© Jay Biggerstaff, USA TODAY
Rise to the Occasion? Mizzou & WR Barrett Banister Have Different Approach
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As the Missouri Tigers begin their 2022 season against the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Thursday night, the offensive spotlight naturally goes toward guys like freshman receiver Luther Burden and Mizzou’s darling quarterback Brady Cook.
But Mizzou fans maybe have gotten too used to the presence of sixth-year receiver Barrett Banister.
As he enters his final year in Columbia after arriving in 2017, no one on the roster has seen the ins and outs like he has - which makes the words he says ring louder than most.
Banister is feeling bittersweet as he prepares to trot onto Faurot Field for the final season-opener of his collegiate career. But as he does, he brings an approach that might be unorthodox to some, yet valuable nonetheless.
"The biggest thing we've talked about is you don't rise to the occasion you sink to the level of your training,” he said Monday. “You'll hear it all the time, guys are like 'When the lights come on I'm gonna be a freak, I'm gonna be a beast,' but you sink to the level that you've trained eight months for now.”
Banister had totaled 93 catches for 812 yards and two touchdowns in his career at Mizzou. Last season, he had a career-high 31 catches with 226 receiving yards and a score.
These aren’t necessarily the numbers that jump off the screen for a guy that’s supposed to be the old man in the room, but numbers matter little for a young receiving corps that needs all the leadership it can get.
But Banister ended last season showing solid rapport with Cook, as he was the team's second-leading receiver with six catches for 53 yards in the 24-22 loss to Army in the Armed Forces Bowl.
Rise to the occasion with Cook at the helm? That’s something Banister’s been doing all offseason, even before he knew who’d be starting at quarterback. Expect a methodical approach for the savvy vet Thursday night, something he’ll likely do headed into each game for the entirety of his final season with the Tigers.
“We only get 12 opportunities, so we're just trying to prepare the best we can every day and then whenever it's time to go, we're all gonna go together,” he said.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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