Inductees

From the back lots of Hermann to legendary status at the University of Missouri, a career in the NFL, Brock Olivo left his mark at every level in football.

Starting at Hermann High School, Olivo’s transfer to St. Francis Borgia Regional High School in Washington came as Olivo hit a rising trajectory. As a senior, he led the Knights to the Class 3 state title and a 14-0 record.

That season, he ran for over 2,500 yards, scored 39 touchdowns, ran kicks and was a defensive standout. In Week 2, he rushed for a single-game school record 403 yards and five scores.

“It was unbelievable,” Olivo said. “All I had to do was hit the holes, and I had big gainers. I have to give all of the credit to the offensive line.”

That comment reflected Olivo his entire career, as he believed teammates deserved the glory generally given to the guy hauling the pigskin.

Certainly, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame proudly inducted Olivo with the Class of 2025.

Olivo starred at Borgia for coach Dale Gildehaus (MSHOF 2018). In 1993, he was the Gatorade Missouri Player of the Year, finishing his prep career with 5,030 yards rushing and 70 touchdowns.

At Mizzou, Olivo led the Tigers to the 1997 Holiday Bowl – their first bowl since 1983. When he left after that season, he held records in rushing yards (3,026), all-purpose yards (3,475), rushing touchdowns (27) and rushing attempts (676). His 188 points ranked fourth on the career scoring list.

The 1994 Big 8 Conference Offensive Freshman of the Year, Olivo won the Mosi Tatupu National Special Teams Player of the Year Award in 1997, making him the first Tiger to win a national award.

He later played 44 games as a special teams standout for the NFL’s Detroit Lions, and served on NFL staffs (2014-2019), including with coach Andy Reid and the Kansas City Chiefs from 2014 to 2016. He coached in Italy from 2007 to 2011 and is now on the Mizzou staff as an assistant special teams coach.

“My dad was a pro quarterback, but I didn’t have his talent, nor his athleticism,” Olivo said. “So I fell in love with running the ball, and I idolized guys like Stump Mitchell, John Riggins and O.J. Anderson growing up.”

Despite being recruited by several D-I Midwest programs, it took one visit from Mizzou coach Larry Smith.

“It was a question of pride for me,” Olivo said. “I wanted to represent my home state of Missouri.”

After a brief move to safety in preseason camp, offensive injuries gave Olivo another chance. He never looked back. As a freshman, he ran for 641 yards, was the first freshman with consecutive 100-yard rushing games and set the rookie mark of 151 against Kansas State.

His devotion to training set the tone, with Curtis Jones, Sr., and strength coach Dave Toub becoming father figures.

“You were the awe of your teammates,” Smith once told him. “When they realized that wasn’t a show and how you really are, that awe soon turned into respect.”

He rushed for 985 yards as a sophomore, topping 200 yards twice. He won the Mizzou Offensive MVP and Don Faurot Most Inspirational Player awards, as well as Honorable Mention All-Big 8.

Olivo shared tailback duties with Devin West (MSHOF 2021) his final two seasons and zeroed in on special teams.

“I wasn’t the quintessential college running back, for more reasons than one as you know,” Olivo said. “I knew that in order to catapult myself on beyond college, I was going to have to make a name for myself on special teams, and that’s what I did.”

The program’s strength and conditioning award was named after Olivo, whose No. 27 was retired by Mizzou in 2003.

Olivo’s mentors were Gildehaus, Toub, Jones and he thanks teammates for success, too. He also had support from his parents, siblings Tim and Daisy, uncles Bob and Allen, Aunt Judy, grandparents Lou and Eleanor, and J.K. and Ann.

He was proud to help make Mizzou a winner.

“That was the goal of our class when we arrived with coach Smith in 1994; we wanted to restore Mizzou football to a respectable level on the national stage,” Olivo said. “(Coach Smith) literally had to resurrect the program from the dead. His first two recruiting classes were mostly made up of tough in-state kids from every demographic, all of whom wanted to the same thing – make Mizzou football a winner again.”

x-Story by Bill Battle of the Washington Missourian