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Texas A&M Aggies football

 
Wikipedia: Texas A&M Aggies football
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Texas A&M Aggies
Current season Current season
Texas A&M University aTm logo.svg TexasAMUHelmet.png
First season 1894
Athletic director Bill Byrne
Head coach Mike Sherman
2nd year, 10–14
Other staff Nolan Cromwell (OC)
Joe Kines (DC)
Home stadium Kyle Field
Stadium capacity 83,002
Stadium surface Natural Grass
Location College Station, Texas
Conference Big 12
Division South
All-time record 665–439–48 (0.602)
Postseason bowl record 13–17–0
Claimed national titles 1
Conference titles 19
Heisman winners 1
Consensus All-Americans 20[1]
Current uniform
Big12-Uniform-TXAM.PNG
Colors Maroon and White            
Fight song Aggie War Hymn
Mascot Reveille
Marching band Fightin' Texas Aggie Band
Outfitter Adidas
Rivals Texas Longhorns
Arkansas Razorbacks
Baylor Bears
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Website AggieAthletics.com

The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in Division I FBS college football. The Aggies have competed in the South Division of Big 12 Conference since the conference's inception in 1996. Texas A&M football has earned one national title and 19 conference titles since becoming a charter member in the Southwest Conference in 1915. The team plays all home games at Kyle Field, an 83,002-person capacity outdoor stadium on the university campus. Mike Sherman, a former NFL coach who had been the Offensive Line Coach at A&M from 1983-93 and 1995-96, currently coaches the team.

Contents

History

See also: Texas A&M Aggies football seasons

Conference affiliations

Championships

National championships

Texas A&M has earned one wire national title, voted #1 by the AP Poll after the 1939 season. Southern California also claims this title through the Dickinson System;[2] however, USC finished #3 in the final AP Poll.[3] While 1939 is the only national title that Texas A&M recognizes, retroactive polls have awarded Texas A&M national titles in 1917, 1919, and 1927. The 1917 team finished 8-0-0 and unscored upon, earning a retroactive national title by 1st-N-Goal and James Howell.[4] The 1919 team finished 10-0-0 and unscored upon, earning a retroactive national title by ten selectors, including the Billingsley Report and National Championship Foundation.[5]. The 1927 team finished 8-0-1, with a tie against TCU in Fort Worth, Texas, earning a retroactive national title by the Sagarin Rating and the Sagarin ELO-Chess.[6]

Recognized national titles

Year Overall Record Conference Record Coach Notable Selectors
1939 11-0-0 6-0-0 Homer H. Norton AP, College Football Researchers Association,
Helms Foundation, National Championship Foundation
Other national titles

Year Overall Record Conference Record Coach Notable Selectors
1917 8-0-0 2-0-0 Dana X. Bible 1st-N-Goal, James Howell
1919 10-0-0 4-0-0 Dana X. Bible National Championship Foundation, Billingsley Report
1927 8-0-1 5-0-1 Dana X. Bible Sagarin Rating, Sagarin ELO-Chess

Conference championships

The Aggies have won 18 conference championships; the first 17 were Southwest Conference championships, and the most recent one was the Big 12 Championship won in 1998. 2 of the 17 SWC championships are shared.

Championship years displayed at Kyle Field
Former head coach R.C. Slocum gives a gig 'em with his Big 12 Championship ring.

Year Overall Record Conference Record Coach Conference
1917 8-0-0 2-0-0 Dana X. Bible Southwest Conference
1919 10-0-0 4-0-0 Dana X. Bible Southwest Conference
1921 6-1-2 3-0-2 Dana X. Bible Southwest Conference
1925 7-1-1 4-1-0 Dana X. Bible Southwest Conference
1927 8-0-1 4-0-1 Dana X. Bible Southwest Conference
1939 11-0-0 6-0-0 Homer H. Norton Southwest Conference
1940† 9-1-0 5-1-0 Homer Norton Southwest Conference
1941 9-2-0 5-1-0 Homer Norton Southwest Conference
1956 9-0-1 6-0-0 Bear Bryant Southwest Conference
1967 7-4-1 6-1-0 Gene Stallings Southwest Conference
1975† 10-2-0 6-2-0 Emory Bellard Southwest Conference
1985 10-2-0 7-1-0 Jackie Sherrill Southwest Conference
1986 9-3-0 7-1-0 Jackie Sherrill Southwest Conference
1987 10-2-0 7-1-0 Jackie Sherrill Southwest Conference
1991 10-2-0 8-0-0 R. C. Slocum Southwest Conference
1992 12-1-0 7-0-0 R. C. Slocum Southwest Conference
1993 10-2-0 7-0-0 R. C. Slocum Southwest Conference
1998 11-3-0 7-1-0 R. C. Slocum Big 12 Conference

