Tigers in the NFL: Former Missouri Stars Suit Up in NFL Divisional Round
The second round of the NFL Playoffs kicks off this weekend, and with it a few Missouri Tiger legends are looking to help their teams advance to a conference championship.
Take a look at which teams will feature one of the program's best this weekend.
Sunday, January 21
Kansas City Chiefs 5:30 p.m. CT, CBS
The Kansas City Chiefs, along with former Tigers Nick Bolton and Blaine Gabbert, take on the Buffalo Bills who feature Mitch Morse as an anchor on the offensive line.
Bolton, a former 3-star recruit who joined the Tigers in 2018, was a second round pick by the Chiefs in 2021. Since arriving in Kansas City, the linebacker has compiled 352 tackles, 21.0 TFL's and 2.0 sacks.
A star in his time in Columbia, Bolton saw time in 13 games as a true freshman in 2018, but became a full-time starter as a sophomore.
In his last two seasons in Black and Gold, the Frisco, Texas native racked up an incredible 198 tackles, 16.5 TFL's and two interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown. He was named an AP Second Team All-American in 2020, and was named First Team All-SEC in both seasons.
Blaine Gabbert, whose career at Missouri is one of the most memorable in program history, will also take the field for the Chiefs, but will backup starter Patrick Mahomes.
A native of Ballwin, Missouri, Gabbert was a 5-star prospect in the 2008 recruiting cycle. After originally committing to Nebraska, Gabbert flipped his commitment to the Tigers and sat behind Chase Daniel as a true freshman.
He took over as the starter in 2009 and put together an impressive season, throwing for over 3,000 yards to go along with 24 touchdowns while leading the Tigers to an 8-5 record.
In his final season at Missouri, Gabbert continued what he'd started his sophomore season, throwing once again for over 3,000 yards and completing over sixty percent of his passes.
He was drafted tenth overall to the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2011 and struggled to find his footing as a starter. He spent just three seasons with the AFC South franchise before being traded to San Francisco.
Gabbert has been a career journeyman to this point in his career, but has remained one of the league's most steady backup quarterback options across his 13-year career.
Finally, center Mitch Morse will suit up for the Buffalo Bills as they look to finally take down the harrowed Kansas City Chiefs in a momentous playoff matchup.
Morse played for the Tigers from 2010-2014 and was a cornerstone of the offensive line in his time as a starter. He saw time at center, right tackle and left tackle and helped Missouri to back-to-back 10-plus win seasons in his final two years.
Since joining the Bills, Morse has been a key piece of the offensive line, and helped pave the way for one of the league's most effective rushing attacks in 2023.
