Nov. 5, 2025
Photo courtesy Morgan Williams, BJ '24
When the University of Missouri’s cheer squad was looking for a way to spotlight Truman the Tiger’s tradition of doing pushups after each touchdown, they turned to students in the College of Engineering for help.
The solution: Raise Truman — literally — from his previous position in the end zone and bring him closer to cheering fans.
“We wanted a platform that would be sturdy, durable and really showcase Truman as the face of Mizzou,” Cynthia Metz, head cheerleading coach and mascot coordinator. said. “We needed some professionals to help make this a reality.”
Metz reached out to Mizzou engineering and its racing team, which quickly went to work. Ben Higgins, a senior and chief mechanical engineer for the team, led the design on the same software the team uses to design, validate and simulate parts on its race car.
The platform needed to be strong but light — four to six people would hoist it and Truman to shoulder height — so the engineers chose aluminum, welding together spars from a local supplier.
The results of the cross-campus collaboration are now proudly on display each time the Tigers score on Faurot Field.
“Mizzou Engineering students were the natural choice for the kind of smart, innovative solution we needed,” Metz said. “They brought our vision to life.”
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