Ralphie. Bevo. Dotting the “I.” Howard’s Rock. Country Roads. Those are a few traditions that are intrinsic to college football as the sport celebrates its 150th season.
Texas A&M has several traditions that are legendary, but the only one that has an impact on the game. The Aggies’ 12th Man this season will be junior linebacker Braden White.
White takes over for Cullen Gillaspia, who illustrates how the 12th Man has evolved from curiosity to contributor. He appeared in 39 games, the most ever for a 12th Man. A fullback, he was the first to score a touchdown and he was the first drafted. He was a sixth-round pick by the Houston Texans.
“I have a whole lot of respect for Gillie and everything he’s done,” White said on the 12th Man website, “but I mean, I’m not trying to be Cullen Gillaspia. Gillie, he’s a heck of a player. I’m a different player. I’m going to do my best, and give all that I can and do whatever it takes to represent the University in the best way that I can.”
White is from Florence, Ala., and wound up in College Station because his father Brad played Tennessee and was a teammate of John Chavis, who was the Aggies’ defensive coordinator in 2016 when White arrived as a walk-on.
“When I first came to A&M, I didn’t really know any of the traditions,” White said. “In three years, as I’ve lived through the traditions and everything, this has turned into somewhere I love, where I call home now. To be able to take part in one of the traditions, it means absolutely the world to me.”
Former Texas A&M linebacker Tyrel Dodson, how with the Buffalo Bills, was not surprised that White was selected for wear No. 12.
“Anyone would tell you if Cullen wasn’t there, Braden would be the 12th Man,” Dodson told Travis Brown of the Bryan Eagle. “Ever since Cullen left and the new 12th Man has been up for (grabs), this is no surprise to anyone.”
A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said he took his time and did his due diligence in selecting White.
“I never saw a day off, I never saw anything taken for granted,” Fisher said. “He exemplified everything which the 12th Man stands for. He is extremely impressive in everything he does. He knows one speed, and that’s full go and to do it right.”
The 12th Man started with E. King Gill suiting up out of the stands to help a depleted Aggies team at the the 1922 Dixie Classic. Sixty years later, Jackie Sherrill turned the tradition into tackling. Sherrill’s version of a kickoff coverage team made up of walk-ons who were more than happy to risk life and limb to tackle opposing kick returners. Their maniacal efforts, surprisingly, were effective.
Sherrill’s successors have dialed back and designated one walk-on as each season’s 12th Man. What was quaint and quirky in 1982 has become serious. It just means more for Texas A&M and fulfilling a tradition is not just having a 180-pound student wearing a uniform bearing the No. 12.
Kellen Mond, No. 25
Pro Football Focus also does statistical breakdowns and analysis of college football. The website published its top 25 quarterbacks for this season and Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond was ranked No. 25. Here’s what was written:
“Mond is set to be the next Jimbo Fisher quarterback to hear his name called early in the NFL draft, as he took control of the Aggies offense a year ago. His career-high overall and passing grade are great signs for the future as he strung together some big-time performances and totaled 3,110 passing yards with another 657 on the ground. A threat with the ball in his hands either from the pocket or outside, Mond can move defenses and is sharp with his reads, something he’ll have to rely on with Texas A&M’s gauntlet of a schedule this year.”
Opener updates
- Texas A&M starts the season Thursday (7:30 p.m., SEC Network) when Texas State visits College Station. The Bobcats of the Sun Belt Conference were 3-9 last season and their new coach is Jake Spavital, who was an offensive coordinator/quarterback coach at A&M from 2013 to 2015 and spent the last two seasons in the same jobs at West Virginia.
- Junior cornerback Debione Renfro has been suspended for a violation of team rules. Coach Jimbo Fisher said last week, “We’ll see how it goes” as to whether Renfro’s suspension lasts longer than the season opener. Renfro played in all 13 games as a freshman with 11 starts. Last season he led Aggies cornerbacks in tackles with 37 plus had five pass breakups.
- Senior corner Charles Oliver is listed as a starter, replacing Renfro. Oliver is the only senior listed on the two-deep lineup that was released last week. The Aggies have just five scholarship seniors.
- The depth chart lists 57 players (not including kickers); a true two-deep would list 44. Fisher said the main reason for so many “ors” on the two-deep is that players have different roles for different offensive and defensive packages. There are 16 freshmen listed and rookie Kenyon Green is listed as the starter at right guard.
- With a Group of Five opponent in the opener and a trip to defending national champion Clemson in Week Two, Fisher made it clear there has been attention paid only to Texas State. “You don’t ever take anything for granted,” he said. “We haven’t talked about Clemson one time and don’t plan on it until after the Texas State game. We aren’t overlooking this first game.” Opening the season on a Thursday does, however, give the Aggies extra time to prepare for Clemson.
