Learning, Not Losing: Cody Schrader's Mindset After Missouri's Loss to Georgia
The "C" captain patch on Missouri running back Cody Schrader's jersey is one that is well-deserved.
In Saturday's 30-21 loss against Georgia, Schrader again exemplified what it means to be a leader by rushing for 112 yards as well as being a voice of reason and perspective following the defeat.
"My message to the team is just keep believing, don't give up," Schrader said to reporters. "Everybody's believed in this program for a reason, and it's our job to finish out the season."
Throughout his young career, Schrader has certainly learned what it means to not give up. In his second year at Missouri, the Division-II transfer is continuing to show that he deserves recognition as an elite player in the SEC.
In the past two games, Schrader has rushed for over 100 yards in consecutive games for the first time as a Tiger. He has also received over 20 carries in each of the past three games. Against Georgia, his 80 rushing yards and one touchdown in the second half kept Missouri's hopes alive into the fourth quarter. He also was a key voice on the sideline as the Tigers attempted to come back from a two-possession deficit.
"We fight," Schrader said. "We're never going to give up. On the sideline everybody's picking each other up, picking each other's heads up. There's a lot of games left"
Though Missouri now would need a miracle to win the SEC East, Schrader is still focused on putting his all into the final three weeks of the season.
"We still got three big games left," Schrader said. "These games mean a lot. We're still chasing bowl games or whatever it is at the end of the year. My message to the team is just keep believing, don't give up."
While Missouri had one of its best performances of the season against Georgia, there is plenty to fix up. For Schrader, the loss serves as an opportunity to improve and learn from mistakes.
"I don't believe in losing, I believe in learning," Schrader said. "After we watch the tape, I think we can learn about how we can execute better ... it's going to hurt, that's what losing is, but we're going to learn from this."