† Denotes shared championship.

Divisional championships

Year Overall Record Conference Record Coach
1997 9-4-0 6-2-0 R. C. Slocum
1998 11-3-0 7-1-0 R. C. Slocum

Bowl history

Date Played Bowl game Winning team Losing team
January 2, 1922 Dixie Classic Texas A&M 22 Centre 14
January 1, 1940 Sugar Bowl (1) Texas A&M 14 (4) Tulane 13
January 1, 1941 Cotton Bowl Classic (6) Texas A&M 13 (12) Fordham 12
January 1, 1942 Cotton Bowl Classic (20) Alabama 29 (9) Texas A&M 21
January 1, 1943 Orange Bowl LSU 19 Texas A&M 14
December 8, 1950 Presidential Cup Bowl Texas A&M 40 Georgia 20
December 28, 1957 Gator Bowl (13) Tennessee 3 (9) Texas A&M 0
January 1, 1968 Cotton Bowl Classic Texas A&M 20 (8) Alabama 16
December 22, 1975 Liberty Bowl (20) Southern California 20 (6) Texas A&M 0
January 2, 1977 Sun Bowl (10) Texas A&M 37 (20) Florida 14
December 31, 1977 Bluebonnet Bowl (20) Southern California 47 (17) Texas A&M 28
December 20, 1978 Hall of Fame Bowl Texas A&M 28 (19) Iowa State 12
December 12, 1981 Independence Bowl Texas A&M 33 Oklahoma State 16
January 1, 1986 Cotton Bowl Classic (11) Texas A&M 36 (16) Auburn 16
January 1, 1987 Cotton Bowl Classic (13) Ohio State 28 (8) Texas A&M 12
January 1, 1988 Cotton Bowl Classic (13) Texas A&M 35 (12) Notre Dame 10
December 30, 1989 John Hancock Bowl (23) Pittsburgh 31 (16) Texas A&M 28
December 29, 1990 Holiday Bowl Texas A&M 65 (9) BYU 14
January 1, 1992 Cotton Bowl Classic (5) Florida State 10 (9) Texas A&M 2
January 1, 1993 Cotton Bowl Classic (5) Notre Dame 28 (3) Texas A&M 3
January 1, 1994 Cotton Bowl Classic (4) Notre Dame 24 (6) Texas A&M 21
December 29, 1995 Alamo Bowl (19) Texas A&M 22 (14) Michigan 20
January 1, 1998 Cotton Bowl Classic (5) UCLA 29 (19) Texas A&M 23
January 1, 1999 Sugar Bowl (3) Ohio State 24 (8) Texas A&M 14
December 28, 1999 Alamo Bowl (13) Penn State 24 (18) Texas A&M 0
December 31, 2000 Independence Bowl Mississippi State 43 Texas A&M 41 (OT)
December 28, 2001 Galleryfurniture.com Bowl Texas A&M 28 TCU 9
January 1, 2005 Cotton Bowl Classic (15) Tennessee 38 (22) Texas A&M 7
December 28, 2006 Holiday Bowl (20) Cal 45 (21) Texas A&M 10
December 29, 2007 Alamo Bowl Penn State 24 Texas A&M 17
Totals 30 Bowl Games 13-17 Record

Top 25 poll finishes

The Aggies have finished in the final season rankings of the AP Poll and Coaches Poll 23 times. The AP Poll first appeared in 1934, and has been published continuously since 1936. The Coaches Poll began its ranking with 20 teams in 1950–51 season, but expanded to 25 teams beginning in the 1990–91 season.[7]

