Tag: texas aggies football

‘He’s a Winnebago,’ Texas A&M remembers Hall of Famer George Woodard who passed at 69

“I don’t know what George weighs. I just know he weighs more than he did at birth but less than King Kong,” former coach Emory Bellard said.

Texas A&M Hall of Famer George Woodard passed away on Friday at age 69 according to his family, which was confirmed by the 12th Man Athletics Communication Department.

Woodard shined on the Aggies football team as a bruising fullback that is remember fondly by many.

“He’s not a fullback,” former Texas Tech head coach Steve Sloan proclaimed in the 70s. “He’s a Winnebago.”

Even then Texas A&M head coach Emory Bellard was left with questions when it came to Woodard.

“I don’t know what George weighs,” Bellard said. “I just know he weighs more than he did at birth but less than King Kong.”

Hall of Fame athletic trainer Billy Pickard attempted to answer those queries.

“Our PE department conducted a test and submerged George in a tank of water,” Pickard said. “They found he had only 3% more body fat than a normal person of his build. They told us they didn’t think George would ever get much below 260.”

Woodard rushed for 2,911 yards and 35 touchdowns during his illustrious career. May he rest in peace.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Colts cornerback and Aggies alumnus Jaylon Jones ‘makes a play every drive’ per Pat McAfee

“Jaylon Jones, #40 for the Colts, might be an All Pro this year,” McAfee tweeted on Sunday afternoon. “Makes a play every drive seemingly.”

This past weekend in Jacksonville, former Texas A&M football player Jaylon Jones got the attention of one of the loudest and prominent talking heads in sports, Pat McAfee.

The former Colts punter, ESPN personality and arguably most famous fan in Indiana praised Jones for his play during a 37-34 loss against the Jaguars in Week 5.

“Jaylon Jones, #40 for the Colts, might be an All Pro this year,” McAfee tweeted on Sunday afternoon. “Makes a play every drive seemingly.”

Jones isn’t to be confused with another NFL cornerback by the same name who also attended an SEC school. The second-year defensive back suited up for the Aggies at Kyle Field from 2020-22. He was drafted by the Colts with the 221st overall pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Despite the loss, Jones had a strong individual performance versus Jacksonville. He racked up 6 tackles (5 solo), 2 pass deflections and 1 forced fumble.

Indianapolis face another AFC South rival on the road Sunday at noon against Tennessee.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Corey Perrine/Florida Times-Union

Former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher rants about ‘utterly ridiculous’ CFB ‘cheating’

“We need revenue sharing. We need a salary cap for all schools… The tampering that other schools do with players, is utterly ridiculous.”

The media tour of former Texas A&M head coach Jimbo Fisher has been non-stop this season and it continued last week with a rant about cheating in college football.

“College football is — I complain about it, it’s still the greatest game. As much as I love NFL, and I’m crazy about it, and I respect it, but college football, man, you don’t know — 18, 22 teams, you don’t know what you’re going to get. I mean, it’s still so — I love college basketball, all those things, I love all college sports, but college football man, we need a commissioner. We need revenue sharing. We need a salary cap, for all schools, and if you’re caught — and the other part of this, the tampering that other schools do with players, is utterly ridiculous,” Fisher proclaimed on Oct. 1. “I mean, the big schools are going and getting players constantly from other schools, and it’s being done illegally. Those guys are developing players, and all of a sudden their guys, you know, that team shouldn’t have an advantage, financially, to be able to take care of a guy that another school doesn’t, and it’s wrong.

“I’ve had multiple discussions with players I’ve had, teams calling them and offering money. ‘I’ve got NIL, I’ve got this offer here, I’ve got this,’ and you’ve got to sit down with them, their parents and go through it all. Power 4, within our own league, with the things that go on. I thought, really, when NIL came in, we thought it would be good, because some of this — there were teams that were doing NIL before NIL was popular, OK? I thought NIL would at least make it fair, take the cheating out of ball. It’s made it worse.”

Fisher appears on Off Campus with EJ Manuel and Jacob Hester every Tuesday from 3-6 p.m. on SiriusXM’s College Sports channel.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

QB Conner Weigman gives Texas A&M ‘the best chance to win’ per head coach Mike Elko

“I made him come in my office and convince me he was ready. We had a conversation Thursday and I got a strong idea that he was ready to go.”

