COLUMBIA, Mo. — Toriano’s pride.
What drives Toriano Pride Jr., the Mizzou cornerback from the ºüÀêÊÓƵ area? What does Pride take pride in?
Mother knows best.
“For one, he does take pride in being a physical, defensive player — he loves that,†Shasheen Pride said Saturday, the day of Mizzou’s game against Buffalo. “Loves that, which is very interesting to me. He loves the physicality of being a defensive player.â€
All football players love playing football to a certain extent. But the elite players, they invest in the sport with their heart and soul, mind and body. They’re all in — intensely, overwhelmingly and unwaveringly.
“I like to talk trash, I just like to swarm around the ball,†said Pride, who previously played cornerback at Clemson and made his first career pick-six in Mizzou’s first game this season. “Play defensive football. (On game day), you’re just going get the real me. I don’t really know how to explain it.â€
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That is fascinating. Because who is the real Toriano? Sure seems like there are many sides to Pride, a fascinating person and key player in the Mizzou defense.
He describes himself as “playful.†And his mother described Pride’s pride for physical football, but then also explained: “He’s a quiet kid, if you will. I’m sure he’s a little different with his friends, but his overall personality is kind of a quiet personality. But I enjoy watching him play football, because he becomes, like, a different person. Seeing the confidence and seeing him play at the level that he plays at is just exciting for me. One, personally, because I’m his mom, and I know this is something he’s been doing since he started playing football going into the first grade.
“So it’s just exciting to watch him do something that he enjoys so much, and he loves so much. And then, just seeing the switch of the personality on the field is really cool.â€
When the switch is turned, we’re talking about a brilliant ballhawk, a young man who helped Lutheran North High School win a state title in 2019, previously played for Vianney and, finally, at East ºüÀêÊÓƵ High, from which he was the No. 39 overall recruit in the United States.
“When he was being recruited, Mizzou was very high on our list,†his mother said. “And when he was winding down to his final schools, Mizzou was always on there. Of course, his dad and I, secretively, we wanted him to go to Mizzou because it’s home, and we have such a big family that supports him. But we also wanted to give him the opportunity to make his own decision. And he really wanted the experience of getting away.
“So we wanted to support him in that, and we did. We traveled every weekend for two football seasons straight. But when he told us that he was coming back home, we were secretively, like, yessssssss.â€
Pride is home. And feels at home in the Mizzou secondary. He honestly admitted that “I didn’t come here for them,†in regards to now-NFL cornerbacks Ennis Rakestraw Jr. and Kris Abrams-Draine. “I’m happy for them. They balling out in the league. … But stuff like that, I don’t care less. It came before me.â€
He came to Mizzou to be himself, because he takes, well, pride in himself. And, man, we sure saw it in the first game against Murray State. The cornerback swarmed the ball, instinctively, and made his jaw-dropping interception.
With 9:41 left in the first quarter, just after Mizzou had scored on offense, the Tigers scored on defense. Pride read the play perfectly and cut in front of the receiver to snatch the pass.
“I knew it was a touchdown if I caught it,†Pride said. “I was just worried about staying on my feet.â€
No. 2 in black blazed down the left sideline unfettered. It was 21-0, still in the first quarter.
Pride pointed out that playing against Southeastern Conference studs during August camp prepared him for September.
“I feel that it all starts out and practice,†Pride said. “Like, I’m going against Luther (Burden III), Theo (Wease Jr.), all the other receivers so, like, I have no choice but to play fast. And I’m 100% positive I’m not playing anybody on my schedule better than our receiver corps. So, really, just practice, going against the best ... so I can make those type of plays in the game.â€
So, Pride’s mother described what her son took pride in from a sports standpoint. But what about off the field? Another glimpse into another side of Toriano Pride.
“On a personal level, I think he takes a lot of pride in doing the right thing,†Shasheen said. “And I’m not just saying that because he’s my kid. I’m really proud to see him, as he’s navigating becoming a young man. He kind of takes the emotion out and he does the right thing.
“And he’s very thoughtful about the decisions that he makes or the position that he takes, being his friendship groups or relationships. I really think he takes a lot of pride. And he’s very resolute in who he is, so he’s very sound in who Toriano is, and the decisions that he makes.â€