For senior Eric Laurent, his dream is what has fueled him through his college career. 

It was what pushed him to walk on to Missouri's football team, while trying to make the tough transition from high school quarterback to college wide receiver.  It was that same dream that won him 2015 walk-on player of the year honors; it's what helped him become a scholarship player in his final season at Missouri.

And for Laurent, it is a dream that keeps coming true every time he takes the field. 

"There were a lot of schools I could've played for," Laurent said.  "But Mizzou was the only school I ever dreamed of playing for."

To understand why donning the black and gold was always such a priority for Laurent, you have to understand his family, and their deep connection with the University of Missouri. 

"Both of my parents went to Mizzou, and it's the place where they met," Laurent said.  "My sister actually ended up coming to school here too.  My family and I used to watch Mizzou Football whenever it was on.  Their love for their school was instilled in me from a really young age."

However, even the son of two Missouri Alums was intimidated when he first stepped onto his dream school's campus. It was an exciting moment for Laurent, but he still had to adjust to life on his own. 

But when he walked on to the football team, that feeling of solitude quickly vanished. 

"Coming to school here was the first time I had to take care of myself," Laurent said.  "It was a little nerve-racking.  But the family atmosphere of the football team helped a lot.  It was so nice to have a group of friends that you instantly bond with and relate with." 

Laurent's love for Mizzou and his teammates has grown strong over the years, and it is what fuels him now.    

He sees his fifth year and the leadership that comes with that seasoning as an opportunity to show how much he loves his football program and his university. 

"Individually, I just want to do whatever I can to make this team better," Laurent said.  "I really want to be a leader for this team, on and off the field.  I want to show everyone what to do, and how you go about it."

With an abundance of young talented players on the roster, the fifth-year senior wideout's voice now carries extra weight. Because Laurent was a part of both of Mizzou's back-to-back SEC Eastern Division Championship teams, he knows first hand what it takes to be elite.    

"We have a lot of young guys on the offensive side of the ball," Laurent said.  "For me, I just really want to show them how to be a part of a winning program, because I have been on winning teams.  I know the kind of players and leaders it takes to get to that level." 

At first, it was just a dream and family connection that fueled him.  But when his hard work saw that those dreams were realized, he needed a new reason to keep going. 

He found his new fuel: love for a university, and love for a football program.