Year AP Rank Coaches Rank
1939 1 N/A
1940 6 N/A
1941 9 N/A
1955 17 14
1956 5 5
1957 9 10
1974 16 15
1975 11 12
1976 7 8
1978 19 18
1985 6 7
1986 13 12
1987 10 9
1989 20 N/A
1990 15 13
1991 12 13
1992 7 6
1993 9 8
1994 8 N/A
1995 15 15
1997 20 21
1998 11 13
1999 23 20

Additional notes

  • The 1917 Aggies finished the season 8-0-0. The Aggies outscored their opponents 270-0, undefeated, untied, and unscored upon.
  • The 1919 Aggies finished the season 10-0-0. The Aggies were also undefeated, untied, and unscored upon.
  • The 1921 game between the University of Texas and the Aggies was the first ever live, play-by-play broadcast of a college football game.[8] Play-by-play was relayed by telegraph to a local "ham" radio station.
Football at Texas A&M prior to the construction of Kyle Field
The Aggies play home games at the 83,002-capacity Kyle Field

Rivalries

See also: List of NCAA college football rivalry games

Active Rivalries

Texas Longhorns

Main article: Lone Star Showdown
2006 Lone Star Showdown football game

The Texas-Texas A&M rivalry dates back to 1894. It is the longest-running rivalry for both teams and is also the third most-played rivalry in Division I-A college football.[9] The two teams have played each other every year since 1894 with the exception of six seasons [1895 (when the Aggies did not field a team), 1896, 1897, 1912, 1913, and 1914]. During some seasons, the Aggies and Longhorns played each other twice.

In an attempt to generate more attention for the rivalry in sports other than football, in 2004 the two schools started the Lone Star Showdown,[10] a trial two-year program. Essentially, each time the two schools meet in a sport, the winner of the matchup gets a point. At the end of the year, the school with the most points wins the series and receives the Lone Star Showdown trophy.

Aspects of the rivalry include:

  • Each school mentions the other in its fight song (Texas with "and it's goodbye to A&M" in Texas Fight,[11] and the Aggies singing about Texas for essentially the entire second verse of the Aggie War Hymn).[12]
  • The football series between the two universities is the third longest running rivalry in all of college football.[13] Since 1900, the last regular season football game is usually reserved for their matchup.[14]
  • Each school has elaborate pre-game preparations for the annual football clash, including the Aggie Bonfire[15] and the Hex Rally.[16]
  • Texas has a unique lighting scheme for the UT Tower after wins over Texas A&M.[17]
  • In the past, mischief has preceded the annual game, such as the "kidnapping" of Bevo.[18][19]

Though the Longhorns lead the series overall, the series has been much closer since 1965 (when Texas A&M dropped compulsory participation in the Corps of Cadets). Since that time, the Aggies have accumulated 19 wins to 26 losses. During the last 36 meetings (from 1972 to the present), the series is even at 18-18. The Aggies best years in recent times were from 1984 to 1994 when the Aggies won 10 out of 11 games.

Over the life of the series, the Aggies have shut out the Longhorns 10 times, and have been shut out 25 times. In addition, both teams played to scoreless ties in 1902, 1907, and 1921. However, since 1961, neither team has been shut out. The Aggies have faced the Longhorns 24 times since 1972 when the Longhorns were ranked in the top 25 teams in the nation; the Aggies have won 7 of those games [1975 (#5), 1979 (#6), 1984 (#13), 1985 (#18), 1999 (#5), 2006 (#10), and 2007 (#11)].

