COLUMBIA, Mo. – Funded and supported by a generous gift from Steve and Lisa Trulaske, Mizzou football dedicated the Cody Schrader Athletic Performance Center on Saturday morning.
Located on the first floor of the Mizzou football building, the athletic performance center is the program’s agility and weight room area.
“This gift would have never happened without Coach Eliah Drinkwitz,” Trulaske said. “From the start, he made it a point to make me feel part of the program. He’s changed the whole dynamic here, and it shows in their culture. The trusting relationship we’ve built is why I felt like I could introduce him and Cody [Schrader] in the first place. I’m so proud to have played a part of Cody’s legacy here at Mizzou and am thrilled to support Coach’s vision in this way. Cody will now always be remembered as a True Son.”
Schrader’s path to greatness was about a belief he had in himself and his personal drive for excellence every day and that eventually set him apart from everyone else. Schrader started at Truman State University to begin his playing career where he registered 3,084 rushing yards on 479 carries with 39 touchdowns and 60 receptions for 497 yards and two scores. He led all Division II in rushing during his fourth season and concluded his time in Kirksville, Missouri, ranking second in average yards per rush (6.44), third in rushing touchdowns, tied for fourth in total touchdowns, sixth in rushing yards and points (248), and 10th in all-purpose yards (3,615).
In 2022, Cody was looking for a new challenge and was awarded a walk-on opportunity with Missouri after Trulaske asked Drinkwitz to look at his film. When he arrived in Columbia, Schrader began as the eighth man on the depth chart but quickly earned a scholarship and eventually the starting role, leading the Tigers in rushing each of his two seasons and finishing with 2,372 rushing yards on 446 carries with 23 touchdowns and 41 receptions for 328 yards. During his final campaign, the 2023 team captain helped lead Mizzou to a 11-2 ledger and its first New Year’s Six bowl win after defeating Ohio State in the Goodyear Cotton Bowl.
“This is such a rare opportunity for me to have everyone who’s played such an important role in my life in the same room,” Schrader said during the event. “I’m happy to be able to celebrate this with everyone because it wasn’t just me. When I first got here it wasn’t about the stats, it wasn’t about the yardage, it wasn’t about anything like that. It was to prove that I belong. This is just a really special moment, and I could not be more thankful.”
Schrader concluded his collegiate tenure as the 15th player in Tiger history to earn consensus All-America honors, garnering first-team honors by The Associated Press and The Sporting News. By season’s end, he established Mizzou’s single-season rushing record with 1,627 yards on 276 carries with 14 touchdowns. Additionally, he was selected as the winner of the Burlsworth Trophy, which honors the nation’s most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.
“I want to thank Steve and Lisa for their generosity and passion for Mizzou football,” Drinkwitz said. “Our success the last few seasons is a direct reflection of their commitment to our program, and we really appreciate it. We couldn’t have done or accomplished any of these things without them. When we first started thinking about what’s an appropriate way to honor Cody for his accomplishments and everything that he’s been able to do at the University of Missouri, we all agreed that it had to be on the first floor. Because Cody is the definition of ‘Elite Edge’, and he spent all of his time in the athletic performance center. Whether it was here in the weight room, or in the training room with Brady [Cook] on a day-to-day basis, they utilized this first floor better than anyone to make sure they were prepared on Saturdays.”
After his collegiate career, Schrader signed with the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League as an undrafted free agent in May, 2024, before being claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Rams for the start of the 2024 season.
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