Texas A&M Aggies football



The Texas A&M Aggies football team represents Texas A&M University in the sport of American football. The Aggies compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). Texas A&M football claims one national title and 18 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 served as the head coach of the Aggies from 2008 until he was fired on December 1, 2011. On December 10, 2011, Kevin Sumlin was announced as the new head coach of the Aggies.

Conference affiliations

 * 1894–1902: Independent
 * 1903–1908: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1909–1911: Independent
 * 1912–1914: Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1913–1917: Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association
 * 1915–1995: Southwest Conference
 * 1996–2011: Big 12 Conference (South Division, 1996–2010)
 * 2012–   : Southeastern Conference

After the 2010 season, the Big 12 Conference dissolved its divisions and operated as a 10-team division-less conference.

On September 25, 2011, Texas A&M's application to join the Southeastern Conference was approved, with an effective date of July 1, 2012.

National championships (2)
Until 2012 Texas A&M claimed just one national title, voted No. 1 by the AP Poll shortly after its inception along with No. 1 in 8 of the 12 other major polls, after the 1939 season. Southern California also claim this title through the Dickinson System; however, this was the only poll in which USC finished No. 1. 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. 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. The 1917 team finished 8–0–0 and unscored upon, earning a retroactive national title by 1st-N-Goal and James Howell.

Conference championships (18)
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. † Denotes shared championship.

Divisional championships (3)
The Aggies were members of the Big 12 South between its inception in 1996 and the dissolution of conference divisions in 2011. † Denotes shared championship.

Bowl history
Texas A&M's bowl record is 14–19 (.424). During their 81 years in the Southwest Conference, the Aggies went 12–10 (.545) in bowl games, winning their only National Championship in 1939. During their 16 years in the Big 12 Conference, the Aggies went 2–9 (.182) in bowl games.

Of the Aggies' 33 total bowl games, 11 of them have come against future SEC opponents. The Aggies are 4–7 in these games.

Top 25 poll finishes
The Aggies have finished in the final season rankings of the AP Poll and Coaches Poll 24 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.

Record vs. conferences
Current as of the 2010 season.

Additional notes

 * The 1917 Aggies finished the season 8–0. The Aggies outscored their opponents 270–0, undefeated, untied, and unscored upon.


 * The 1919 Aggies finished the season 10–0. The Aggies outscored their opponents 275–0, undefeated, untied, and unscored upon.


 * The 1921 game between the University of Texas and the Aggies is believed to be the first ever live, play-by-play broadcast of a college football game. Play-by-play was relayed by telegraph to a local amateur radio station.

LSU Tigers
The Aggies have matched up against the LSU 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. The Tigers are the Aggies' seventh-oldest collegiate-football rivalry.

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 3–4–1 at neutral sites (including the losses in the 1944 Orange Bowl in Miami and the 2011 Cotton Bowl in Dallas). 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 first 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 regular season 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 regular season contest was won by the Aggies on September 2, 1995, by the score of 33–17.

Finally, after a 15-year absence, the Aggies and Tigers faced each other once more on January 7, 2011, in the Cotton Bowl Classic. It was only the second time the two have faced each other in a bowl game. The Aggies lost 24–41.

Over the life of 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. The Tigers hold the series' longest winning streak of 6 games from 1960 to 1965, which were all played in Baton Rouge. That winning streak was part of a 10-game unbeaten streak for the Tigers from 1960 to 1969 which included a 7–7 tie in 1966 (with all of the games played in Baton Rouge).

The series will resume in 2012 when A&M joins the SEC.

Arkansas Razorbacks
The Aggies first played the Razorbacks in 1903. From 1934–1991, the two teams played annually as Southwest Conference members. In 1991, however, Arkansas left the Southwest Conference to join the Southeastern Conference. Arkansas leads the all-time series 41–24–3.

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.

Over the life of the series, the Aggies have shutout the Razorbacks 10 times, and been shutout 9 times. The Aggies hold the largest margin of victory with a 41–0 win in College Station on October 31, 1942. The Razorbacks hold the longest winning streak in the series of 9 games from 1958 to 1966.

Missouri Tigers
The Aggies and Tigers ended their affiliation with the Big 12 with the conclusion of the 2011 football season and will join the SEC in 2012. Though the Aggies will compete in the SEC West division, and the Tigers will compete in the SEC East division, the two teams will be linked as permanent rivals that will play each other every season.

