It was 2003. Gary Pinkel, in his third year as Missouri head football coach, joined an assistant coach on an important recruiting road trip to St. Joseph.
That's the hometown of Martin Rucker, a vital in-state target for the Tigers.
As Pinkel stepped inside the Rucker household, he was flabbergasted. It was covered in Nebraska red, in tribute to Martin's older brother, Mike, a beloved Cornhusker. Despite often being associated with Kansas City, St. Joseph is only 144 miles from Lincoln, Nebraska. Columbia is 181 miles southeast.
"We're trying to build our program and get the best players to stay in the state," Pinkel said this week of the state of his program at the time.