Texas A&M-Texas: All-Time Record
Games played First meeting Last meeting A&M wins A&M losses Ties Win %
116 1894 (lost 38–0) November 26, 2009 (lost 49–39) 36 75 5 31.0%

Baylor Bears

Main article: Battle of the Brazos

The Aggies first played the Baylor Bears in 1899, and have competed with them annually since 1945.[20] The rivalry is nicknamed the Battle of the Brazos, a term coined after the Brazos River, which flows by the two schools. The two schools are only 90 miles (145 km) apart. A&M leads the series 66–31–9.[21]

Texas A&M-Baylor: All-Time Record
Games played First meeting Last meeting A&M wins A&M losses Ties Win %
106 1899 (won 33–0) November 21, 2009 (won 38-3) 66 31 9 62.3%

Texas Tech Red Raiders

A&M first played Tech in 1927. The Aggies lead all-time 35-32-1, but trail 4-10 since the inception of the Big 12.[22]

Texas A&M-Texas Tech: All-Time Record
Games played First meeting Last meeting A&M wins A&M losses Ties Win %
68 November 28, 1927 (won 47–6) October 24, 2009 (won 52–30) 35 32 1 51.5%

Arkansas Razorbacks

Main article: Arkansas–Texas A&M rivalry

The Aggies first played the Arkansas Razorbacks in 1903. From 1934–1991, the two teams had played annually as Southwest Conference members. In 1991, however, Arkansas left the conference to join the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas leads all-time 39–24–3. On March 10, 2008, officials from both schools announced the revival of the series, which recommenced on October 3, 2009. The game is played at Cowboys Stadium, which was initially expected to hold about 80,000 fans. The initial agreement between the two schools allows the game to be played for at least 10 years, followed by 5 consecutive, 4-year rollover options, allowing the game to be played for a total of 30 consecutive seasons.[23][24][25]

Texas A&M-Arkansas: All-Time Record
Games played First meeting Last meeting A&M wins A&M losses Ties Win %
66 1903 (won 6–0) October 3, 2009 (lost 19–47) 24 39 3 36.4%

Inactive Rivalries

Texas Christian Horned Frogs

The Texas A&M/Texas Christian rivalry began in 1897 and is the Aggies' third-oldest collegiate-football rivalry (behind the Texas A&M/Texas rivalry which began in 1894, and the Texas A&M/Austin College rivalry which began in 1896). The Aggies have accumulated 56 wins against the Horned Frogs (which is their second-highest total against any collegiate program, behind the 65 wins they have accumulated against the Baylor Bears). Though the Aggies no longer play the Horned Frogs annually since the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1996, this series is still notable because it contains the longest, active winning streak that the Aggies have against any opponent, 24, with the last win coming on Decebmer 28, 2001, in the Galleryfurniture.com Bowl, played in the Astrodome in Houston, Texas. The Horned Frogs have not beaten the Aggies since October 21, 1972, when they won in College Station with a final score of 13-10. Adding further intrigue to this series is the fact that the Aggies' National Championship Season of 1939 succeeded the Horned Frogs' National Championship Season of 1938.

Texas A&M-Texas Christian: All-Time Record
Games played First meeting Last meeting A&M wins A&M losses Ties Win %
92 1897 (lost 6-30) December 28, 2001 (won 28-9, Galleryfurniture.com Bowl) 56 29 7 60.9%

Rice Owls

The Texas A&M/Rice rivalry began in 1914. The Aggies have accumulated 50 wins against the Owls (which is their third-highest total against any collegiate program, behind the 65 wins they have accumulated against the Baylor Bears, and the 56 wins they have accumulated against the Texas Christian Horned Frogs). Though the Aggies no longer play the Owls annually since the Southwest Conference disbanded in 1996, this series is still notable because it contains the second-longest, active winning streak that the Aggies have against any Division I opponent, 15, with the last win coming on November 9, 1995, in a game played at Rice Stadium in Houston, Texas. The Owls have not beaten the Aggies since October 25, 1980, when they won in College Station with a final score of 10-6.

Texas A&M-Rice: All-Time Record
Games played First meeting Last meeting A&M wins A&M losses Ties Win %
69 November 9, 1914 (won 32-7) November 9, 1995 (won 17-10) 50 27 2 72.5%