Prior to the formation of the Big 12 in 1996, the Aggies and Tigers had only faced each other four times, and only twice prior to 1992. The first two games were played in College Station in 1957 and 1958, and the next two games were played in Columbia in 1992 and in College Station in 1993. The Aggies won all four meetings, shutting out the Tigers in three out of the four games as well as achieving the most-lopsided victory of the rivalry with a 73–0 win in the 1993 game. During these four games the Aggies outscored the Tigers 139–13. Neither team has been shutout since the 1993 game. The Aggies took the non-conference years of the rivalry 4–0.

During the Big 12 years, with the Aggies playing in the South Division and the Tigers playing in the North Division, the two teams would face each other in a Home-and-Away series that would alternate two-years off and two-years on. The Aggies would take the first two games in 1998 and 1999. The Tigers would take the second two games in 2002 and 2003, with the 2002 game in College Station requiring a decision in overtime. The Aggies and Tigers would split the third two games in 2006 and 2007 with each team winning on its home turf. The Tigers would win the final game under the Big 12 North-South Division format in College Station in 2010, and follow that up with a win in overtime in College Station in the final meeting between the two schools in the Big 12. Thus, the Tigers would take the Big 12 years of the rivalry 5–3.

The rivalry will continue in the 2012 season as the Tigers face the Aggies in College Station during the first year of both teams in the SEC.

Over the life of the series, the Aggies have shutout the Tigers 3 times, and have never been shutout. The Aggies hold the largest margin of victory with a 73–0 win in College Station in 1993. The Aggies also hold the next two-largest margins of victory with the 51–14 win in Columbia in 1999 and the 28–0 win in College Station in 1957. The Aggies hold the longest winning streak of 6 games from 1957 to 1999 (non-consecutive years).

Texas Longhorns


The Texas-Texas A&M rivalry dates back to 1894. It is the longest-running rivalry for both teams. It ranks as the third most-played rivalry in Division I-A college football, and the most-played intra-state rivalry. 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, 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, and the Aggies singing "Goodbye to Texas University, so long to the orange and the white" as the opening line of the second verse of the Aggie War Hymn)., and "saw Varsity's horns off" about Texas in the chorus.
 * The football series between the two universities is the third longest running rivalry in all of college football. Since 1900, the last regular season football game is usually reserved for their matchup.
 * Each school has elaborate pre-game preparations for the annual football clash, including the Aggie Bonfire and the Hex Rally.
 * Texas has a unique lighting scheme for the UT Tower after wins over Texas A&M.
 * In the past, mischief has preceded the annual game, such as the "kidnapping" of Bevo.

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 20 wins to 27 losses. During the last 40 meetings (from 1972—when the NCAA introduced scholarship limitations—to the present), the series is nearly even at 19–21. 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 13 times, and have been shut out 27 times (including scoreless ties in 1902, 1907, and 1921). However, since 1961, neither team has been shut out. The Aggies and Longhorns have never had a game decided in overtime. The Longhorns hold the largest margin of victory with a 48–0 win in Austin on October 22, 1898 (the second meeting in the series). The Longhorns also hold the series' longest winning streak of 10 games from 1957 to 1966. In addition, the Longhorns had a 11-game unbeaten streak from 1940 to 1950 that included a 14–14 tie in 1948.

In the 75 meetings since 1936 when the Associated Press College Poll began, the Aggies and Longhorns have faced each other 59 times when one or both teams have been ranked (the Aggies have been ranked 25 times, whereas the Longhorns have been ranked 44 times). In those 59 meetings, the lower-ranked or unranked team has won 11 times (the Aggies did it six times—1951, 1979, 1984, 1999, 2006, and 2007; the Longhorns did it five times—1941, 1955, 1957, 1974, and 1998).

Due to Texas A&M's move to the Southeastern Conference in the 2012 season, the Lone Star Showdown's final game was played on November 24, 2011. According to Texas athletic director DeLoss Dodds, another game between Texas and Texas A&M will not occur until at least 2018, considering Texas' present non-conference scheduling commitments. Therefore, the 2011 game marked the end of one of the oldest rivalries in college football.

Baylor Bears
The Aggies first played the Baylor Bears in 1899, and have competed with them annually since 1945. It is the Aggies' eighth-oldest collegiate-football rivalry. 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 68–31–9. The Aggies' 68 wins against the Bears is the highest number of wins that the Aggies have accumulated against any team.

