Image provided by: Texas A&M University
About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 30, 1993)
:>w the me but ype of ?where yle of- s what iat the benefit re will 5 quar- eryone t's go- e team t to ex- «v what Pullig e team better , is all \'t just couple ttle re- l. "We h week in that vhat it i year's ve that de." ling to ^ullig's ■ncy is ps him good ack. iy has ise, he have hs and Foledo en he's ell he think out it, makes i he think out it. forgets them so ot a lot peaks s. He's and to portant Monday, August 30,1993 The Battalion Page 3D Atkinson ready to ignite unit Linebacker leads defense by example and experience By William Harrison The Battalion There is one play coaches and players talk about when they describe A&M inside line backer Jason Atkinson. "A play that stands out in my mind - (Rice's) Bert Emanuel is one of the fastest quarterbacks in the country and (Atkin son) chased him down and tackled him behind the line for a loss," A&M defen sive tackle Eric England said. A&M defensive coordinator Bob Davie remembers the play as well. "That's probably his claim to fame right now is that he got the fastest kid in the conference on a roll-out pass by chas ing him down," Davie said. "And he's not the fastest kid on our team, but one thing you know when you go out there to play, you can expect a certain level from him and you're going to get it." Atkinson, an All-America and Butkus award candidate, heads into his third season as a starter. He has played all four years since he stepped in as a redshirt freshman in 1990 against the University of Texas, responding with 10 tackles. He has played side-by-side with NFL A&M linebacking alumni Quentin Coryatt, William Thomas and Marcus Buckley and has spent two years as the signal-caller in Davie's de fense. Atkinson has also been busy off the field. Academically, he will be working on his Mas ters degree this fall after graduating last spring with a degree in civil engineering. Plus, he got married June 19. And he savors the heat. "I love the heat - when it's about 110-120 degrees," Atkinson said. "Especially when you're on the field like at the LSU game early in the season and you look across the line and it's just roasting the guy across the line from you. "Man, that just gets me so excited because it's not affecting me, and it gives me an extra, added advantage." Getting a leg-up is something Davie said Atkinson has done over the years. Davie said he sat down with Atkinson after his redshirt year and went over the things he had to do in order to play at A&M. Davie said he was amazed at what he saw when Atkinson returned for his second year. "As a freshman, he had some limitations as far as his quickness, his footwork and change of direction," Davie said. "A lot of players re ally don't want to work at their weaknesses; Jason works at his weaknesses and I think has overcome spme things. "I think the thing that separates Jason \| {I Darrin HUI/The Battalion Atkinson maybe from some of the other guys is if you tell Jason something, he will take it to heart and work on it." Atkinson, who was not highly recruited out of Westfield high school under former A&M coach Emory Bellard, credits A&M and Davie's system for giving him the opportunity to play and excel. "I've gotten to play a lot more than I ever thought possible, and it's incredible to think that five years ago, I thought that I'd be here just going to school," Atkinson said. "It's real exciting to play at Texas A&M, es pecially for (Coach Davie). As soon as a de fense is played anywhere in the nation or world, amateur, pro or semi-pro, the coaches are watching it to see if it's going to work and we put it in for a little while to see if it fits in our scheme." Davie said the defense will emphasize Atkinson's blitzing more this season than last. "We've always had a good blitzer at that position, and we do a lot of inside plug stunts," Davie said. "Jason has a good knack for getting the feel for (an opposing team's) snap count - he times those real well. "Plus he's fearless - he's not afraid to throw his body in there." England said Atkinson gives the players se curity because he is backing them up, and said Atkinson's technical knowledge of the game and fearlessness allow Atkinson to make plays that people don't expect him to make. "He brings a controlled relentless pursuit and recklessness," England said. "He gets ex cited, gets (the rest of) us pumped, makes big plays and makes a lot of noise." Atkinson says he is looking forward to his final year at A&M and wants to bring the de fense together and keep last year's blowout Cotton Bowl loss to Notre Dame in perspec tive. "Since I first became a starter we've lost three games, and I definitely think that it is the worst loss I've ever taken at A&M," Atkinson said. "I knew there was an extreme possibility of us getting embarrassed because of the affect the press was having and the fact that we were losing focus. "If we ever get the chance to do it again, we will not lose focus." With talk of awards as well as Cotton Bowl and national championship possibilities again being mentioned in the same breath with many of A&M's players, including himself, Atkinson said he wants to keep the hype from squandering the team's promising outlook this fall. "It's fun to talk about Outland Trophy, Thorpe and Butkus and all that, but you really have to concentrate during the season on the season," Atkinson said. "When you try to highlight one or two players that takes away from your team, and you're taking away from your ability to win games. "You might be trying to win a trophy here and there, but you'd do a better job if you just forgot about the trophy and played football." Tips for Aggie fans: Don't leave home without them If you are planning to watch some Aggie football at Kyle Field this season (and you should be), there are a few things you need