Louisiana State Tigers

The Aggies have matched up against the Tigers more than any other non-conference opponent (though they were both members of the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1903-1908 and 1912-1914). The Aggies first played the Tigers in College Station in 1899, winning the game 52-0. Over the years, the two teams have built strong home-field advantages, and the series' record is reflective of these reputations. The Aggies are 7-1-1 in College Station, 10-22-1 in Baton Rouge, and 3-3-1 at neutral sites (including the loss in the 1944 Orange Bowl in Miami). Through 1923, the Aggies built a 7-3-2 advantage (which included neutral site games in New Orleans in 1908, Houston in 1913, Dallas in 1914, Galveston in 1916, and San Antonio in 1917). The Aggies and Tigers next played every year from 1942 to 1949 during the regular season with all of the games held in Baton Rouge. The Aggies were 2-6 in those match-ups. In addition to the regular season match-up in 1943, the Aggies and Tigers also faced each other in the only bowl match-up of their rivalry. Though the Aggies won the regular season game by a score of 28-13, the Tigers won the January 1, 1944, Orange Bowl by a final score of 19-14. The Aggies and Tigers met twice more in 1955 and 1956 with the Aggies taking both match-ups (the 1955 game was held at a neutral site in Dallas, and the 1956 game was held in Baton Rouge). From 1960 to 1975, the Aggies and Tigers produced the most consecutive match-ups of the series, playing every year, with all of the games played in Baton Rouge. The Aggies were 3-12-1 over this span. After a nine-year absence, the rivalry renewed in 1986 and continued until their last meeting in 1995, this time with the games alternating between Baton Rouge and College Station. The Aggies were 6-4 over this span, winning the last five meetings, and winning six of the last seven meetings. The most recent contest was won by the Aggies on September 2, 1995, by the score of 33-17.

Over the series, the Aggies have claimed the largest margin of victory with a 63-9 final score in 1914 (the Aggies also have the next two largest margins of victory with the 52-0 win in 1899 and the 47-0 win in 1922). The Aggies have shut-out the Tigers 7 times (including the Aggies' non-university recognized National Championship Season of 1917 when they did not surrender a point during 8 games, and beat the Tigers 27-0). The Tigers have shut-out the Aggies 9 times (including the Tigers' non-university recognized National Championship season of 1908, when they beat the Aggies 26-0, and the Tigers' non-university recognized National Championship season of 1962, when they beat the Aggies 21-0). Add to those totals the game in which the Aggies and Tigers shut each other out, with a final score of 0-0 in 1920.

Texas A&M-Louisiana State: All-Time Record
Games played First meeting Last meeting A&M wins A&M losses Ties Win %
49 December 2, 1899 (won 52-0) September 2, 1995 (won 33-17) 20 26 3 40.8%

Player accomplishments

Individual awards

Texas A&M Football has two players who have won a total of three trophies: Dat Nguyen won the Lombardi Award and Chuck Bednarik Award in 1998, while John David Crow won the Heisman Trophy in 1957.

John Kimbrough, 5th place - 1939
John Kimbrough, runner-up - 1940
Marshall Robnett, 9th place - 1940
John David Crow, winner - 1957
Darren Lewis, T-8th place - 1990
Bucky Richardson, 10th place - 1991
Dat Nguyen, winner - 1998
Aaron Wallace, semifinalist - 1989
Marcus Buckley, semifinalist - 1992
Antonio Armstrong, semifinalist - 1994
Reggie Brown, semifinalist - 1995
Keith Mitchell, semifinalist - 1995
Dat Nguyen, runner-up - 1998
Kevin Smith, semifinalist - 1991
Patrick Bates, finalist - 1992
Aaron Glenn, runner-up - 1993
Ed Simonini, finalist - 1975
Robert Jackson, finalist - 1976
Jacob Green, semifinalist - 1979
Ray Childress, semifinalist - 1984
John Roper, semifinalist - 1986
Aaron Wallace, semifinalist - 1989
Sam Adams, runner-up - 1993
Brandon Mitchell, semifinalist - 1995
Dat Nguyen, winner - 1998
Seth McKinney, runner-up - 2001
Cody Wallace, finalist - 2007[26]
Bucky Richardson, runner-up - 1991
Reggie McNeal, semifinalist - 2004
Shane Lechler, finalist - 1998
Shane Lechler, semifinalist - 1999
Kyle Bryant, semifinalist - 1996
Kyle Bryant, semifinalist - 1997
Todd Pegram, semifinalist - 2004

All-time Texas A&M football team

Chosen by Athlon Sports on February 28, 2002.[27]

