Former University of Missouri Football Coach Gary Pinkel was honored Wednesday at the Missouri State Capitol.

With former players and colleagues watching, lawmakers in both chambers paid tribute to the former coach with formal resolutions recognized much more than Pinkel's accomplishments on the gridiron.

Pinkel is the winningest coach in Mizzou Football history.

The time that Saline County State Rep. Kurtis Gregory was a star defensive tackle for Pinkel included the 2008 Cotton Bowl win.

Gregory's resolution to honor Pinkel highlighted the many wins and the multiple halls of fame of which Pinkel is a member, including the College Football Hall of Fame in 2022.

Gregory did not let it go unnoticed that Pinkel was committed to turning young men into successes off the field, with a 95% graduation rate.

Other lawmakers took the accolades to another level. They talked about Pinkel's impact on university enrollment and the dollars that higher game attendance was brought to the local economy.

"In 2006 through 2009, the heyday of the Pinkel years, applications at the University of Missouri went up 25%," said Liberty Rep. Mark Ellebracht.

Rep. David Smith grew up in Columbia and said Pinkel's success changed the way residents felt about themselves. "It was incredible, I mean, just the faces of everyday people on the streets, not only sports fans, but everywhere we went," said Smith.

When asked about the honors, Pinkel replied, "Well, I just think winning a high level just accelerates growth around everything. So, I felt good about that, obviously. I felt good about graduating our players at a very high level. And I always felt we did the right things to help young men become better men."

Pinkel's move toward retirement got a push in November of 2015. Racial unrest on the Mizzou campus prompted his team to announce a decision to boycott the last game of the year.

The boycott did not happen, but most regard Pinkel's expressed support for the team's decision to be a turning point.

While the Tigers have yet to return to Pinkel's level of on-the-field success, the former coach says he has resisted any urge to offer unsolicited advice, either to his successor and protege, Barry Odom or to current coach Eli Drinkwitz.