Texas A&M Featured at All-American Football Banquet
Jul 24, 2003 | Football
July 24, 2003
Texas A&M will figure prominently in the All-American Football Foundation's 53rd Banquet of Champions held at the Wyndham Anatole Hotel in Dallas, Friday, July 25.
The seniors from Coach Paul "Bear" Bryant's first Texas A&M squad in 1954 will be honored as the Bill Wade Unsung Heroes Award. Coach Bryant took that first group of Aggie football players to Junction and the young men who competed and stayed the course through a grueling football camp are known as "The Junction Boys".
Among the seniors expected to return are Ray Barrett, Henry Clark, Bob Easley, Charles Hall, Don, Kachtik, Elwood Kettler, Dutch Ohlendorf, Joe Schero, Bill Schroeder, Bennie Sinclair, Sid Theriot, Herb Wolf and former A&M athletic director Marvin Tate.
Former A&M athletic director Wally Groff will receive the General Robert R. Neyland Outstanding Athletic Director Award. Groff served as the Aggie athletic director for 10 years and continues to serve as special assistant to Director of Athletics Bill Byrne. Groff is beginning his 37th year of service to Aggie athletics.
Gene Stallings, an underclassman and part of the Junction Boys and a former A&M head football coach and athletic director, will receive the Johnny Vaught Head Coach Award. His wife, Ruth Ann, will be awarded the First Lady of Football Award.
Jack Pardee, another Junction Boy, and an All-American Aggie football player will be honored along with Lee Roy Jordan of Alabama, Bob Lilly of TCU and Lew and Preston Carpenter of Arkansas will be honorees of the Football Legends.
The late Tom Landry will be honored along with longtime Dallas Cowboy personnel director Gil Brandt, and Cotton Bowl Director of Media Relations Charlie Fiss will receive the Scoop Hudgens Sports Information Award.
