September 16, 2004
Former Texas A&M football coach Emory Bellard and former All-American running back Bubba Bean will serve as honorary team captains for the Aggies as part of the Clemson game Saturday at 6 p.m. at Kyle Field, the school announced Thursday.
The two will accompany the A&M team captains for the coin toss and be recognized. Earlier in the day, the pair is scheduled to sign autographs and pose for photos in the Aggie Fan Zone.
The originator of the Wishbone offense, Bellard led the Aggie program from 1972-78 and finished with a record of 48-27. Bellard led the Aggies to four consecutive bowls and his 1975 squad reached as high as No. 2 in the country and won the Southwest Conference Championship.
Bean was a team captain in 1975 and was part of Bellard's first recruiting class when freshman players became eligible in 1972. Bean was a four-year letter winner.
When the Aggies last faced Clemson in 1974, Bean rushed for 182 yards and scored a 32-yard touchdown as the Bellard-led A&M team won 24-0 at Kyle Field.
The last Aggie featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, Bean rushed for 126 yards on 17 carries against Texas in 1975 as the Aggies beat the Longhorns, 20-10, and vaulted to second in the country.
Bean left Aggieland after four years as the school's all-time leading rusher with 2,846 yards. When he graduated, he had two of the top three rushing seasons in school history. Bean earned All-Conference honors in 1974 and 1975 and was a first-round draft pick of the Atlanta Falcons in 1976.
He is a member of the Texas A&M Athletic Hall of Fame.