August 08, 2004
Texas A&M head football coach Dennis Franchione welcomed 105 Aggie football players back to campus on Sunday for the evening meal.
"We're excited about getting started," Coach Fran said. "A lot of the players have worked hard during the summer and we are excited about seeing the newcomers."
Coach Fran did mention a few members of the February recruiting class who would not be a part of the 105 players reporting. Keith Dickerson, a wide receiver from LaMarque High School, will report when school begins since he is rehabilitating a knee injury. Keondra Smith, a running back from Lee High School in Tyler, and Terrence Smith, a junior college linebacker from Sugar Land and Northwest Mississippi Junior College, are both continuing academic progress. Tory DeGrate, a wide receiver from Waco High School, and Mark Young, a linebacker from Mt. Pleasant High School, will not enroll at Texas A&M but attend a junior college.
Redshirt freshman running back Derrick Brown, from Klein Oak High School, is not a part of the 105 due to "academic and personal issues" according to Coach Fran.
The Aggies will work in shorts and helmets on Monday beginning at 5:15 p.m. The squad will work once a day until two-a-day practices begin on Saturday, Aug. 14.
Texas A&M opens the 2004 campaign against the University of Utah on Thursday, Sept. 2. The game will be televised nationally by ESPN.