Dec. 28, 2007

DALLAS - The 7th ranked Missouri Tigers took time out of their hectic schedule preparing for the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic to visit the children at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital on Friday afternoon.

All 105 players and the entire coaching staff made the trip and made quite an impression on the children and staff at the hospital. Approximately 75 children were in attendance and received Dr Pepper gift bags filled with colored Sharpie markers, the official poster of the 72nd AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic, and an Cotton Bowl t-shirt. The players brought Missouri t-shirts for the kids and autographed them along with Texas Scottish Rite Hospital hats supplied by the hospital.

Texas Scottish Rite Hospital President J.C. Montgomery, Jr. and Jonathan Spencer, a patient, made a special presentation of a framed picture drawn by Spencer to Head Coach Gary Pinkel and his team.

"You see all these little guys here, so excited to meet the players they've been reading about," said Montgomery. "These players are their heroes. This is a great thing for them. Coach Pinkel is a classy guy, and he instills great character in his team."

This visit has become a tradition during Cotton Bowl week, dating back to 1986 when Head Coach Jackie Sherrill brought his Texas A&M Aggies to the hospital. For Coach Pinkel, however, the visit was more than a stop on the week's schedule. Having grown up with two siblings who were afflicted as adolescents with a rare hereditary disease, Pinkel understands the plight of the families at Texas Scottish Rite.

"I can appreciate what the families are going through here," Pinkel said. "My brother and sister always told me how inspiring I was for them, but they were much more inspirational to me. Their courage had a profound effect on my life."

Pinkel shared this sentiment with the children and families who came out to visit with the players. "You are very inspiring to us," he said.

QB Chase Daniel was a big hit with the children and was in high demand for photos and autographs. "It's great coming back to my hometown and my community and having a chance to give back," Daniel said. "This is just awesome for me. Scoring a touchdown is a great feeling, but this is great, too."

WR Jeremy Maclin was also touched by the opportunity to meet with the children and families at the hospital. "I want to tell the kids to keep faith," Maclin said. "I struggled in a different kind of way when I was younger. But no matter what your situation is, you've got to keep faith and say your prayers. Good things happen to good people."

Defensive Coordinator Matt Eberflus was pleased with the team's visit. "This is a great opportunity for the players to give back and to show love to these kids," Eberflus said. "This does a lot for them inside. Whenever you give something of yourself, you get something back. That's a great feeling."

"God bless the kids and families here," Coach Pinkel said. "We hope this was a win for them. It was definitely a win for the Missouri Tigers."