Missouri head coach Eli Drinkwitz shattered the silence Wednesday night with a fiery, unscripted defense of quarterback Beau Pribula that left reporters stunned and instantly sent social media into a frenzy.
Standing at the podium after practice, Drinkwitz unloaded:
“What’s happening to Beau right now is a crime against football, a blatant betrayal of everything this sport stands for. How can people be so cruel? This is a man who has carried this offense on his back with nothing but heart. Shows up every single week, plays through pain most wouldn’t even walk on, gives every ounce he has, never asks for attention, never points fingers, never blames a soul, just fights like hell for the Missouri Tigers.
To me, Beau Pribula is one of the most relentless, selfless players college football has ever seen. And instead of questioning his value every time we hit a rough patch, people should be standing behind him, not tearing him down.”
The emotional outburst comes amid growing fan frustration following Missouri’s 7-4 (3-4 SEC) season and Pribula’s recent turnover struggles after returning from a dislocated ankle that sidelined him for three games.
Sources inside the program tell SEC Insider that Drinkwitz has been seething privately for weeks over what he views as unfair criticism of the graduate transfer from Penn State, who has thrown for 1,685 yards, 11 TDs, and rushed for 5 more while playing through multiple injuries.
“Coach has had enough,” one staffer said. “Beau’s the ultimate warrior. Coach would run through a wall for him, and tonight he finally let the world know it.”
Pribula, visibly emotional when shown the clip in the locker room, responded briefly:
“Means the world. Coach Drink believes in me, my teammates believe in me. That’s all I need. We’re not done yet.”
Missouri closes the regular season Saturday against Arkansas with bowl positioning on the line. Expect Faurot Field to be rocking louder than ever after Drinkwitz’s viral defense of his quarterback.
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