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman made a triumphant return from a shoulder injury Saturday and led No. 14 Texas A&M to a dominant upset of Missouri.

Despite redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed playing well in Weigman’s absence, Aggies head coach Mike Elko stuck by his starter.

“I made him come in my office and convince me he was ready. We had a conversation on Thursday afternoon, and in that conversation, I got a really strong idea that he was ready to go,” Elko recalled Monday. “The conversation for us was we wanted to see Conner at 100%, and we felt like Conner at 100% gave us our best chance to win.

“We felt like, at the end of the week, we were going to get the best version of Conner and felt that was certainly something that would give us the best chance to win.”

Texas A&M has a bye this upcoming weekend. The Aggies will return on Oct. 19 at 3:15 p.m. for an SEC road matchup at Mississippi State.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Report card for No. 14 Texas A&M following matchup against No. 18 Missouri in Week 6

Following the Week 6 matchup against Missouri, we break down the Aggies’ grade.

The Texas A&M football team made a thunderous statement in front of the entire nation on Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field.

The Aggies (5-1, 3-0 SEC) won their fifth consecutive game with a 41-10 mauling of Missouri (4-1, 1-1), who entered the contest ranked No. 9 in the country. Following the bludgeoning, Texas A&M vaulted seven spots to No. 14 while the Tigers dropped nine slots to No. 18.

At halftime, the Aggies led 24-0, holding an AP-ranked team scoreless after 30 minutes for the first time since 2012. Amid junior quarterback Conner Weigman’s triumphant return from injury, Texas A&M went on to extend its massive advantage to 34-0 before going on to win by 31 points.

It was a truly remarkable rout that put the rest of the nation on notice. The Aggies proved that they are the real deal and ready to compete for a conference championship this season. With nothing to nitpick, the perfect performance earned an A+.

Texas A&M has a bye this upcoming weekend. The Aggies will return on Oct. 19 for an SEC road matchup at Mississippi State. Kickoff at Davis Wade Stadium is to be determined.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

‘Challenge to the 12th Man,’ Aggies football fans put on notice ahead of Missouri matchup

“I heard their quarterback say that it’s louder in practice than it is at Kyle Field. To me, that’s a challenge to the 12th Man,” Elko said.

Texas A&M fans are arguably the best in the nation but the 12th Man has been getting disrespected lately and the most recent occurrence has come courtesy of the Missouri football program.

“The noise at practice is actually louder” Tigers senior quarterback Brady Cook said. “They put these two speakers pretty much two-feet right behind me and, I mean, you can’t hear anything, it’s loud. In stadiums, it’s loud, but it’s like a surrounding kind of distant loud, so it’s a little different. I think it’s just as loud or louder and tougher to communicate.”

Head coach Mike Elko was not amused by Cook’s comment during the Aggie Football Hour this week.

“It has been interesting that we’ve had people call out Kyle Field a little bit,” Elko said. “I heard their quarterback say today that it’s louder in practice than it is at Kyle Field. To me, that’s a challenge to the 12th Man.”

The No. 21 Aggies host the No. 9 Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ABC.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

Sister of Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed not allowed at practice amid upcoming game vs. Mizzou

“I was hoping maybe she would get out to practice and find some secrets for it,” Aggies coach Mike Elko joked. “No, I’m kidding of course.”

The stakes are already extremely high for the Texas A&M football team entering this weekend’s top 25 conference matchup but now it’s even gotten personal.

The No. 21 Aggies (4-1, 2-0 SEC) play No. 9 Missouri (4-0, 1-0) on Saturday morning at Kyle Field. For current Aggies starting quarterback, redshirt freshman Marcel Reed, there are family ties on the opposing sideline. His older sister, Briah, is the Tigers assistant director of on campus recruiting.

Mizzou head coach Eli Drinkwitz said Wednesday during an SEC teleconference that Briah is not allowed to go to practice this week besides the first five periods due to a “conflict of interest,” as reported by Carter Karels of 247Sports on X.

In response to Drinkwitz’s proclamation, Texas A&M head coach Mike Elko delivered a witty reply.

“I was hoping maybe she would get out to practice and find some secrets for it,” Elko joked. “No, I’m kidding of course.”

