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The 12th Man Kick Off Team
Posted on 8/15/15 at 11:35 pm
Posted on 8/15/15 at 11:35 pm
Now that Seattle can no longer piggy back off of our greatness, I think it's time the SEC rant learned a little history.
The 12th Man Kick Off Team: One of the best parts of the greatest tradition in college football, The 12th Man.
The team came from the brain of Jackie Sherrill, who was in his second year as Texas A&M's football coach. At the tail end of his first season in 1982, Sherrill was introduced to Aggie Bonfire. He often went out to the building site and watched students working around the clock to stack the logs, along with the tough leadership of the Redpots.
"I knew that I could find, out of 40-some-odd thousand students, 11 guys that would cover kickoffs, but have no regard for their body and be tough as nails," Sherrill said. "I just knew it would work."
Over the next five seasons, the Aggies led the country in covering kickoffs twice, and never finished out of the top five in that category.
The 12th Man Kick Off Team vs LSU
It was David vs Goliath.
The 12th Man Kick Off Team: One of the best parts of the greatest tradition in college football, The 12th Man.
The team came from the brain of Jackie Sherrill, who was in his second year as Texas A&M's football coach. At the tail end of his first season in 1982, Sherrill was introduced to Aggie Bonfire. He often went out to the building site and watched students working around the clock to stack the logs, along with the tough leadership of the Redpots.
"I knew that I could find, out of 40-some-odd thousand students, 11 guys that would cover kickoffs, but have no regard for their body and be tough as nails," Sherrill said. "I just knew it would work."
Over the next five seasons, the Aggies led the country in covering kickoffs twice, and never finished out of the top five in that category.
The 12th Man Kick Off Team vs LSU
It was David vs Goliath.
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Posted on 8/15/15 at 11:36 pm to TeLeFaWx
quote:
TeLeFaWx
Telefawx gently kisses each of his dogs, on the weiner, before putting them to bed.
Posted on 8/15/15 at 11:37 pm to Legendary0903
quote:
Telefawx gently kisses each of his dogs, on the weiner, before putting them to bed.
Posted on 8/15/15 at 11:47 pm to Legendary0903
quote:
Telefawx gently kisses each of his dogs, on the weiner, before putting them to bed.
I don't get it. What's wrong with this?
To Telefawx: that really was a great idea from Jackie Sherrill. I wish RC had kept it. For others, we do still have a single walk-on guy on kickoffs (who wears #12, naturally), but it's a far cry from how the 12th man kickoff team got the crowd fired up back during Sherrill's tenure.
Posted on 8/15/15 at 11:52 pm to finestfirst79
quote:
To Telefawx: that really was a great idea from Jackie Sherrill. I wish RC had kept it. For others, we do still have a single walk-on guy on kickoffs (who wears #12, naturally), but it's a far cry from how the 12th man kickoff team got the crowd fired up back during Sherrill's tenure.
Yeah, but the point is not how awesome we are or were, but the fact that we have shown crazy commitment to the greatest tradition in college football history. Can you imagine Bear Bryant at Alabama having enough balls to field 11 walk-ons against Bo Jackson? Because that's what we did in the Cotton Bowl, and we came out victorious. Bo Jackson could score against the best money the Crimson Tide could buy, but he couldn't score against a bunch of a 180 pound Aggie walk-ons.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 12:02 am to TeLeFaWx
Nobody outside of College Station gives a shite.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 12:09 am to TeLeFaWx
admin, can this be move to the who gives a flying frick board?
Posted on 8/16/15 at 12:13 am to finestfirst79
Too bad Sam Moeller, who is now on scholarship, refuses to cede #12.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 12:15 am to TeLeFaWx
I read your post out loud to my family. They are now chanting "we want more." Please post again
Posted on 8/16/15 at 12:24 am to TeLeFaWx
quote:There is no D-1 coach active today that has the cojones to play 11 walk-ons at the same time.
greatest tradition in college football history.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 12:24 am to maleorc
quote:
I read your post out loud to my family. They are now chanting "we want more." Please post again
Well do you want to stay on this topic? We can go back to Jackie. Most would agree he was the most important player on the 1962 and 1965 National Championship teams for the Crimson Tide, but some believe he was the most important individual, period... even more so than the Bear. He is a great man, and his contribution to the 12th Man will never be forgotten.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 12:31 am to TeLeFaWx
Yeah they really liked the part about Jackie. The 12th man part was cool too.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 2:51 am to ImperialPalace
quote:
There is no D-1 coach active today that has the cojones to play 11 walk-ons at the same time.
Really? I thought Dabo Swinney did against West Virginia in the Orange Bowl. If a defensive coordinator had a month to prepare against a Big East team, surely he could have held the opposing team to less than 70 points with a roster full of scholarship players, right?
Posted on 8/16/15 at 7:44 am to TeLeFaWx
Thank you for the very interesting topic. Thanks for posting.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 7:57 am to deeprig9
quote:
Thank you for the very interesting topic. Thanks for posting.
You're very welcome! I always love it when the rest of the SEC learns about the 12th Man!
Posted on 8/16/15 at 8:08 am to TeLeFaWx
quote:
Bo Jackson could score against the best money the Crimson Tide could buy, but he couldn't score against a bunch of a 180 pound Aggie walk-ons.
I'm pretty sure Bo Jackson never scored on a kick off return against Bama.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 8:10 am to TeLeFaWx
Maybe i just know my college cootball, but is this news?
It is cool, though. The bonfire was on my to do list of things to see, and had plans to be there the year after the one collapsed. Had a few friends that graduated from school there.
It is cool, though. The bonfire was on my to do list of things to see, and had plans to be there the year after the one collapsed. Had a few friends that graduated from school there.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 8:11 am to ImperialPalace
quote:
quote: greatest tradition in college football history.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 8:29 am to ksayetiger
quote:
Maybe i just know my college cootball, but is this news?
I think that for the majority of swamp kittens on this board alone, who believe college football started in 2000, a special teams unit in the mid-80s composed completely of 180 lbs walk-ons, and that team was a top 5 unit in all of college football for 5 straight years, would amaze them. LSU's incoming class was born 10 years after Jackie Sherrill was fired from A&M. I'd say less than 1% of LSU's incoming freshman know about the 12th Man Kick Off Team. Bo Jackson, one of the top greatest athletes to ever play in the SEC, met the 12th Man Kick Off Team in the Cotton Bowl, and couldn't do anything. Can you imagine any coach now a days having the balls to throw 11 walk-ons at arguably the greatest athlete of all time? And knowing he wouldn't be able to do anything?
In light of all the comments from outsiders about the 12th Man trademark, it seems that 99% of people think that the 12th Man, the greatest tradition in college football, is merely just a name and the Aggies don't deserve it by birthright. I hope to keep this place a little bit more informed. I'm glad you know your stuff, but let's be honest, not many do.
Posted on 8/16/15 at 8:34 am to pvilleguru
quote:
I'm pretty sure Bo Jackson never scored on a kick off return against Bama.
Yeah, but he probably could have if he tried.
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