No one covers Tiger athletics like PowerMizzou.com. To follow the Tigers year-round, sign up today to start your Free Seven-Day Trial.
The start of fall camp is still more than two months away. But leading up to a much-anticipated season, PowerMizzou.com will get Tiger fans in a football frame of mind. Over the next couple of weeks, we will be selecting the all-time Tiger football team.
Each day, we will have a story focusing on one position on the field. PowerMizzou.com will nominate a handful of the best players in Tiger history at that spot. Subscribers will have a chance to vote for their selection at each position. At the end of the series, we will unveil the all-time best according to our subscribers.
Today, we start things with a look at the quarterback spot. Here are our nominees:
Brad Smith, 2002-05: Smith won the job as a redshirt freshman and made an immediate impact, leading the Tigers to an upset win over Illinois in the 2002 season opener. In 2003, he would lead the Tigers to the Independence Bowl and an eight-win season. After a down year in 2004, Smith got the Tigers back to the postseason and led one of the most memorable comebacks in school history as Mizzou got its first bowl win in seven years, knocking off South Carolina in the Independence Bowl. Smith became the first player in NCAA history to pass for more than 8,000 yards and run for more than 4,000. He had two 2,000-1,000 seasons and led Missouri as the all-time leading rusher, passer and scorer. In all, Smith ended his college days with a share of 68 school, conference and NCAA records.
Chase Daniel, 2005-08: After serving as a backup to Smith, Daniel took over the starting job as a sophomore in 2006. He would re-write the passing record book at Missouri, ending his career with 12,515 yards and 101 touchdowns. Daniel led Mizzou to 30 wins in three years, including a school-record 12 victories and a No. 1 national ranking in 2007. Daniel was also the quarterback for the only two Tiger teams to make the Big 12 Championship game and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting as a junior.
Phil Bradley, 1978-81: Bradley was a three-time Big Eight Offensive Player of the Year, leading Missouri to bowl games in each of his three seasons as a starter. Bradley finished his career with 6,459 total offensive yards, which was a Big Eight record that stood for ten more years. He was also a decorated baseball player at Mizzou before going on to a long career which included an appearance in the 1985 All-Star game. He was inducted into the Mizzou Hall of Fame in 1990.
Paul Christman, 1938-40: Christman was a three-time all-Big Six selection and two-time all-American as the Tiger quarterback. He is among the all-time leaders at Missouri with 2,989 passing yards and 3,882 yards of total offense. Christman finished in the top five in the Heisman balloting twice, the only Tiger ever to do so. Missouri was 20-8 in his career, won the 1939 conference title and played in the first Orange Bowl in school history. Christman was elected to the Mizzou Hall of Fame in 1990.
Corby Jones, 1995-98: Jones saw spot duty in his first two years before becoming the full-time starter as a junior in 1997. Jones led Missouri to 15 wins over the next two seasons and the first two bowl games since 1983, including a win over West Virginia in the 1998 Insight.com Bowl. Jones finished his career with 6,230 yards and became the poster boy for Missouri's brief resurgence after 13 consecutive losing seasons.