Oct. 5, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - At Texas A&M when you do things twice, it can sometimes become a tradition, and Aggie head football coach Mike Sherman would like to select four Aggie students at the Thursday Yell Practice to travel with the football team to Arlington this weekend for the Southwest Classic football game against Arkansas. Kick is scheduled for 2:36 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 9 from Cowboys Stadium and will be televised by ABC.
"Without a doubt, with the 12th Man, we have the very best student body in the country," Sherman said. "Quite a few students will make the trip to Arlington, but I would like to bring four Aggie students along with the football team to stand ready on the sideline. I believe the four students enjoyed the behind the scenes experience last year."
The Metroplex area is where the original 12th Man tradition has its roots. It was January of 1922 and Texas A&M was making its first appearance in a post-season bowl, the Dixie Classic held at Fair Park Stadium in Dallas. A&M faced off against Centre College and in a tough, physical football game, the Aggies had several injuries. Head coach Dana X. Bible called for E. King Gill to come out of the stands and Gill changed into an injured player's uniform. Gill stood ready on the sidelines in the event he was needed and since that time, the Texas A&M student body has stood ready in the stands of Aggie football games.
The Aggie Yell Leaders, the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and the student body will host a Yell Practice at Kyle Field on Thursday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. Coach Sherman and the team will make their way over to the stadium from the Coolidge Practice Fields to participate in Yell Practice. The four students selected will travel with the team via bus to Arlington on Friday and attend the team walk through at Cowboys Stadium. That evening the students will sit in on various team meetings and stay with the team at the hotel and attend all activities as if they were a member of the traveling squad. During the game, they will be in the team bench area and will wear a 12th Man jersey.
Students attending the Thursday Yell will need to bring their student ID. The ID will be validated upon entrance at Gates 1 and 14. The entrances are the same as the students normally use for Midnight Yell, the southeast and northeast corners of the stadium. Gates open at 5 p.m. and students are encouraged to leave any purses, bags or backpacks at home as they will slow down the entry process into the stadium.