The Aggies host the Tigers at 11 a.m. on ABC.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Stephanie Amador / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK

Report card for Texas A&M football team following matchup against Arkansas in Week 5

Following the Week 5 matchup against the Razorbacks, we break down the Aggies’ grade.

This past weekend at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, the Texas A&M football team accomplished something that the Dallas Cowboys have yet to do this year: win in the Lone Star State.

The No. 21 Aggies (4-1, 2-0 SEC) beat Arkansas (3-2, 1-1) by a final score of 21-17 on Saturday afternoon. Texas A&M has beat Jerry Jones’ alma mater in 12 of its last 13 meetings.

On multiple occasions in the recent SEC clash, the Aggies overcame adversity. The Razorbacks struck first with a quick three-play drive that took 71 seconds and was capped off with a 75-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Taylen Green to senior wide receiver Isaac TeSlaa.

Texas A&M responded with a three-play, 70-yard possession that lasted 67 seconds. Redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed connected with junior WR Noah Thomas for a 58-yard tuddy to even the score.

The Aggies overcame adversity again by tying the game at 14 a piece, then tallying the go-ahead TD in the fourth quarter on a 5-yard pass from Reed to senior tight end Tre Watson.

Therefore, Texas A&M earned a B+ for its performance at Jerry’s World. Winning in the SEC is never easy and notching a fourth straight win while being at a neutral site should be commended and respected.

Next up for the Aggies is a challenging conference morning matchup against No. 11 Missouri. Texas A&M hosts the Tigers at Kyle Field on Saturday at 11 a.m. on ABC.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Pair of Aggies in the NFL record respective firsts during Week 4 amid losing efforts

Green Bay Packers linebacker Edgerrin Cooper and Jacksonville Jaguars wide receiver Christian Kirk put on strong performances this weekend.

Three former members of the Texas A&M football team put on strong performances this past weekend in the NFL.

Tampa Bay superstar wide receiver Mike Evans put on a show in front of former teammate Tom Brady to become the all-time leading scorer in Buccaneers franchise history. Evans accomplished the feat during a 33-16 victory versus Philadelphia.

Meanwhile across the league, a pair of Aggies alumni recorded respective firsts on Sunday afternoon. Rookie linebacker Edgerrin Cooper tallied his first fumble recovery for Green Bay. Seventh-year wideout Christian Kirk hauled in his first touchdown catch of the season for Jacksonville.

Kirk racked up 7 receptions on 12 targets for 61 yards and a score during a 24-20 loss at Houston. He has totaled 17 catches for 169 yards and 1 TD through four games. The Jaguars (0-4) host the Colts for an AFC South matchup on Sunday at noon.

Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Cooper has 13 tackles (8 solo), 0.5 sacks, 1 fumble recovery and 1 pass defense thus far. The Packers (2-2) lost to the Vikings 31-29 at home in Week 4. Green Bay plays in Los Angeles against the Rams on Sunday at 3:25 p.m.

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.

Buccaneers WR and Aggies alumnus Mike Evans excels in front of former teammate Tom Brady

“There’s no way you can stay with Mike Evans,” Fox Sports color commentator Tom Brady said Sunday during the Buccaneers win over the Eagles.

Texas A&M alumnus Mike Evans is well on his way to being a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer and the Tampa Bay superstar wide receiver got back on track this weekend with an impressive performance in front of a prominent former teammate.

With seven-time Super Bowl champion and Fox Sports color commentator Tom Brady in attendance, Evans ended his touchdown drought at two games with a tuddy in the first quarter versus Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon. The Buccaneers (3-1) held down home turf at Raymond James Stadium and earned a 33-16 win against the Eagles (2-2).

“There’s no way you can stay with Mike Evans,” Brady said on the broadcast.

Evans finished with 8 catches on 14 targets for 94 yards and 1 score. He bounced back from recording only 2 receptions on 3 targets for 17 yards in a 26-7 loss versus the Denver Broncos on Sept. 22.

Through four games, Evans is on his way to another 1,000 yard season with 18 catches for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns. Tampa Bay has a bye in Week 5.

Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Contact/Follow us @AggiesWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas A&M news, notes and opinions. Follow Shaun on Twitter: @Shaun_Holkko.