Has averaged 22 yards per pass reception for the last two seasons (right at
the school career record set by Mel Gray from 1968-70) and scored six
touchdowns ... with 1,029 career receiving yards he needs just 117 yards to
crack the MU top-10 ... has had four 100-yard games - three off the school
record held by Victor Bailey ... was a running back and sprint star in high
school - skills that enhance his ability to run upfield after the catch ...
is dangerous running the reverse, too, or taking quick laterals behind the
line ... has 4.41 speed for 40 yards, exceeded among the receiving corps by
only the 4.39s of John Dausman and Travis Garvin ... has caught at least one
pass in 22 consecutive games - three off the school record held by all-time
Mizzou receiving leader Kenny Holly.
1998 - Opened the season with a four-catch, 121-yard effort vs. Bowling
Green that included a 62-yard TD snare for Mizzou's first points of '98 ...
it was also the longest play of his big-play career ... caught four balls
for 87 yards against Colorado ... was an honorable mention Academic All-Big
12 selection and a member of the Missouri Champions Club ... shared
offensive "player of the week" honors with the offensive line in Bowling
Green win ... second-team all-Big 12 as a sophomore.
1997 - Started the season as a second-teamer, but played his way into the
starting lineup against Iowa State and was there the rest of the season,
producing one big play after another ... was named second-team all-Big 12 by
the Kansas City Star ... MU's second-leading receiver with 21 catches and
led the conference in yards per catch - 25.4 ... scored four touchdowns, the
longest a 56-yard bomb against Iowa State ... had three 100-yard receiving
games (3-115 vs. Iowa State, 4-103 vs. Texas, 4-119 vs. Colorado), the most
by a Tiger since Victor Bailey had a school-record five in 1992 ... also
rushed four time on reverses for 63 yards.
1996 - Missed the first five games while rehabbing a bad shoulder ... played
in the final six games but did not catch a pass.
1995 - Redshirt year ... came to MU as a running back, but recovery from a
high school back injury limited his ability to have contact so was moved to
receiver ... got his first chance to shine in spring, when he had one
standout scrimmage after another and claimed a starting wideout position,
only to suffer a shoulder injury that required summer surgery.
HIGH SCHOOL - Played only four plays as a senior before suffering a
season-ending back injury ... averaged 9.2 yards per carry as a junior, and
led his team in tackles (49) and interceptions (4) ... all-conference on
offense and defense, and was a first-team all-district and second-team
all-metro DB ... led team in tackles as a sophomore ... all-state in track
and in '95 finished third in the state meet in the 100-meters despite
running with a cast on his arm ... 8th in the 100-meters (10.7) as a junior
and ran on 4x100 relay team that finished second ... also considered
Vanderbilt, Ohio State, Illinois and Iowa.
PERSONAL - National Honor Society student majoring in consumer and family
economics ... high school coach - Mike Wade ... parents - James and Judy
Layman ... father is a hospital chaplain and mother is Kirkwood HS secretary
... gave a moving speech during last year's Insight.com Bowl festivities as
Mizzou's representative at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Breakfast
... born July 6, 1976, in North Kansas City, Mo.
