Cameron Sturgell, a linebacker on Missouri S&T’s football team, aims to be explosive when he’s on the field.

But Sturgell’s passion for explosions goes beyond when he’s wearing his Miners jersey. As a mining engineering student with a minor in explosives engineering, he regularly has big booms on his mind — both literally and figuratively.

“It’s interesting to think about the parallels between my life on the football field and in the classroom,” says the third-year student from Lamar, Missouri. “I spend hours in the weight room and watching film so I can burst into the backfield and make a hard hit on defense. Then, when I’m detonating a real explosion, it also takes careful preparation and precise detail. Both sides of my life can give me the same adrenaline rush.”

Sturgell, who stands 6-foot-2, weighs 210 pounds and carries a 3.95 GPA, says his leadership style stays consistent whether he’s guiding a defense or a group project.

“My approach doesn’t really change,” he says. “In football, I work hard to know the game plan and make the calls so everyone’s in the right spot. I put in the time to be as prepared as possible and put my teammates in a position to succeed.

“It’s basically the same in the classroom. I do my homework, keep myself and my groups organized and set the example so the whole group can succeed.”

So far at S&T, that approach has worked well for him. In 2023, he was a redshirt first-year student and didn’t have any on-field awards, but he did qualify for the Great Lakes Valley Conference All-Academic Team (GLVC) and was a GLVC Brother James Gaffney Distinguished Scholar.

Last year, he earned honorable mention All-GLVC honors for his work on the football field, as well as academic all-conference and all-district honors.

For the current 2025 football campaign, Sturgell says his goal is clear.

“We’ve got the pieces to make a real run at a conference championship,” he says. “If we stay healthy and keep putting in the work, we can get there.”

And he’s just as ambitious about his education.

Sturgell plans to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in mining engineering next year and then use his final season of athletic eligibility to begin a master’s degree in explosives engineering at S&T.

After that, he envisions going pro — as an explosives engineer.

“One of my passions has always been pyrotechnics, and it would be amazing to design shows for major sporting events or concerts,” he says. “And I’m confident my time at Missouri S&T will help me succeed in that or any other path I pursue after graduation.”

To learn more about Missouri S&T’s mining and explosives engineering programs, visit mee.mst.edu.

About Missouri S&T

Missouri University of Science and Technology is a STEM-focused research university of over 7,000 students located in Rolla, Missouri. Part of the four-campus University of Missouri System, Missouri S&T offers over 100 degrees in 40 areas of study and is among the nation’s top public universities for salary impact, according to The Wall Street Journal. For more information about Missouri S&T, visit www.mst.edu.