Stallings pleased with team progress
THE BATTALION
Wednesday, September 1, 1971
College Station, Texas
Page 7
By JOHN CURYLO
Battalion Sports Editor
"Texas A&M has an exception
al student body. There aren’t
many places where a 2-9 team
ould get the kind of ovation we
;ot at All-University Night. I
appreciated it for the players,
bnd I know that they have a
great deal of respect for the stu
dents here.”
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In this way, Aggie Coach Gene
Stallings praised the A&M school
spirit. Speaking at his weekly
press conference Tuesday in the
Lettermen’s Lounge, he also ex
pressed good thoughts about the
community’s support of the team,
specifically the programs wel
coming the team back to school
and the project to fill Kyle Field
for the Wichita State game.
"All the publicity by the radio,
television stations, and businesses
around town really made a dif
ference in the attitude of the
players,” Stallings said. “It
makes them want to do better
when everyone is behind them
like that.”
He also talked about the Open
House at Kyle Field Sunday
night, saying that the turnout
was pleasing. The coach added
that he appreciated the praise he
received on his players’ polite
ness with the youngsters.
On the subject of fall drills,
Stallings commented that he felt
the team had progressed with
each practice.
“Usually, when I look at scrim
mage films, I find some phase of
the game that I’m not pleased
with,” he said, “but in looking at
the films from Saturday night, I
like everything I saw.”
Stallings singled out tailback
Cliff Thomas, guard Leonard
Forey, and fullback Doug Neill
as grading high in the last scrim
mage.
Injuries, which ruined the Ag
gies last year, were discussed
only briefly, but Stallings point
ed out that aggravating injuries,
such as sprains and soreness,
were hurting his plans for an
other scrimmage.
“This is the time of year I
love,” he said, “but I’m frustrat
ed because we need a little more
contact work, but I’m reluctant
to have a full-scale scrimmage,
for fear of getting someone
hurt.”
He mentioned that if the Wich
ita game had been yesterday,
Mark Green could not have
played, due to a sprained foot,
and that Lex James might have
been able to play, but that he
had a badly sprained left thumb.
At the present time, Tim Trim-
mier and Joe Mac King are work
ing behind James and Green at
the quaterback slot.
Stallings pointed out that Rob
ert Murski, who is now playing
split end after being a corner-
back last year, has done an “ex
cellent job” thus far.
“Robert catches the ball well,”
he said, “but he doesn’t run his
routes perfectly. Of course,
that’s much better than having
somebody who runs good routes
and drops the ball.”
He also said that Hugh McEl-
roy would return punts this year,
and that he would run back kick
offs, with John Gardner and
Ricky Spencer probably deep on
kickoffs too.
With 23 seniors on the squad,
Stallings was asked about lead
ership, both on and off the field.
“You need two types of lead
ership on a football team,” he ex
plained, “the rallying kind and
the silent kind. I’m proud to say
that we have both types on this
year’s squad.”
Aggie sports information director to air
first in series of television broadcasts
Spec Gammon, in his ninth
year as sports information direc
tor at Texas A&M, will host the
“Spec Gammon Show,” premier
ing this coming Monday, Septem
ber 6, at 7:30 p.m., on Midwest
Video-BCS-TV, Channel 9.
The format for the new series
will be films highlighting Aggie
games, keeping Aggie fans up to
date on happenings behind the
scenes. He also will give scout
ing reports on the Southwest
Conference teams and Aggie op
ponents. Interesting guests also
will be interviewed.
Gammon, though a Texan for
many years, received his school
ing in Oklahoma and acquired his
Bachelors at the University of
Oklahoma. He was a quarterback
in his school days, and also cap
tained the basketball team. After
serving in the Army for three
IM
SWC Press Tour
Talented junior thrives on contact
here for session
If opponents want to find a
tough lineman on the Aggie
team, they’ll have a number to
choose from. But, which ever one
they pick, none will be tougher
than Boice Best.
At 6-1 and 230, the junior from
Houston Smiley has a rough year
of college football behind him,
but he seems to thrive on the idea
of another season.
“We’ve had a lot of spirit and
enthusiasm so far,” he said, “and
we’re all very much looking for
ward to this year. We sure do
want to win.”
On a team with few great
sophomores, Boice said that
Trammell, 6-1 and 255, is quite
capable of doing the job well.
“Bud reminds me of Van Odom
when he was a sophomore, and
that’s a tough football player,”
he explained.
On a very experienced team
with 23 seniors, it seems odd that
a junior would be a leader, but
the experience and quality he has
from last year put him in the
“veteran” category.
“It’s so much different as a
junior,” Best explained. “Last
year, when things got tough dur
ing practice, I’d sort of ‘belly
ache,’ but now, I wouldn’t think
of letting anybody know I’m
tired, because I’m expected to
show a good example and be a
leader. It’s been good for me,
too.”
In discussing the overall de
fense, Boice said that he expects
them to provide a lot of thrills
this fall.
“We’ll be in there all the way,”
he promised. “We’ve got a lot of
experience and a number of guys
who could break into the lineup.
All these guys will play a lot,
even if they don’t start. I’m look
ing forward to a good year, since
all of the players who were in
jured last year are ready to go.
It hurt us last year to have so
many people miss games, prac
tices, and even some parts of the
season with injuries.”
Southwest Conference Press
Day arrives at College Station
tonight with a barbeque at Ar
nold’s beginning at 7 p.m. which
will kick off the annual extrava-
years during World War II, he
began his career in the sports
departments of several small
town newspapers. Shortly there
after, he became sports editor of
the “Odessa American” for 13
years. He joined the athletic de
partment at Texas A&M in July
of 1963 in his present capacity
as sports publicist.
He was married to the former
Aria Rutenbeck of Greeley, Colo
rado in 1954. They reside in Col
lege Station, and have two chil
dren; a daughter, Marla, 15, and
a son, Greg, 12.
If everybody is well, then the
Aggies could live up to their de
sire to have a winning season.
In any case, fans can look to
Boice Best to provide the excite
ment and determination that
makes football what it is.
ganza.
The group is made up of all
sports writers and sports report
ers throughout the state whose
newspaper, magazine, radio or
television station covers a South
west Conference team.
Press Day here will consist of
an interview with Coach Gene
Stallings at 8 a.m. Thursday in
the Letterman’s Lounge, a free
lance interview session with the
players and a group interview
with selected players.
Spec Gammon
STEREO CITY
Original
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Next to the Campus Theater
A first teamer at this point,
Best refuses to be overconfident
about starting throughout the
r . m
it alls
“I can’t afford to relax during
practice,” he explained. “I have
to work like I’m getting beaten
out, because Bud Trammell could
very well replace me or James
Dubcak (the other starting
tackle).”
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