Mizzou Senior Feature: Michael Stannard
9/20/2016 1:34:00 PM | Football
Graduate transfer adds depth to his hometown Tigers
For redshirt senior Michael Stannard, transferring to Mizzou for his final season meant coming home. The Rock Bridge High School graduate spent four seasons playing for the Memphis Tigers before making the decision to come back to Columbia for his senior year.
When he was growing up, there was always football on the television in the Stannard household. Football was a family affair as all four of the Stannard boys played at some point in their life. He recalls his dad taping his little league games from the stands so they could watch together after the game.
With family playing such a large role in his life, it was a natural decision for Stannard to come back to Missouri following the departure of Memphis' head coach Justin Fuente.
"I'm excited that all my family is here," Stannard said. 'It was really hard for them to all come down to the Memphis games and all the away games. The fact that the games are here in town means that they can all come and see. It's just really nice to be around the family again."
While Stannard joins a new team for his senior year, he has several connections to the Mizzou Football family. Stannard played for both Coach Odom and Coach Ofodile at Memphis and Rock Bridge, respectively. He credits Ofodile for putting him on a good path to play college ball when he attended Rock Bridge.
These familiar faces along with a welcoming coaching staff and team has made the transition to Mizzou Football seamless for Stannard.
"The guys here have all been first-class," Stannard said. 'They've all welcomed me a lot better than I would have thought. It's been a really good experience."
Stepping onto Faurot Field for the first time in a Mizzou uniform brought back flashbacks for Stannard of when Rock Bridge and Hickman would play a cross-town football game at Memorial Stadium.
Five years later, Stannard takes the field in a Tigers uniform with eye black covering his eyes and streaking down the side of his face. He states that the eye black makes him feel like a warrior and gets him pumped up and ready to play.
Stannard not only has to contend with a new team, but he also is playing a new position, taking on the responsibility of back-up center in addition to his roles on special teams. He is adjusting to the quicker tempo of playing center with the assistance of the new offensive line coach Glen Elarbee, who played center at Middle Tennessee.
As a versatile player, Stannard believes his main responsibility is to provide depth on the line and to be able to step in wherever is needed. Off the field, he takes his role as a senior seriously, leading by example for the younger players.
"I try to bring a positive attitude and some leadership to help the younger guys along with little things like 'hey let's go watch film' or stuff like that," Stannard said. "I try to do anything needed to really help the team."
It is this kind of leadership that has prompted Stannard to pursue a career in coaching upon graduation. While he knows the coaching path is difficult, Stannard hopes to land a graduate assistant position before ultimately finding a place on a college coaching staff.
With more than 15 years of playing football under his belt, Stannard has had endless experiences and opportunities. The one that stands out most for him was when he helped Memphis to victory at the Miami Beach Bowl, which also resulted in an American Athletic Conference co-championship.
"Those were two pretty great memories because we had just come off two seasons where we had won a combined total of seven games. We were turning around a program that had won nine games in the past three years. It was just the year when after all that hard work, we could finally see dividends being paid off."
Returning to Columbia has combined Stannard's love for football and his love for his family, all of which is apparent when he steps onto the field at Memorial Stadium in front of his loved ones.
"It really feels like home," Stannard said.
