‘Adversity’: WR Logan Muckey Shares His Journey To Captaincy

On Saturday, Mizzou coach Eli Drinkwitz announced his nine captains ahead of the 2025 season. Cayden Green, Connor Tollison, Sam Horn and Beau Pribula earned the spots on the offensive side of the ball while Jalen Catalon, Zion Young, Khalil Jacobs and Daylan Carnell earned the roles on the defensive side of the ball. That left one special teams captain: Logan Muckey.

When Muckey was asked what the captain position meant to him, he didn’t shy away.

“It is definitely the greatest honor of my life,” Muckey said.

After walking onto the Missouri football team, Muckey knew it would be hard to maintain a role on the team, but he wasn’t ready to back down.

“You know, it’s an uphill battle,” Muckey said. “But the guys here make that battle like fight that battle with you. I’m not walking alone.”

In April, Muckey was diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer.

“It was a shocker,” Muckey said. “Being 22 years old, that’s not something you want to hear about yourself.”

Drinkwitz was the one that broke the news to his teammates, and they flooded the former walk-on with support. Muckey said he never felt more comfortable with his teammates than he did during this entire process.

Muckey went to high school with his co-captain Green, and the offensive lineman said Muckey’s energetic persona never left, even during the process.

“If Drink wouldn’t of told us, you wouldn’t even know, like, Muckey is the same person every day,” Green said. “We voted him captain for a reason. He’s a guy that people look up to. He’s really an influence on this team.”

In May, Muckey had surgery to get the mass removed at Ellis Fischel Cancer Research Center in Columbia.

“I was very fortunate to have the people around me that I did,” Muckey said. “I had amazing people here, I had amazing people at Ellis Fischel Cancer Research Center. Everyone who was with me was with me every step of the way.”

Ever since Muckey’s surgery, he’s been 100% cancer free.

“It built my character up,” the Lee’s Summit North product said. “I learned a lot of lessons in life.”

Now, just three months later, Muckey is ready to captain the special teams group at Mizzou; and there’s nobody more fit for the job.

“Adversity,” Jacobs said. “When life strikes you, you got to strike back with toughness and grit. (Muckey) being able to go through everything he’s been through, man, you can do whatever you put your mind to.”