Offense

Defense

Aggies in the NFL

As of 27 October 2009, 18 Aggies were listed on active NFL rosters.[28] 7 other Aggies serve as NFL coaches.[29]

Coaches

Hall of Fame

College Football Hall of Fame coaches

Coach Years Induction
Madison A. “Matty” Bell 1929-1933 1955
Dana X. Bible 1917, 1919-1928 1951
Paul “Bear” Bryant 1954-1957 1986
Homer H. Norton 1934-1947 1971

College Football Hall of Fame players

Player Position Years Induction
John David Crow HB 1955-1957 1976
Dave Elmendorf S 1968-1970 1997
Joel Hunt QB 1925-1927 1967
John Kimbrough FB 1938-1940 1954
Charlie Krueger T 1955-1957 1983
Jack Pardee FB 1954-1956 1986
Joe Routt G 1935-1937 1962
Joe Utay HB 1905-1907 1974

Pro Football Hall of Fame players

Player Position Years Induction
Yale Lary S 1948-1951 1979

Logos and uniforms

Texas A&M's 2009 uniform combinations


Football traditions

See also: Traditions of Texas A&M University

12th Man

See also: 12th Man (football)

Aggie football fans call themselves the 12th Man, meaning they are there to support the 11 players on the field. To further symbolize their "readiness, desire, and enthusiasm," the entire student body stands throughout the game.[31] In a further show of respect, the students step "off the wood" (step off the bleachers onto the concrete) whenever a player is injured or when the band plays the Aggie War Hymn or The Spirit of Aggieland.[32][33]

Seniors wearing either their Senior boots or Aggie Rings are also encouraged to join the "Boot Line." As the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band leaves the field after their half-time performances, seniors line up at the north end of Kyle Field to welcome the team back onto the field for the second half.[34]

The tradition began in Dallas on January 2, 1922, at the Dixie Classic, the forerunner of the Cotton Bowl Classic. A&M played defending national champion Centre College in the first post-season game in the southwest. In this hard fought game, which produced national publicity, an underdog Aggie team was slowly defeating a team which had allowed fewer than 6 points per game. The first half produced so many injuries for A&M that Coach D. X. Bible feared he wouldn’t have enough men to finish the game. At that moment, he called into the Aggie section of the stands for E. King Gill, a student who had left football after the regular season to play basketball. Gill, who was spotting players for a Waco newspaper and was not in football uniform, donned the uniform of injured player Heine Weir and stood on the sidelines to await his turn. Although he did not actually play in the game, his readiness to play symbolized the willingness of all Aggies to support their team to the point of actually entering the game. When the game ended in a 22–14 Aggie victory, Gill was the only man left standing on the sidelines for the Aggies. Gill later said, "I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in case my team needed me."[35]

In the 1980s, the tradition was expanded as coach Jackie Sherrill created the 12th Man squad led by 12th man standout Dean Berry. Composed solely of walk-on (non-scholarship) players, the squad would take the field for special teams' performances.[35] This squad never allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown.[36] Sherrill's successor, R. C. Slocum, amended the tradition in the 1990s to allow one walk-on player, wearing the No. 12 jersey, to take the field for special teams' plays.[35] The player is chosen based on the level of determination and hard work shown in practices. Coach Dennis Franchione has continued Slocum's model, while also keeping an all-walk-on kickoff team that played three times in the 2006 season.[36]

Bonfire

Main article: Aggie Bonfire

Aggie Bonfire was a long-standing tradition at Texas A&M University as part of a college rivalry with the University of Texas at Austin, known as t.u. by Texas A&M students. For ninety years, Texas A&M students built and burned a large bonfire on campus each fall. Known within the Aggie community simply as Bonfire, the annual fall event symbolized the students' "burning desire to beat the hell outta t.u."[37] The bonfire was traditionally lit around Thanksgiving in conjunction with the festivities surrounding the annual game between the schools.[38]

