Faces

Calling Zach Foerstel a fan doesn’t quite cover it. His tattoo, license plate, nickname and hobbies all reflect one thing: his passion for MU.

“I think the first game I remember seeing on TV was (Scott) Frost’s freak (touchdown) sending Mizzou and Nebraska to (overtime) in 1997,” he said.

Anyone who’s half the fan Foerstel is remembers the “kicked ball” incident, which led to Missouri’s defeat. Despite the extraordinary disappointment of that game, Foerstel knew he wanted to attend MU.

“The school had an unbelievable sports tradition,” he said.

When he arrived at MU, Foerstel immediately looked for ways to get involved. He joined Tiger’s Lair, the all-student football cheering section. Now a senior, Foerstel has taken on additional responsibility as the group’s coordinator.

“I knew I stood out among the most spirited people in the section, and I wanted to become involved as much as possible,” Foerstel said.

He’s known by most people as “Zou Zac,” he said. It started out as his license plate and then became his nickname at KMIZ/Channel 17, where he works.

“Everyone there refers to me as Zou Zac, and I mean everyone,” he said.

Not a big surprise, considering Foerstel decided to go a step further and make his allegiance permanent. In May 2003, on the last day of finals, he got the block “M” logo tattooed on his shoulder.

“My family wasn’t too excited when they found out,” he said. “But hey — I still think it was $60 well spent.”

— Kate Germain