Over the life of the series, the Aggies have shutout the Bears 29 times (including scoreless ties in 1903, 1923, 1932, and 1936). The Bears have shutout the Aggies 11 times (including those same scoreless ties). The Aggies hold the largest margin of victory with a 73–10 win in College Station on October 11, 2003, as well as the second-largest margin of victory with a 53–0 win in College Station in 1912. The Aggies hold the longest winning streak in the series of 13 games from 1991 to 2003. That winning streak is also part of a 18-game unbeaten streak for the Aggies from 1986 to 2003 (the Aggies and Bears played to a 20–20 tie in 1990).

Texas Tech Red Raiders
The Aggies first played the Red Raiders in 1927. The Aggies lead the all-time series 37–32–1.

Over the life of the series, the Aggies have shutout the Red Raiders four times, and the Red Raiders have shutout the Aggies four times. The Aggies hold the largest margin of victory with a 47–6 win in College Station on November 28, 1927. The Aggies and Red Raiders each have win streaks of six games, which are the longest in the series (the Aggies' streak included the 1927 and 1932 games as well as the games from 1942 to 1945; the Red Raiders' streak was uninterrupted from 1968 to 1973).

TCU Horned Frogs
The Texas A&M/TCU 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). 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 December 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.

Over the life of the series, the Aggies have shutout the Horned Frogs 21 times, and been shutout 9 times (including scoreless ties in 1909 and 1927). The Aggies hold the largest margin of victory with a 74–10 win in College Station on November 22, 1986 (the Aggies also hold the next ten-largest margins of victory, with each ranging from 34 to 56 points). The Aggies' current winning streak of 24 games from 1973 to 1995 and including the 2001 galleryfurniture.com Bowl is the longest in the series.

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 68 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.

Over the life of the series, the Aggies have shutout the Owls 16 times, and been shutout 6 times (including a scoreless tie in 1942). The Aggies hold the largest margin of victory with a 49–7 win in College Station on October 23, 1982 (the Aggies also hold the next two largest margins of victory with a 45–7 win in 1989 and a 45–10 win in 1986). The Aggies current 15 game winning streak from 1981 through 1995 is the longest in the series.

Individual awards
Texas A&M Football has four players who have won a total of five trophies: Dat Nguyen won the Lombardi Award and Chuck Bednarik Award in 1998; John David Crow won the Heisman Trophy in 1957; Von Miller won the Butkus Award in 2010, and Randy Bullock won the Lou Groza Award in 2011. Several other players received recognition from the award organizations, including:

Texas A&M First-Team All-Americans
In the years since 1889, several organizations and publications have recognized the top players in the nation by naming them to All-America teams. To be considered an All-American, a player needs to be named to the first-team on at least one of the lists of these organizations. In addition, the NCAA further recognizes certain players by honoring them with the "Consensus" All-American title. At present, the Consensus honor is determined by referencing the first, second, and third teams of five organizations and assigning a varying amount of points for each time a player appears on one of those five lists. The points are totaled and the player with the most points at his position is awarded the Consensus honor. The five organizations whose lists are used for the Consensus determination are the Associated Press (AP), American Football Coaches Association (AFCA)., Football Writers Association of America (FWAA), Sporting News (TSN)., and Walter Camp Football Foundation (WCFF). Finally, a player can be recognized with the "Unanimous Consensus" honor if all five of the previously listed organizations have recognized that player as a First-Team All-American.

Texas A&M has had 45 players that have been named First-Team All-Americans for a total of 60 seasons (15 players have been honored in two different seasons). 21 of those were Consensus All-Americans. Texas A&M has had at least one All-American in every decade since the 1930s. The highest number of All-Americans during one decade took place from 1990 to 1999 when 16 players were named All-Americans for a total of 18 seasons.

All-time Texas A&M football team
Chosen by Athlon Sports on February 28, 2002.

