'The Game of Football is not Guaranteed': Eli Drinkwitz Finds Value in Playing Bowl Game

In Week 15 of the current NFL season, a 44-year-old Phillip Rivers took the field for the Indianapolis Colts for the first time in four seasons. Rivers, a likely NFL Hall of Fame candidate who retired in 2020, went from sitting on his couch with his children and coaching a high school football team to starting against the Seattle Seahawks.

His return itself was impressive. But the reason for doing so was far more intriguing.

He simply loves the game of football and knows that if he had the opportunity to play again, he would take it.

For Eli Drinkwitz, who viewed Rivers' Week 15 play in admiration and courage, having an opportunity to play in the Gator Bowl with this year's team one last time is one that he would never pass up. Even when teams around the country are starting to set that trend.

“The game of football is not guaranteed," Drinkwitz said. "I think that's the biggest thing with bowl games. It’s a guaranteed opportunity for your team to continue to play, and it's a reward for a job well done during the season."

Getting to play at the Division 1 level is a massive challenge in and of itself. If you have a chance to play more games, there's no reason not to.

For those especially connected to the University of Missouri, one more chance to represent the school or play in the uniform is a welcome opportunity. With multiple players set to graduate who may not have a future in NFL or football in general, this is the perfect opportunity to round out their careers.

"I think there's always an assumption when you're a younger player that there's going to be more games, and as you get older, you realize that that's not the case," Drinkwitz said. "Playing football out in the backyard is not like playing it at Faurot Field. It's not like playing it with your brothers. It's not like putting that helmet on."

From a nostalgic point of view, there are likely plenty of former players who wish they could still play in whatever uniform they played in. It would be a disservice to Drinkwitz's players, especially the ones who are done in college after this season, not to play in the Gator Bowl.

"If you asked any of our college players who maybe thought they were going to get a good chance to play the pros, if you could give one more game, they'd always take it. Always," Drinkwitz said. "So there's value in the bowl games."

Drinkwitz isn't the only one who wants to see his team play, unsurprisingly. Running back Ahmad Hardy, who's in the middle of a dominant and historic season for the Tigers, never had the thought of not playing in the Gator Bowl.

He wants one more ride with his teammates, who will be gone after this season, and he wants to finish the season on a high note.

"We always say that we got to finish the job," Hardy said. "I mean, we started something we want to finish."

With a win in the Gator Bowl, Drinkwitz's roster could make history. They'd be the first Missouri team in the history of the university to have three straight seasons with nine or more wins.

The chance to make school history is just another incentive to go play in the postseason and walk away with a win.

"There's an opportunity to do something that's never been done here before — finish with three-straight seasons of nine-plus wins," Drinkwitz said. "There's valuable reps going on right now for our younger players, and the cohesion of our team and the camaraderie. I mean, get to go spend time with people that you really love and care about."

Many Tigers are set to play in the final games of their Missouri careers. It could also be the final football ga,e they ever play. For senior safety Daylan Carnell, who became a staple of the Tiger defense over the last three seasons, rounding out that journey with a win and doing so with his teammates is all he could ask for.

"Just finishing with you started," Carnell said. "This is my team. We came into the season, we was all in this together, right or wrong, good or bad. So just finishing out what I started with my brothers."

As the Gator Bowl approaches, the Tigers are expected to have a full-force team to compete against Virginia. A few players have transferred out of the program so far, but barring any major announcements, Drinkwitz does not anticipate any NFL opt-outs or other major transfer portal changes.

"I haven't received any indication that there's players who would opt out here, regardless of what their status was with the NFL," Drinkwitz said. "I feel pretty confident the team that we have here today is going to play."

Missouri will get that final chance to play at 6:30 p.m. on Dec. 27 against the Virginia Cavaliers in the Gator Bowl in Jacksonville, Florida.

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