In September, multiple reports surfaced that former Missouri football player Clayton Echard would serve as the nextlead of ABC reality show "The Bachelor."
It's now as official as it can be, with ABC making the announcement Nov. 30.
Echard's quest for love will commence Jan. 3.
"The Bachelor" is one of the national network'slongest-running series, with Echard serving as male lead No. 26 in franchise history. There have also been 18 female leads on the show's spinoff"The Bachelorette."
The recently completedfall season of "The Bachelorette" featured Echard, as he wasone of the suitors for Michelle Young.
More:Former University of Missouri football player Clayton Echard is the next star of 'The Bachelor,' reports say
Here arefive things you should know about the former Tiger who will soon hand out roses to prospective girlfriends:
Echard had an NFL tryout with the Seattle Seahawks
The Eureka, Missouri, native's football career didn't end in Columbia. After going undrafted in 2016, he signed a free-agent contract with the Seahawks.
According to his LinkedIn page, Echard beat out four other tight ends on a tryout basis to earn a spot at training camp.
He played in all four of Seattle's 2016 preseason games andmade it past the first round of cuts.
As NFL teams shaved down rosters to 53 active players, Echard was cut.
"Itwas a unique experience that I was blessed to be a part of," Echard writes on LinkedIn.
Echard's LinkedIn says he works as a medical sales associate
According to Echard's LinkedIn page, he's worked in sales for medical device companyStrykersince July 2016.
His first 18 months with the company were based in St. Louis, but he has been based in the Columbia area since January 2018.
Echard's responsibilities include sales in "joint reconstructive and trauma" areas, per his LinkedIn.
Stryker, based in Kalamazoo, Michigan,is "one of the world’s leading medical technology companies and, together with its customers, is driven to make health care better. The company offers innovative products and services in orthopedics, medical and surgical, and neurotechnology and spine that help improve patient and hospital outcomes," according to its website.
Here's how Echard did as a Mizzou football player
The tight end was on Missouri's football team from 2011-15, but mostly saw the field in the 2014 and 2015 seasons, Gary Pinkel's last two guiding the program.
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Echard was a program veteran before making his Missouri debut in 2013 for one game.
In 2014, he played in all 14 games on special teams, with rare appearances onboth sides of the ball before settling at tight end.
According to the Missouri athletics website, Echard was a"valuable part of the offense’s short-yardage packages."
He finished with four tackles (3 solo, 1 assist) in his time on special teams and defense.
In 2015, Echard played at solely tight end for Missouri, earning one start. He caught apair of passes, coming in consecutivegames againstSouth Carolina and Florida.
Echard was on 'The Bachelorette' in 2021 season
His first appearance on the ABC show wasn't as thelead, but vying for Young's heart.
Her season didn't premiere until Oct. 19 —making Echard the first "Bachelorette" suitor to be revealed as the "Bachelor"lead before his first appearance on the franchise.
Before "The Bachelorette" was launched, no "Bachelor" lead had ever appeared for the franchise before. The previous male lead, Matt James, was the first since the early days of the show to never appear as a prior contestant.
James was slated to be a suitor for former female lead Clare Crawley, but ABC selected him as the next male lead before that season beganand he never appeared as a suitor.
Filmcrews were spotted earlier in September shooting a video of Echard, believed to be a promo for the next "Bachelor" season.
Catch up on last season:'The Bachelorette' finale recap: Katie gets engaged in the aftermath of losing two frontrunners
Echard's Instagram shows strong bonds with friends, family
There isn't much to learn about Echard from his social media pages, other than when he does post about his life, he's rarely alone in photos.
Echard has posted dozens of photos of himself with his family, friends or at events representing Stryker.
Since Echard's name surfaced as the next Bachelor, his social media following has skyrocketed.
Before the news of his casting broke, Echard had a little more than 1,000 followers on Instagram. By the next morning, he was just shy of 15,000.
Contact Eric Blum at eblum@columbiatribune.com. Follow @ByEricBlum on Twitter.
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