It was the tweet that sent shockwaves across the nation – Mizzou football players on strike.
Now, two lawmakers are drawing up a game plan to stop it from happening again.
"It makes me feel like someone is overstepping their boundaries. This is not their arena,” commented Martin Rucker, former Mizzou tight end and All-American.
House Bill 1743 is not sitting well with Rucker.
“You are required to do so many other things, other than be a football player. And so, this is one of those things that is your option to be outside of football. This is your voice, this is something you are allowed to do in the United States of America,” Rucker said.
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The proposed Missouri law would force athletes to choose.
The bill reads in part:
“Notwithstanding any other provision of law, any college athlete who calls, incites, supports, or participates in any strike or concerted refusal to play a scheduled game shall have his or her scholarship revoked.”
It also adds that any member of the coaching staff who allows an athlete to strike will be fined.
Rep. Rick Brattin sponsored the bill. He said he thinks it’s ridiculous the way the Mizzou football players acted.
His pre-filing was a direct response to the strike in November.
However, not all lawmakers are on board.
Rep. Jeremy LaFaver doesn’t believe his colleagues who sponsored the bill should try to interfere with college athletics.
"University athletics systems are operated on the revenue they generate and that’s how those scholarships are funded. And so there would be no ability for a legislator, or the legislature, to revoke a scholarship from a university athlete, particularly just for practicing their first amendment rights,” he said.
Rucker continues to stand by the Tigers.
"Whether or not the cause was right or wrong, you know to me, with this issue just being about these guys taking a step for what they believe in, that was awesome. I was really proud of them," said Rucker.
HB 1743 was sponsored by Rep. Rick Brattin and Rep. Kurt Bahr. Neither returned our requests for a comment.
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Lexi Sutter can be reached at alexandra.sutter@kshb.com.