The first on-campus Aggie Bonfire was burned in 1909, and the tradition continued for the next 90 years.[38] For almost two decades, Bonfire was constructed from debris and pieces of wood that Aggies "found," including lumber intended for a dormitory that students appropriated in 1912.[39] The event became school-sanctioned in 1936, and, for the first time, students were provided with axes, saws, and trucks and pointed towards a grove of dead trees on the edge of town.[38] In the following years the Bonfire became more elaborate, and in 1967 the flames could be seen 25 miles (40 km) away. In 1969, the stack set the world record at 111 feet (30 m) tall.[38][40]

In 1978, Bonfire shifted to a wedding-cake style, in which upper stacks of logs were wedged on top of lower stacks. The structure was built around a fortified centerpole, made from two telephone poles.[41] Although tradition stated that if Bonfire burned through midnight A&M would win the following day's game, with the introduction of the wedding cake design Bonfire began to fall very quickly, sometimes burning for only 30 or 45 minutes.[42]

At 2:42 AM on November 18, 1999, the partially completed Aggie Bonfire, standing 40 feet (10 m) tall and consisting of about 5000 logs, collapsed during construction. Of the 58 students and former students working on the stack, 12 were killed and 27 others were injured.[41] On November 25, 1999, the date that Bonfire would have burned, Aggies instead held a vigil and remembrance ceremony. Over 40,000 people, including former President George H.W. Bush and his wife Barbara and then-Texas governor George W. Bush and his wife Laura, lit candles and observed up to two hours of silence at the site of the Bonfire collapse.[43] The Bonfire Memorial was officially dedicated on November 18, 2004.[44]

Bonfire was postponed until 2002 in order to restructure it to make it safer. Delays in the development of a safety plan and a high estimated cost (mainly due to liability insurance), led A&M president Ray Bowen to postpone Bonfire indefinitely.[45] Despite the university's refusal to allow Bonfire to take place on campus, since 2002 a non-university sanctioned Bonfire has burned annually.[46] Known as Student Bonfire, the off-campus event draws between 8,000 and 15,000 fans.[47] Student Bonfire utilizes many changes for safety purposes, and has only recorded two serious injuries since it's inception, neither life threatening. The newly designed stack was designed by a professional engineer (a former student) and features a center pole with 4 perimeter poles connected via "windle-sticks". In the new design, the height is capped at 45 feet (not including the outhouse), and all the logs touch the ground. Alcohol is strictly prohibited from all student bonfire functions as it was revealed that a number of the students working on the collapsed bonfire in 1999 had BACs higher than the legal limit.

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band marches in ATM formation during halftime at Kyle Field.

Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

Main article: Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

The Fightin' Texas Aggie Band (also known as The Noble Men of Kyle or the Aggie Band) is the official marching band of Texas A&M University. Composed of over 400 men and women from the school's Corps of Cadets,[48] it is the largest military marching band in the world. The complex straight-line maneuvers, performed exclusively to traditional marches, are so complicated and precise that computer marching simulations say they cannot be performed.[49]

Since its inception in 1894, its members eat together, sleep in the same dormitories, and practice up to forty hours per week on top of a full academic schedule. The Aggie Band performs at all home football games, some away games, and university and Corps functions throughout the year. Other events in which the band participated include inauguration parades for many United States Presidents and Texas Governors, major annual parades across the country, and the dedication ceremony for the George H. W. Bush Presidential Library.[50][51][52]

Midnight Yell Practice

Midnight Yell Practice is a pep rally usually held the night before a football game. If the football game is to be held at Kyle Field, midnight yell takes place the day of the football game at 12:00 a.m. If the football game is an away game, a yell is held on the Thursday night before at the Corps Arches on the Texas A&M campus, and Midnight Yell will be held in the city the game is being played. For example, the Midnight Yell for the annual game against the University of Texas at Austin is held on the steps of the Texas State Capitol in Austin, Texas.

Wrecking Crew

Hand sign for the Wrecking Crew

The term Wrecking Crew is a name given to defenses of the football team.[53][54] The term, coined by defensive back Chet Brooks, became popular during the coach R.C. Slocum's tenure in 80s and the 90s. After the coach's firing, many fans, coaches, and sports analysts feel that recent Aggie defenses have not "earned" the title.[54][55] Despite this, the university still owns a trademark on the term.[56]

Yell Leaders

Yell Leaders are five students who lead the crowd in yells during the games. The team consists of three seniors and two juniors elected by the student body. The Yell Leaders take the place of traditional "cheerleaders" and perform many of the same functions without the gymnastics and dance routines. They also participate in post-game activities such as being thrown in the Fish Pond if the team wins, or leading the student body in the singing of The Twelfth Man if the team loses.

