Jasper's Weatherspoon makes presence felt on Missouri's defense
Tigers to play in Cotton Bowl
By GEORGIA PURDY Correspondent

Courtesy photo MISSOURI'S SEAN WEATHERSPOON (12) helps bring down a defender during a game this past year.Weatherspoon, a graduate of Jasper High School, was named Linebacker of the Year by the University of Missouri as a sophomore starter and recorded 121 tackles.

Former Jasper High School athlete Sean Weatherspoon has received the Linebacker of the Year award from the University of Missouri. Weatherspoon is a sophomore on the Missouri football team and led the team in tackles with a total of 121, 71 solos and 50 assists.

Weatherspoon was also picked for the 12th annual Associated Press All- Big 12 Team.

The Missouri Tigers dominated the Associated Press selections, with eight players on the first team.

Votes were cast by 20 sports writers who regularly cover the Big 12 for newspapers throughout the league's seven states.

In addition, coaches in the Big 12 Conference picked him for the second team.

Last year, he was one of four true freshmen to see action and was voted Special Teams Player of the Year.

Newsboy file photo DURING HIS JASPER DAYS, Sean Weatherspoon was a standout on both sides of the ball. Pictured above, Weatherspoon hauls in a pass in front of Newton defender Toddrick Pendland in the 2005 Newton-Jasper clash.

The University of Missouri football team attracted national attention when they led the Big 12 Conference regular season 7-1.

They drew exceptionally high television ratings when they defeated the University of Kansas Jayhawks at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City and again when they were defeated by the University of Oklahoma Big 12 Championship game at the Alamodome in San Antonio.

Missouri is ranked number six in the Bowl Championship Series and will play the University of Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl on New Years Day.

Weatherspoon is the son of Develous and Elwanda Weatherspoon of Jasper.

In high school, he was named the 2005 Player of the Year in District 22-3A where he totaled 98 tackles.

He was also a versatile athlete who competed in three sports: football, basketball and track.