August 23, 2004
Texas Governor Rick Perry visited the Texas A&M football team as the Aggies wrapped up their final two-a-day workout of the 2004 fall camp on Monday at the grass practice fields.
Perry, a 1972 Texas A&M graduate, watched a portion of the afternoon practice and then addressed the team.
"Governor Perry talked to the team at break, and we always love to have the Governor here," A&M head coach Dennis Franchione said. "He's one of the great Aggies and a great supporter of athletics. I think it always means something to our players when the Governor of Texas comes to practice, or when former President Bush comes to practice. I think they are people that our players look up to and admire, and I know they are people that I look up to and admire. He talked to them about restoring tradition and taking it higher. He had a good message."
Franchione announced that 2004 signee Terrence Smith of Sugar Land Hightower High School by way of Northwest Mississippi Junior College will enroll at Texas A&M in January.
"Terrence Smith will not be here until January," Franchione said. "He's got to finish his classes and by the time the red tape of finishing his classes, getting his grades posted, getting his degree and getting it here was cleared up, it was going to take too long. He's got a redshirt year and with the amount of time he's missed, that's what he was going to be anyway. We told him to take his time and take another class or two if he wants to and come in January and go through spring practice."
Franchione also announced the retirement of fifth-year senior linebacker Anthony Squillante (Southlake, Texas / Carroll HS) and the addition of the senior Colin Sproule (Houston, Texas / Spring Woods HS) to the fall camp 105-man roster.
"It was a tough decision for (Squillante)," Franchione said. "He had reached a point and time in his academic and personal career that he felt that was best for him."
Squillante, saw action in all 12 games in 2003 and contributed 16 tackles and forced a fumble. Sproule, a defensive lineman, saw action in one game last season.