April 08, 2005
| Aggie football players from the maroon and white squads will not be the only ones signing autographs Saturday morning before the annual spring scrimmage. A third team, whose roster consists of players and coaches from the 1972-1978 Emory Bellard era, will be available in front of G. Rollie White coliseum to give fans an opportunity to meet a part of Texas A&M football history. Around 50 players and coaches from that seven-year era, during which the Aggies went 52-29 and finished the season ranked in the top 25 four times, will be in College Station this weekend and attend the Maroon and White game as honorary guests with the Lettermen's Association. Leading the way will be the friendly Bellard who was the first Aggie coach since Paul "Bear" Bryant left in 1957 to tally a career winning record as A&M's head coach. Bellard just so happened to be honored in September at the Clemson game along with former All-American running back Ernest "Bubba" Bean. According to Sports Museum and Lettermen's Association Manager, Cathy Capps, Bellard is one of the most gracious gentlemen she knows. "We took him down on the field to be an honorary captain," Capps said. "It took me all of the first half to get him back to his seat because he would stop to talk with everyone. He spoke to just about anyone that wanted to chat. He's just a very nice man. I think his players just loved him." One of those players, Bean, flourished to amazing dimensions under Coach Bellard's leadership and novel wishbone formation offense. He was the last Aggie to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated. The December 8, 1975 cover story was, "Texas A&M stakes its claim; Bean shreds Texas defense." After that victory Bellard and company moved into second place in the national rankings-A&M's best position since winning the national championship in the '39-40 season. Bean earned All-American honors that season. Other studs from that era including linebacker Ed Simonini, offensive lineman Mark Dennard, running back Curtis Dickey, and linebacker Robert Jackson will join Bellard and Bean on the porch of G. Rollie White at 9:30 to begin signing autographs and meeting with Aggie fans. Both Simonini and Jackson were finalists for the Lombardi Trophy in '75 and '76 respectively. The Lombardi Trophy is given to the college offensive or defensive "lineman" that not only shows outstanding performance and ability but exemplifies the discipline of Coach Lombardi himself. Prior to Saturday's festivities, all members of the Lettermen's Association have been invited to gather at Briarcrest Country Club in Bryan on Friday afternoon to participate in a friendly golf outing. The lettermen will eat a BBQ lunch on the Bright Complex patio Saturday before the game. And then the '76 Sun Bowl and '78 Hall of Fame Bowl champions and other former players from the Bellard era will make their way onto the field during halftime to be recognized by those in attendance. The recognition will add a historical dimension to the maroon and white game, which gives insight to the present and future of A&M football. In addition to the typical Maroon and White roster cards that are available to fans for obtaining signatures from the current players, another memento will be handed out in front of G. Rollie White on which fans can have the former Aggies sign. |