Tarkio, Missouri, is a quiet little college town tucked away in the northwest corner of the state and hardly known as a hotbed of football talent. It was there that Ed Travis starred as a high school player, dreaming of the day when he could play for the University of Missouri. But Ed’s stellar high… Read more »
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Sport: Football
Kerwin Urhahn
All Dr. Kerwin Urhahn ever wanted to do was his best. Nothing more, nothing less. Whether he was teaching math, coaching, or serving as a principal, Urhahn worked to give everything he had to the job with which he was entrusted. And in his 16 years as Executive Director of the Missouri State High School… Read more »
Valle Catholic High School Football
The story of Valle Catholic High School football may be best summarized by Joseph Hoog, a fan going back to the 1940s. He recalls a state championship game in which quarterback and future coach Judd Naeger tucked the ball and ran. “Somewhere around midfield he broke into the open, and there was a defender. I… Read more »
Bruce Van Dyke
A product of Buckner, Missouri, Bruce Van Dyke played college football at the University of Missouri, where he was a two-way starter, playing on both the offensive and defensive lines. As a first team All-Big Eight Conference defensive tackle in 1965, Van Dyke played on Tiger teams that went a combined 21-8-2 from 1963 to… Read more »
Dr. Ronald VanDam
Ronald Leonard VanDam was born January 22, 1937, in Kalamazoo, Michigan, the son of Rev. Leonard and Marian Perkins VanDam. He married Jonell Willis on May 30, 1964. Dr. VanDam had a distinguished career as Head Athletic Trainer and Professor at the University of Central Missouri for 31 years. Following his arrival on campus in… Read more »
Tony Vanzant
If you can do an online search for his name, it’ll yield some jaw-dropping stories. Such as the St. Louis Post-Dispatch clip touting that he had been named to PARADE’s All-America High School Football Team. Or the UPI story in which his high school coach said, “The reason we’re 38-3 is having him in the… Read more »
Dick Vermeil
One of the most distinguished coaching careers in National Football League history officially concluded when Dick Vermeil announced his retirement from professional football in 2006. Vermeil spent 15 seasons as an NFL head coach and was a member of the league’s coaching fraternity for 19 seasons. In addition, Vermeil has had a prestigious career as… Read more »
Rick Vernon
Back in the late 1960s in the central Missouri town of Eldon, while football fans cheered as he became an All-State running back, Rick Vernon was doing double duty. That is, he kept taking mental notes from his high school coaches. “They were great influences,” Vernon said of football coach Bob Higbee and basketball coach… Read more »
Patty Viverito
At the time of her induction in 2014, Patty Viverito was in her 22nd year as senior associate commissioner at the Missouri Valley Conference and he 29th year as commissioner of the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The league, which sponsored nine women’s sports and FCS football, saw its women’s programs merge with their MVC men’s counterparts in… Read more »
Maurice “Red” Wade
Born in Mountain Grove, Wade was one of the star halfbacks for Don Faurot’s innovative Split-T formation at the University of Missouri in the early 1940’s. After a stint Armed Services during WWII, Wade transferred to the University of Tulsa, helping the Hurricanes to a Sugar Bowl and Orange Bowl appearance. After graduation, Wade joined the… Read more »
Lawrence Walls
From the 1960’s through the 1980’s, when the Public High League dominated St. Louis area football, Lawrence Walls, who retired in 1998, presided over a dynasty at Sumner High School. His coaching career at Sumner began in 1971 and continued until his retirement in 1998. When Coach Walls totaled his record at the end of… Read more »
Don Walsworth
In 1957, after walking across the University of Missouri campus following graduation, Don Walsworth figured that somehow, some way he would return. No, not simply to visit or watch ballgames. But to give back, to provide something meaningful to a campus that had positioned him for success – a success that even he didn’t know… Read more »
Seth Wand
It’s a long way to the NFL from Northwest Missouri State. The path is even longer when you begin at Springfield Catholic. But Seth Wand took the path less travelled, and parlayed small-college success into a six-year NFL career. One of just three small college players drafted in the first three rounds of the 2003… Read more »
1988-1995 Era Warsaw High School Football
Dynasties come in all shapes and sizes. One of the greatest football dynasties in Missouri sports history comes from the Benton County town of Warsaw. From 1988 to 1995, the Warsaw Wildcats were arguably the top Class 2 program in the state, winning state championships in 1990 and 1993, and reaching the state Final Four… Read more »
1973 Washington High School State Championship Football Team
Motivation from a disappointing ending the year before. Undersized guys willing to roll up their sleeves and put in the hard work, if not “run through brick walls,” as the old saying goes. And a little bit of luck. All of those descriptions seem suitable when talking about the 1973 Washington High School football team.… Read more »