting hurt wakes you up. Every time I think about my injury, my mind turns to the people in New Orleans who don't have anything."
Asked about the effect that playing football at Missouri has had, the smile reappears.
"I've learned a lot of life's lessons here. It's made me a lot tougher, teaching me never to quit, no matter how hard it gets."
True to his word, Childress has been a member of the Tiger team for five years despite a host of setbacks that would have understandably deterred others. He's also benefited from friends Tony Palmer, Derrick Ming and DeQuincy Howard, all of whom have forged a bond throughout their time in Columbia.
"We have a lot of fun, talk about how we're going to win the next game, what we've got to do to beat the next team."
That enthusiasm for the game is not diminished in Childress, despite the fact that his collegiate career didn't go exactly as planned. A three-sport athlete in high school, wrestling and track always took a back seat to his first love, and in return for his adoration the game gave him the opportunity to receive an education.
Childress has already earned his undergraduate degree and is currently attending graduate school to fully prepare himself for the next step. A business management major, he plans to enter real estate after leaving Columbia, buying and developing houses for resale. He will also remain in contact with the game, using the skills he learned in the classroom to give back to collegiate programs like the one in which he participated.
"I like talking football, and although I'd like to coach, it takes too much time. Instead I plan to help out players a little closer to home. I'll help them how I can, and at the same time I'll be able to stay around college football."
Maybe it's not so surprising that Elgin Childress is smiling.
- by Joel Erickson