References

  1. ^ NCAA (2009), NCAA Football Award Winnners, pp. 16, http://web1.ncaa.org/web_files/stats/football_records/DI/2009/2009Awards.pdf 
  2. ^ "USC Now Will Recognize Its 1939 Football Team As A National Champion Trojan have 10 national champs in the sport.". Press release. 2004-07-26. http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-footbl/spec-rel/072604aaa.html. 
  3. ^ "AP and Coaches Final Season Polls". College Football Data Warehouse. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/poll_results.php?year=1939. Retrieved 2008-01-05. 
  4. ^ "1917 National Championships". College Football Data Warehouse. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/yearly_results.php?year=1917. Retrieved 2008-01-05. 
  5. ^ "1919 National Championships". College Football Data Warehouse. http://www.cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/national_championships/yearly_results.php?year=1919. Retrieved 2008-01-05. 
  6. ^ OFFICIAL 2007 NCAA DIVISION I FOOTBALL RECORDS BOOK
  7. ^ "Texas A&M In the Polls". College Football Data Warehouse. http://cfbdatawarehouse.com/data/div_ia/big12/texas_a&m/in_the_polls.php. Retrieved 2007-11-02. 
  8. ^ Cannot find server
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External links

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Texas A&M Aggies head football coaches

Perkins • Soule • South • Taylor • Williams • Murray • Platt • Bachman • Larson • Merriam • Moran • Harlan • Bible • Graves • Bell • Norton • Stiteler • George • Bryant • Myers • Foldberg • Stallings • Bellard • Wilson • Sherrill • Slocum • Franchione • Darnell (interim) • Sherman
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Texas A&M Aggies football

Stadium – Kyle Field

Key Personnel – Head Coach: Mike Sherman • Offensive Coordinator: Nolan Cromwell • Defensive Coordinator: Joe Kines

Culture – 12th Man • Bonfire • Fightin' Texas Aggie Band

Rivalries – Battle of the Brazos • Lone Star Showdown • Rivalry with Arkansas • Rivalry with Texas Tech

National Championship

1939

Conference Championships

1917 • 1919 • 1921 • 1925 • 1927 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1956 • 1967 • 1975 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1998

Seasons

1894 • 1895 • 1896 • 1897 • 1898 • 1899 • 1900 • 1901 • 1902 • 1903 • 1904 • 1905 • 1906 • 1907 • 1908 • 1909 • 1910 • 1911 • 1912 • 1913 • 1914 • 1915 • 1916 • 1917 • 1918 • 1919 • 1920 • 1921 • 1922 • 1923 • 1924 • 1925 • 1926 • 1927 • 1928 • 1929 • 1930 • 1931 • 1932 • 1933 • 1934 • 1935 • 1936 • 1937 • 1938 • 1939 • 1940 • 1941 • 1942 • 1943 • 1944 • 1945 • 1946 • 1947 • 1948 • 1949 • 1950 • 1951 • 1952 • 1953 • 1954 • 1955 • 1956 • 1957 • 1958 • 1959 • 1960 • 1961 • 1962 • 1963 • 1964 • 1965 • 1966 • 1967 • 1968 • 1969 • 1970 • 1971 • 1972 • 1973 • 1974 • 1975 • 1976 • 1977 • 1978 • 1979 • 1980 • 1981 • 1982 • 1983 • 1984 • 1985 • 1986 • 1987 • 1988 • 1989 • 1990 • 1991 • 1992 • 1993 • 1994 • 1995 • 1996 • 1997 • 1998 • 1999 • 2000 • 2001 • 2002 • 2003 • 2004 • 2005 • 2006 • 2007 • 2008 • 2009
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Texas A&M University
Gig 'Em Aggies!
 
Athletics
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Big 12 Conference football teams
North Division
South Division

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