December 29, 2004
The Aggies had their busiest day to date in Dallas on Wednesday with a special breakfast, practice, press conference, hospital visit and a team party filling up the schedule.
AggieAthletics.com will chronicle bowl week with photos, video and audio clips, and this daily notebook.
COUNTDOWN TO KICKOFF: 3 days.
SPOTLIGHT ON WEDNESDAY:
- The Aggies woke up early Wednesday and attended the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) SBC Cotton Bowl Breakfast in the team hotel.
- The third practice of the week, and the final open to the public, took place in shorts and shoulder pads again at SMU. A&M worked out for just over two hours in front of over 400 people.
- Offensive Coordinator Les Koenning, Jr., and players Jason Carter, Courtney Lewis, Geoff Hangartner, Reggie McNeal and Terrence Murphy took part in A&M's offensive press conference at the Omni Mandalay Hotel in Las Colinas.
- While those were at the press conference, the rest of the team went to Children's Medical Center in Dallas, signing autographs and handing out gifts for over an hour.
- The team was later in the evening transported to Main Event in Grapevine for dinner and a private party. The Aggies were able to play many different kinds of arcade games, bowl and participate in other activities.
- As the squad was taking part in that function, staff and official party members joined their counterparts from Tennessee, bowl officials and the media for a private "Honky Tonk" party at Gilley's just south of downtown Dallas.
SPOTTED AT PRACTICE
Former Texas A&M standouts Doug Carter, Gary Oliver, Bucky Sams and Tank Marshall were among those watching the Aggies' practice Wednesday at SMU.
Sams and Marshall also visited with their former teammate and current SMU head coach Phil Bennett outside the Mustangs' fancy locker room in the brand-new Ford Stadium.
In addition, eight of Coach Fran's former players at TCU visited with the Aggie head man after practice, in addition to Franchione's former Sports Information Director in Fort Worth, Trey Carmichael.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
on Texas A&M's morning practice.
from the offensive press conference.
A&M's visit to Children's Medical Center.
A CLOSER LOOK
PHOTOS: , , ,
AUDIO: ,
ON DECK--THURSDAY
- Morning press conference in Las Colinas featuring head coach Dennis Franchione and Tennessee coach Phillip Fulmer.
- Closed practice at Southern Methodist University.
- Post-practice media obligations for Coach Franchione only.
- Team photo at the Cotton Bowl.
- Team/band function at Midieval Times in Dallas.
FACT OF THE DAY:
The trip to Children's Medical Center has become a Cotton Bowl tradition, as the Aggies' visit on Wednesday marked the 15th straight by a team participating in the bowl. The Tennessee Volunteers made a trip to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital on Tuesday.