The Cody Schrader Story Adds a New Chapter at NFL Scouting Combine
INDIANAPOLIS — Cody Schrader's career path up to this point has already been well-documented.
Especially for those who've followed Missouri football over the past couple of seasons, his story has been shared countless times. No scholarship offers out of high school, domination at Division II Truman State, walking on to Missouri in 2022, fighting his way up the depth chart, exploding in 2023. As Schrader rumbled his way into the national spotlight along with the Tigers, that story was echoed time and time again.
When he took the podium on Friday at the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, he had 15 minutes to share as much of his career journey as possible in order to convince reporters that hadn't been following him as closely that he was the real deal.
However, even amidst everything that'd already been said about Schrader, the former star running back for the Tigers still found a way to share the meat and bones of his story in a different way, which even included new stories, too.
Early on in the presser, Schrader was asked to describe his game in three words. He said fun, peace and joy. The second adjective is especially interesting considering Schrader's play style, which is about as peaceful as a hurricane. His legs churn through contact like car pistons, as the ultra-strong Schrader seemed to be the one initiating body blows most of the time instead of the opponents that are actually supposed to bring him down.
The neat part of that play style, however, is that intense conflict is exactly how Schrader achieves peace.
"To me, there's a lot of stuff that goes on in our lives. Everybody has different struggles, different stuff that they go through. Our world is a crazy world sometimes; it's moving at a million miles an hour," Schrader said. "For me, when I'm on the field for those three to four hours, nothing else matters. It brings me a difference peace and a joy that a lot of stuff doesn't bring me. It's something that I'm addicted to, and I just love it."
He said that love for the game materialized when he was a kid. Even in his first game that saw Schrader lose a shoe while carrying the football incorrectly, a touchdown not only saved the day, but ignited a desire to continue playing well into the future.
"I remember when I scored my first touchdown, I knew I wanted to do this for the rest of my life," Schrader said. "There's no greater feeling, and I just love the game."
Schrader went on to dominate at Lutheran South High School in St. Louis. In four years of varsity football, he racked up nearly 7,000 rushing yards and 99 touchdowns. Despite the gaudy stats, no Division I teams came calling, and Schrader still wonders why.
"That's still the biggest question I haven't had answered," Schrader said. "I did everything I thought I could do, but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way."
Despite the lack of national attention he received Schrader didn't give up. In his mind, he couldn't, because he didn't have a backup plan in regards to his career. When asked on Friday if he had any other passions or interests outside of football, he simply responded "no, I don't".
That led him to Division II Truman State where, just like in high school, he reigned terror on opposing defenses. It took him a couple of seasons to break out, but once it did, it was a supernova. After COVID cut what'd been a promising 2020 season short for Schrader, he exploded in 2021 for over 2,000 rushing yards and 25 rushing touchdowns.
With two years of eligibility remaining, Schrader was offered the opportunity to walk onto Missouri. While he'd likely be buried on the depth chart behind the likes of fellow transfer Nathaniel Peat and returner Elijah Young, Schrader decided to take the leap anyway.
"When I got the chance to walk on, for me, it was personal," Schrader said. "Just from the aspect of being from St. Louis, growing up in Missouri and playing for my home school. I knew I wanted to be the best Missouri Tiger leaving."
That goal seemed lofty upon Schrader's arrival in Columbia, but he got a lot closer to it as the 2022 season progressed. By the home stretch of the year, Schrader had supplanted Peat as the RB1 for Missouri, and Schrader finished the season as the team leader in all major rushing categories.
Then, the 2023 season came, and it was 2021 all over again and then some. Behind a far better offensive line in an offense that was vastly improved from 2022, Schrader rushed for 1,627 yards (third in the nation) and 14 rushing touchdown en route to numerous accolades, including the Burlsworth Trophy (best former walk-on in college football) as well as an eighth-place finish in Heisman Trophy voting. He became the first Tiger to receive Heisman votes since Chase Daniel finished fourth in 2007.
However, the numbers don't even come close to describing Schrader's impact on Missouri. He became one of the faces (if not the face) of a Missouri program that'd skyrocketed into the national spotlight. Schrader's Herculean efforts out of the backfield played a big part in the Tigers regaining their stripes. As the season progressed, Schrader kept getting better.
