Former University of Missouri football coach Gary Pinkel, left, speaks during a press conference at the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremony at the Bellagio Resort & Casino in Las Vegas on Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2022. Photo provided by the National Football Foundation/Melissa Macatee
LAS VEGAS — Long before he wore his first whistle and won his first game, Gary Pinkel crossed paths with coaching greatness. It’s one of his favorite football stories and he told it again Tuesday, hours before the crowning moment of his celebrated career.
When Pinkel was 16 years old, he and his father made the drive from Akron, Ohio, to Cleveland to attend the 1968 NFL championship game.