Slocum Names Farris Quarterback
Aug 21, 2000 | Football
August 21, 2000
Texas A&M Head Coach R.C. Slocum announced today he has named Mark Farris, a sophomore from Angleton, Texas, as the Aggies' starting quarterback for the upcoming Notre Dame game.
"I've decided to name Mark Farris our starter against Notre Dame," Slocum said. "We're less than two weeks away from the opener and it's important to our team to get some continuity to our offense. The first-string quarterback needs as many reps with the first unit as possible."
Farris was 6-of-16 for 53 yards in 1999 as a backup quarterback for the Aggies.
"My job is still the same," Farris said. "I do the very best I can on the field and let the coaches decide who starts, and who gets to play. I have to keep working hard and doing my best. We've (the three quarterbacks) had great competition since the spring and we will continue to compete. That competition has helped each of us improve."
Farris signed with Texas A&M in the spring of 1994 after passing for 1,831 yards and 21 touchdowns as a senior. He was the district's MVP and also earned All-State honors in baseball.
Farris opted to sign a professional baseball contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates after being selected in the first round of the 1994 major league baseball draft. He played first and third base in the organization and reached the AA level playing for Carolina in the Southern League and hitting .273 in 111 games during the summer of 1998.
Redshirt freshman Colby Freeman, from Brownwood High School, and sophomore Vance Smith, from Fort Worth Christian High School, will split time working with the second unit Coach Slocum said. Smith was 5-of-14 for 86 yards with one touchdown and one interception last year as a backup quarterback.
The 24th-ranked Aggies face the Fighting Irish of Notre Dame on Sept. 2 in South Bend, Indiana. The game will be televised nationally by NBC and kickoff is set for 12 noon central.