The performance that really put Schrader on the map came against Tennessee. On the CBS broadcast with Brad Nessler on the call, the Tigers annihilated the Volunteers 36-7. Schrader finished with a ridiculous 321 all-purpose yards — 205 on the ground and 116 through the air. After the game, his teammates lifted him up Rudy-style, and Schrader pounded his chest while yelling at the sky victoriously.
"I thought it really changed for me after the Tennessee game," Schrader said. "I think that was the big game for me and the big moment where it opened up a lot of eyes."
For most of the season, Faurot Field was Fauracous Field, as 2023 Missouri entered the pantheon of all-time great teams in program history. Prior to this year, that club only consisted of the 2007 team that went 12-2 and the 2013 team that did the same. When the dust settled, the 2023 Tigers finished with 11 wins, with the cherry on top being a victory over Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.
"We had a bunch of strong leaders, and it took all of us, and I think that's why we had nobody opt out of the bowl game. It was personal to us," Schrader said. "That place meant something special to us. The city of Columbia meant something to us. Our main goal was to restore the brotherhood, bring winning back to the city of Columbia, and that's what we did this past season."
Then, it was time for Schrader to prove his worth again, as he began preparing for the NFL Draft. On Friday, he said he believes that he's the best running back in the 2024 draft class.
"It comes from the work I've put in. I don't think anybody can outwork me," Schrader said. "My journey was different, so I had to find ways to stand out, I had to find ways to just be the best football player that I can be. I proved it, at every level I've proved it, so that's where that confidence comes from."
That confidence can also be attributed to an external source of strength. Throughout his journey, Schrader spoke of a stronger relationship with his faith, as he'd often credit God for his success while at Missouri.
"I didn't really know much about God or religion when I was younger. but then, when I moved to St. Louis, I went to a private Lutheran school, and I really started learning what it looks like to have a relationship with God," Schrader said. "I think for my story, none of this would've been possible without him. I've had to overcome a lot of challenges, being overlooked, not recruited, walking on, a lot of different stuff that I've had to go through. And I truly owe it all to God for having this opportunity, for bringing me here because I know there was no man that brought me here. Nobody really gave me opportunities, so I know it's all because of him."
As he reflected on how he got to where he is today, he had a message for younger folks who might be in a similar position as he was years ago.
"What I want a lot of kids to understand if you're in that same scenario is that you've got to figure out how to get your name talked about and get your name buzzing around the facility."
For Schrader, that meant going to some extremes.
"I put a game plan together myself. I worked out everyday at 6:30 {a.m.}. I would show up every day at 5 a.m., and my goal with that was to beat the head strength coach there every day, because I knew he met with the head coach every day in staff meetings. I drove a red Ford Ranger, so I knew he would see my car every single day, and i would park it in the middle of the parking lot, cause he walks from the very back to the front, so I knew he would see it."
"My goal with that was him asking 'who is this kid? Why is he here every single day?' But it's the consistency over time is what builds trust and respect with coaches, and that's what kids have to understand is that if you're coming into a program and you're walking on and you're under-recruited, whatever your story is, you've got to find a way to build that trust and respect."
With Schrader set to work out at the NFL Scouting Combine, many have come to know that the trust and respect Schrader talked about was absolutely built at Missouri. That was proven once again on Friday when he spoke to the media, which was largely made up of reporters that had never talked to him in-person before.
By the end of his 15 minutes, Schrader had entailed his love for football to a point where Mike Lupica could probably write a spectacular novel about his career path.
"It just changed my whole entire life. It made me focused, made me disciplined," Schrader said. This game of football is special because what it teaches you as a man, and how it can help your life in many areas. It was always a dream of mine to play in the NFL. I never knew if I was gonna get the opportunity to be at the Combine, or even get to make a team."
Now, that dream is very close to becoming a reality. However, Schrader is currently not projected to be the first running back taken — in fact, he's far from it. He's currently projected to be a Day 3 pick, far from the top of the class. On the surface, becoming a starting running back in the NFL might seem like a dream. But playing D1 college football also seemed like a dream, and so did being invited to the NFL Scouting Combine.
Those didn't stay dreams for long.