Offense
 * WR: Tony Harrison, 1990–93
 * WR: Bob Long, 1966–68
 * OL: Charlie Krueger, 1955–57
 * OL: Marshall Robnett, 1938–40
 * OL: E. S. Wilson, 1916–19
 * OL: Seth McKinney, 1998–01
 * QB: Kevin Murray, 1983–86
 * RB: Bob Smith, 1949–51
 * RB: John David Crow, 1955–57
 * RB: John Kimbrough, 1938–40
 * RB: Darren Lewis, 1987–90
 * PK: Tony Franklin, 1975–78
 * KR: Leeland McElroy, 1993–95

Defense
 * DL: Ray Childress, 1981–84
 * DL: Jacob Green, 1977–79
 * DL: Sam Adams, 1991–93
 * LB: Ed Simonini, 1972–75
 * LB: John Roper, 1985–88
 * LB: Marcus Buckley, 1990–92
 * LB: Johnny Holland, 1983–86
 * LB: Dat Nguyen, 1995–98
 * LB: Von Miller, 2008–10
 * DB: Lester Hayes, 1973–76
 * DB: Dave Elmendorf, 1968–70
 * DB: Kevin Smith, 1988–91
 * DB: Pat Thomas, 1972–75
 * DB: Aaron Glenn, 1992–93
 * P: Shane Lechler, 1996–99

Aggies in the NFL
As of May 1, 2011, 18 Aggies were listed on NFL rosters. 7 other Aggies serve as NFL coaches.


 * Martellus Bennett, TE, Dallas Cowboys
 * Michael Bennett, DT, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
 * Rocky Bernard, DT, New York Giants
 * Red Bryant, DT, Seattle Seahawks
 * Melvin Bullitt, CB, Indianapolis Colts
 * Randy Bullock, K, Houston Texans
 * Ron Edwards, DT, Carolina Panthers
 * Terrence Frederick, CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
 * Jeff Fuller, WR, Miami Dolphins
 * Danny Gorrer, CB, Baltimore Ravens
 * Cyrus Gray, RB, Kansas City Chiefs
 * Mike Goodson, RB, Oakland Raiders
 * Geoff Hangartner, C, Carolina Panthers
 * Jorvorskie Lane, RB, Miami Dolphins
 * Shane Lechler, P, Oakland Raiders
 * Kevin Matthews, C, Tennessee Titans
 * Jamie McCoy, TE, Pittsburgh Steelers (Practice Squad)


 * Stephen McGee, QB, Dallas Cowboys
 * Von Miller, OLB, Denver Broncos
 * Don Muhlbach, LS, Detroit Lions
 * Jordan Pugh, S, Carolina Panthers
 * Ryan Tannehill, QB, Miami Dolphins
 * Cody Wallace, C, Houston Texans (Practice Squad)
 * Ty Warren, DE, Denver Broncos
 * Pat Williams, DT, Free Agent

Coaches
 * Dennis Allen, head coach, Oakland Raiders
 * Dan Campbell, coaching intern/offense, Miami Dolphins
 * Jerry Fontenot, assistant offensive line coach, Green Bay Packers
 * Jason Glenn, special teams assistant/player development, Minnesota Vikings
 * Johnny Holland, linebackers coach, Houston Texans
 * Gary Kubiak, head coach, Houston Texans
 * Shawn Slocum, special teams coordinator, Green Bay Packers

On March 1, 2011, The Dallas Morning News listed Texas A&M's top 5 NFL draft picks of all time:

1. Lester Hayes S

2. Richmond Webb OT

3. Shane Lechler P

4. Yale Lary S

5. Jacob Green DE

Receiving honorable mention were Ray Childress DT, Aaron Glenn CB, Kevin Smith CB, Charlie Krueger DL, Johnny Holland LB, Ty Warren DT, and Sam Adams DT.

12th Man
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. 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.

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 south end of Kyle Field to welcome the team back onto the field for the second half.

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."

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. This squad never allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown. 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. 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.

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." The bonfire was traditionally lit around Thanksgiving in conjunction with the festivities surrounding the annual game between the schools.

The first on-campus Aggie Bonfire was burned in 1909, and the tradition continued for the next 90 years. 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. 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. In the following years the Bonfire became more elaborate, and in 1967 the flames could be seen 25 mi away. In 1969, the stack set the world record at 111 ft tall.

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. 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.

At 2:42 am on November 18, 1999, the partially completed Aggie Bonfire, standing 40 ft 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. 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. The Bonfire Memorial was officially dedicated on November 18, 2004.

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. Despite the university's refusal to allow Bonfire to take place on campus, since 2002 a non-university sanctioned Bonfire has burned annually. Known as Student Bonfire, the off-campus event draws between 8,000 and 15,000 fans. Student Bonfire utilizes many changes for safety purposes, and has only recorded two serious injuries since its 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.



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, 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.

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.

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 am 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
The term Wrecking Crew is a name given to defenses of the football team. 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. Despite this, the university still owns a trademark on the term.

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.