Photo Legend: Don Faurot

As a Missouri graduate student in 1926 Don Faurot (four-OH) helped lay the sod for the soon to be opened Memorial Stadium. Years later, 1972, that very playing field was named in his honor. Faurot's connection with the University of Missouri started as a youth when he would sneak into old Rollins Field to watch the Tigers play and practice. Faurot was the first of four brothers to letter in football at Missouri. He also lettered in basketball and baseball.

Post playing career Faurot had a successful run as head coach at Kirksville State (63-13-3, now called Truman State). He then came back to Columbia and coached for 19 years, going 101-79-10 and winning three of the schools six Big Six Conference (later Big 8 and Big 12) championships. He did not coach from 1943-1945 due to Navy service. After finishing his coaching career in 1956, he served as Missouri's athletic director until 1967.

While Faurot's career never saw him leave the state of Missoui, his strategic influence is far reaching, even today. As coaches today like Rich Rodriguez and Chip Kelley perplex defenses with their spread option attacks, their strategies are backed with Faurot's DNA. The option's origin harks back to Faurot's 1941 Sugar Bowl Missouri squad when he unveiled the "Split T Formation." The offense was originally called the "Sliding-T" due to how the quarterback slid along the line of scrimmage after the snap. Most notably, the Split-T was utilized by Faurot's former assistant Bud Wilkinson's Oklahoma teams on their way to a still standing record of 46 consecutive wins. The option strategy continues to revolutionize the game.

Faurot, a true Missourian, died in 1995 at the age of 93.