'A Special, Special Moment': How Missouri's 'Brotherhood' Honored, Stood By Eddie Kelly Jr.

The Missouri Tigers had something extra to play for against the Buffalo Bulls on Saturday evening, while honoring the late mother to one of their teammates.

Sep 7, 2024; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Missouri Tigers head coach Eli Drinkwitz runs out with the team against the Buffalo Bulls prior to a game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. / Denny Medley-Imagn Images

COLUMBIA, Mo. — Eli Drinkwitz ended his postgame press conference against the Buffalo Bulls on a somber note.

His team, fresh off a blowout victory at home for the second straight week, had reason to celebrate. The players had, in their words, taken advantage of the opportunity placed in front of them. Where other rivals were struggling to win, the Missouri Tigers took care of business.

It was a team effort — the same as it always was — but Saturday night's win was a little different for the Black and Gold. Lashira Benn, the mother of their teammate, Eddie Kelly Jr., was missing from the stands. She died after suffering what Drinkwitz described as a medical emergency on Wednesday.

Three days later, Kelly suited up for the Tigers. Suddenly, they had something much bigger to play for.

"It was a special, special moment," the head coach said while getting emotional. "A special thing for this brotherhood."

Kelly had a close relationship with his mother. Before arriving in Columbia, the defensive end played one season each at South Florida and Georgia Tech. When deciding on the former coming out of high school, it was his mom who lent him her support.

“When I spoke to my son, I told him that I don’t play football,”Benn said at the time of Kelly's commitment. “(I said), 'You have an opportunity to go to any college you want to go to, so go to whatever college you pick. I’m standing behind what you want to do.'”

When Kelly decided to transfer to play for the Tigers this season, the same was true. Benn even made the trip to watch her son's debut performance against Middle Tennessee last week.

That made the loss especially hard, and not just for Kelly.

"Man, you just don't know," an emotional Drinkwitz said. "It goes back to opportunity. ... Life is precious."

"It was very emotional," added Tigers safety Marvin Burks Jr., "but guys kind of knew ... we've got to play with Eddie and (for) his family. Eddie still coming out here to play with us as well ... we wanted to make sure we got that win.

"That was the main thing."

The Tigers did. Kelly got some reps under the lights at Faurot Field in front of another sellout crowd, registering a pair of tackles in the process. The defense held its own, refusing to let up a point to record back-to-back shutouts for the first time since 1935.

And there was no one more fitting than Kelly to be honored after the contest.

"We gave a game ball to Eddie Kelly tonight," Drinkwitz said. "Y'all got to watch something special tonight, (with) our defense playing like that."

As Missouri continues along its season, its brotherhood will continue to be put to the test. It'll face tough opponents and difficult situations, but that won't stop it from pressing on.

Kelly set that example, in honor of his mother. On his knees during warmups with a towel addressed to her, he made that clear.

“I love her,” he said when he committed to USF. “I thank her for going through this trial with me.”

The Tigers simply followed suit, honoring their teammate in the only way they knew how. Their love was especially felt Saturday.

"You don't understand why (things like this happen)," Drinkwitz said. "But I do understand that God brought him here to be a part of our brotherhood — for us — for this moment in time."