Drew Lock walked off the Frank Broyles field in Fayetteville, Arkansas, with his head down. It was Nov. 27, 2015, and the Tigers had just lost to Arkansas 28-3, giving the team a final record of 5-7. Lock had struggled at quarterback, completing only nine passes for 83 yards.

The weather was cold, rainy and unpleasant as the defeated quarterback made the slow trek to the Missouri sideline. He looked into the stands. Most of the crowd had left, but Lock spotted his father.

It was the low point of his year.

“I knew that [my father] had been fighting through the season with me as well, and I just didn’t want to ever see that happen to him again,” Lock said. “It was more motivation for me to not see that out of him than the pain of losing.”

Lock credits his father with teaching him perseverance.

“There’s always going to be the next day, and it’s how you attack that one,” Lock said.

Fortunately for the sophomore quarterback, Sept. 3 marks a new day for Missouri football. The Tigers will travel to Morgantown to take on West Virginia, and Lock will be starting.

The Lee’s Summit native has bulked up — sophomore offensive lineman Paul Adams estimates that Lock put on 25 pounds since last season — and he has studied film in the offseason. Offensive coordinator Josh Heupel said Lock did not know much about reading defenses in 2015, but he has adjusted for the 2016 season.

“He has a great understanding of protections, he understands what we’re doing offensively, and when you put all that together you’re a lot more decisive with the football, you’re able to put your body in the right position so you can be a lot more accurate with the football as well,” Heupel said.

Fellow quarterback Marvin Zanders agrees this could help Lock in the upcoming season.

“Just understanding what defenses do and how they have to line up, it’s night and day compared to what we used to know,” Zanders said. “That just helps a tremendous amount.”

During the offseason, Lock made improving his footwork a priority. He feels that if his lower half is fine-tuned, his upper body will follow.

“That started with 1,000 reps in the winter just making one step … just making sure everything is perfect with my feet before anything else,” he said.

It is yet to be seen if Lock’s hard work will pay off. Expectations are high, but doubts still remain. He completed only 49 percent of his passes as a freshman, throwing eight interceptions and only four touchdown passes.

Teammates and coaches, however, stress Lock’s growth. Along with physical improvements, they say he has emerged as a team leader.

“Vocally, In the locker room, breaking the huddle down … he’s taken control of this team, and he’s going to be the guy we lean on,” sophomore offensive lineman Kevin Pendleton said. “We’re excited to have his back, and we know as long as we keep him upright, he’s going to make plays for us.”

Lock said his shaky 2015 season helped him emerge as a leader. Now, he says, people know he has made it through rough experiences.

“Everyone knows now that I’m going to fight through it all when I need to,” he said.

The sophomore is still looking to fix some elements of his game. He has been working on his front arm, and it’s something he wants to pay attention to going forward.

Coach Barry Odom says Lock has taken ownership of the quarterback position. He has a presence in the pocket, and he is more confident than he was a year ago.

Adams agrees, saying Lock’s confidence “is going through the roof right now.”

“He’s transformed himself into the quarterback that he is right now,” he said, “and it’s going to surprise some people.”

_Edited by George Roberson | groberson@themaneater.com_