to know before venturing out. The following tips are provided to help make your life a little easier, so you can enjoy watching the Aggies "beat the hell outta" all their opponents. TICKET INFORMATION Most students purchase their football tickets during registra tion. But if you have not pur chased tickets, you can go to the Athletic Ticket Office in 113 G. Rollie White Coliseum to add the ticket option to your fees. If you are not interested in buying a sea son ticket, individual tickets can be purchased on Fridays if they are available. Ticket prices range from $20 to $30. The week following a game, there are designated days for each class to pick up their re served tickets. Monday: graduates and se niors Tuesday: juniors Wednesday: sophomores Thursday: freshmen Friday: all classes and non-sea son Each day a specific section is designated and tickets are ran domly distributed from that area. One student can pick up no more than 10 tickets (you must have an I.D. for each ticket). However, at least half of the I.D.s must be of the classification des ignated for that day, or higher. GUESTS Students who have season tickets can purchase one guest ticket per I.D. or convert a stu dent ticket to a guest ticket for half the price of a regular guest ticket. Note: Guests tickets purchased with a student I.D. will be located on the student section in Kyle Field. PARKING The following parking lots are reserved on game days and are not available to the general pub lic: 37 (across from the MSC) 46, 48, 62, 69, 91, 95 (all sur rounding Kyle Field) 49 (long, staff lot off Welborn Rd.) 56 (fish lot off of Joe Routt Blvd.) 63 (Park & Ride by Olsen Field) 96 (fish lot on north side of Joe Routt Blvd.) Additionally, these lots must be vacated by 4:00, if they are commuter lots, and 6:30, if they are staff lots, on the day preced ing the game. Signs will be posted at these areas. Suggested parking areas in clude the parking garages, lot 89 and 61 (fish lots), and the streets. The most important thing to do to avoid a parking hassle is to leave early. Arriving two hours prior to the game should leave you plenty of time. WHAT TO BRING If you have ever stood for four hours at an Aggie football game in the extreme heat - or occasion ally, the cold - you know that you can not go empty-handed. Here is list of things you may consider to bring to make the day more bearable: • I.D. (You can't get in without it.) • ticket • 12th Man towel • money (Drinks aren't cheap, but at least you can keep the cup). • sunblock (The afternoon games can be killers.) • baseball hat (Just make sure to take it off doing yells.) • binoculars (Freshmen.) • Hershey's Kisses (If you don't want to kiss your date.) •And hopefully for the Texas game, cotton. DANCE Beginning Country 8c Western Wed. Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13 6pm Wed. Sept 15, 22, 29, Oct 6, 13 7:30pm| Advanced Country 8c Western Wed. Oct 20, 25, Nov 3, 10, 17 6pm Jitterbug Thurs. Sept 23, 30, Oct 7, 14, 21 6pm Wed. Oct 20, 25, Nov 3, 10, 17 7:30pm Ballroom Dance Tues. Sept 28, Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 6pm AEROBICS Registration Begins Sept 6th in the University PLUS Craft Center MSC Basement Level *M/W Sept 6 - Dec 1 5:30-6:30pm $30/student *T/Th Sept 7 - Dec 2 5:30-6:30pm $30/student *T/Th Sept 7 - Dec 2 6:45-7:45pm $30/student Registration Begins Aug 30th in the University PLUS Craft Center MSC Basement Level Located in the MSC Basement Level - University PLUS Craft Center - 845-1631 Look for a complete listing of Fall ’93 classes in the blue boxes on campus. A Tradition At Its Best. . Call 845-1631 *18 x- AUTHORIZED DRIVING SCHOOL DEFENSIVE DRIVING CLASSES *18 Ticket Dismissal J * 18.- With this coupon Insurance Discount j ^ 0 Every Sunday At Post Oak Mall *18 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM For Info or Reservations _ Call: 1-800-767-3677 * 18 Beginning: m C & IV DANCE LESSONS Learn the Basics - 2-Step, Polka, Waltz and Turns. Dates: Sept. 6, 13, 20, & 27 - Time: 7:15-8:45 p.m. Dates: Sept. 7, 14, 21, & 28 - Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m. Intermediate: Beyond the Basics- Pretzel, Lariat, The El Paso, Jitterbug, & More. Dates: Sept. 6, 13, 20, & 27 - Time: 8:45-10:15 p.m. Advanced: Add more Swing - Learn the Whip, Donna, Reverse Pass, Thread-the-Needle, & More. Dates: Sept. 8, 15, 22, & 29 - Time: 7:30-9:00 p.m. Where: Jazzercise Cost: $20/Student $22/Non-Student 846-7023 CAREER CENTER UPCOMING EVENTS Week of August 30 - September 3 Monday, August 30: Placement Orientation 2:00 p.m. Ill SSB Placement Orientation 7:00 p.m. 102 Zachry Tuesday, August 31: Placement Orientation 10:00 a.m. 111 SSB Coop Orientation 4:00 p.m. 111 SSB Placement Orientation 7:00 p.m. RT Wednesday, September 1: Placement Orientation 10:00 a.m. 111 SSB Resume Writing 4:00 p.m. 111 SSB Placement Orientation 7:00 p.m. 102 Blocker Thursday, September 2: Placement Orientation 2:00 p.m. 111 SSB Interviewing Techniques 4:00 p.m. 111 SSB Coop Orientation 5:30 p.m. 111 SSB Placement Orientation 7:00 p.m. 115 Kleberg Friday, September 3: Placement Orientation SSB = Student Services Building RT= Rudder Theatre 2:00 p.m. 302 Rudder FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL: 845-5139 Smart Money. With a complete range of banking services, First Interstate Bank is the smart choice for smart money. e First Interstate Bank We go the extra mile for you* SPECIAL STUDENT CHECKING OFFER 4 If you are currently enrolled in a college or university, bring this coupon to any participating branch for no monthly service charge on a new Basic Checking account for 12 months and receive your first order of checks free! Offer valid only at participating branches listed below: College Station 615A University East (Located inside Randall’s) 846-9338 Offer valid only with coupon for a limited time, offer expires December 31, 1993.