With a No. 20 maroon Missouri State jersey to his left and a picture of the iconic smile that everybody spoke so highly of to his right, Missouri State head football coach Dave Steckel remembered his freshman tailback.
“As I sat in Vegas last Sunday, I listened to all these people talk, I had a better understanding of my player,” Steckel said while choking up. “I listened to everybody speak and it hit home with me. I realized it’s an unbelievable honor to be a coach.
“It was an honor to be Richard’s coach.”
Teammates, coaches, friends, family, brothers, sisters, administrators and athletes from multiple Missouri State athletic teams gathered to celebrate the life of Missouri State football freshman tailback Richard Nelson.