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WEDNESDAY
August 7, 1 996
Page 3
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A&M Football
After enduring a stressful 1995 s
Aggies are taking '96 one day at
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vd Brandon Mitchell share All
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LION!
players and coaches on the
Texas A&M Football Team
have reached a consensus —
the pressure is off, but the ex
citement is back.
Unlike last season, the Ag
gies do not have lofty predic
tions and expectations to live
up to. But, they do have a lot to
look forward to.
“Everyone is excited because
we’re coming into a new confer
ence,” senior comerback Donovan
Greer said. “This year has a re
laxed atmosphere. For the most
part, [practice] has been great.”
A&M defensive coordinator Phil
Bennett said he has been pleased
with his players’ performance dur
ing summer two-a-days.
“I’ve been very pleased with
the effort
and in
tensity,
and with
the reten
tion (of
plays and
forma
tions)
we’ve
had,”
Bennett
said,
“We’ve
been able to get into our defen
sive package early. The players
are excited about the season
and the expectations are to be
the best we can be.”
For several returning Aggie
players, two-a-day experience
has had its advantages.
Aggie sophomore running back
Sirr Parker and sophomore in
side linebacker Dat Nguyen said
they are more confident this year
as opposed to last season, when
they were both newcomers.
‘Tve got a year under my belt
now,” Parker said. “I’m more
confident now in my ability.”
Defensive backs coach Larry
Slade said the team is high-spir
ited because most of the players
have had a year of experience.
The returners have not only
gained confidence in themselves
through that experience, but
they have also gained confidence
in their teammates.
“We (running backs) look real
good compared to last year,”
Parker said. "Everyone is hun
gry and ready to play. No matter
who you put in the game, the job
is going to get done.”
Greer said the defensive backs
are striving to be one of the top
secondaries in the nation.
“We will be one of the best
secondaries whether we have
young players or older players,”
Greer said.
Greer also said he is confident
about his health after coming off
major knee surgery in the spring
and is excited to be playing foot
ball this season.
“Overall, it’s been feeling
great,” Greer said. “It’s a lot
better than I anticipated. All I
have to do is continue strength
ening it and wait for the sore
ness to leave.”
"Who doesn't want to win a
national championship? That
is still our ultimate goal, but
(this year) we're just taking
it one game at a time."
— DONOVAN GREER
A&M senior comerback
The pressure is off this season
for the Aggies. There are no dis
tracting infatuations with Sun
Devil Stadium or the media’s
constant questions about a na
tional championship.
"Last year (during the presea
son) we were ranked third, and a
lot of pressure was on us,” Greer
said. “Now we’re just focusing on
BYU. Who doesn’t want to win a
national championship? That is
still our ultimate goal, but now
we’re just taking it one game at
a time.”
By Ross Hecox
By Colby Gaines
The Battalion
Stew Milne, The Battalion
Junior quarterback Branndon
Stewart inherits the job as the top
signal caller for the 1996 Aggies.
August Graduates:
Don’t Miss The Action!
From Bulldogs and Buffaloes
To Red Raiders and Sooners
By joining the 12th Man Foundation you won’t miss any action. With your
1st year’s complimentary membership, you will receive a subscription to the
12th Man Foundation’s new full-color sports magazine, 12th Man
Magazine. With the subscription, you can catch the opening kick-off
against BYU and follow the Aggies all the way to St. Louis for the Big 12
Championship game.
Join the 12th Man Foundations “New Grad” Program
* First year complimentary membership (a $100 value)
Additional benefits include:
* insulated mug or long-distance phone card
V 12th Man lapel pin
* personalized donor card
^ option for tickets at Aggie football games
^ 12th Man Window decal
* subscription to 12th Man Magazine
MAN!
lul
For more information, come by the 12th Man Foundation office
in the Koldus Building, room 109 or call 846-8892
T hey come from vastly dif
ferent backgrounds, but
they share a few things in
common — a winning desire, the
will to be the best and the same
last name.
But this season, Brandon and
Keith Mitchell could share some
thing even bigger — All-Ameri
can status.
Brandon, a two-year starting
defensive end for A&M and win
ner of the 1995 Walter Camp
All-American Award, is project
ed to earn All-American honors
again this season.
Defensive line coach Bill John
son said Brandon is an experi
enced and spectacular player.
"He is one of the best at
A&M,” Johnson said. "He gained
a starting position early on be
cause he made big plays. Since
then, he's been working very
hard to get better.”
Keith, a two-year starting
outside linebacker and the De
fensive Most Valuable Player of
the 1995 Alamo Bowl, is expect
ed to be the next A&M All-Amer
ican at that position.
A&M outside linebacker coach
Shawn Slocum said Keith is al
ready one of the greatest lineback
ers ever to play for the Aggies.
“He’ll rank with the best line
backers we’ve ever had, includ
ing Aaron Wallace, John Roper
and (Marcus) Buckley," Slocum
said. "He’s a productive guy, a
playmaker and a force for offens
es to deal with.”
Last season, the Aggies were
ranked No. 3 in the pre-season
AP Poll and there was talk of a
national championship. Howev
er, it is a much different story
this fall, as A&M begins the
year with modest rankings and
a new conference.
Brandon said team unity is the
key to avoiding the early-season
letdowns that spoiled A&M’s
championship hopes last year.
“We have to play together —
as a team,” Brandon said. “Last
year, there was a lot of pres
sure of trying to live up to ex
pectations. Every week, we
would be wondering what
everyone was thinking. But this
Stew Milne, The Battalion
Freshman running back Dante Hall works on blocking drills with run
ning backs coach Ken Rucker on Saturday morning.
year, we just have to come out
and prove ourselves.”
Brandon said the Aggies’ lack of
challenging competition in the
past allowed for lackluster perfor-
m a n c e ;
however,
he said
there will
be no
room for
error play
ing in the
new con
ference.
"Last
year, we
played
down to
opponents
like TCU and SMU,” Brandon
said. “This year, we’ll be playing
top-ranked teams. So we’ll have to
play well every game.”
With the return of fellow line
men Edward Jasper, Brad Crow
ley and Pat Williams, Mitchell
said the Aggie defensive front
should be tough.
“We should be really good,”
Brandon said. "Last year, we did
n’t take care of the little things
like not jumping offsides. But in
practice, the coaches have been
stressing working on those.”
"Last year, there was a lot of
pressure of trying to live up
to expectations. But this
year, we just have to come
out and prove ourselves."
— BRANDON MITCHELL
, senior defensive end
Johnson said if his players
stay healthy and play smart
football, success is imminent.
“They can be as good as they
want to be,” Johnson said. “When
you have a group of NFL con
tenders who’ve played together
for a couple of years, the results
See Mitchells, Page 4
Messina Hof’s Harvest Futiun
Starts This Weekend
This could be the best party you’ll have all summer.
Fuuun Saturdays & Sundays
Your fuuun day could start with a
stroll in the vineyards, grape
picking and stomping (sign your
T-shirt with your feet), a
delicious European Harvest
Luncheon feast and a Wine &Food
Pairing Seminar. Plus fuuun free
tours and wine tastings all day.
Don’t miss the fuuun of Harvest.
Reservations or more info, call the
Harvest Hotline at 778-9463.
Sunset Concerts: Just $7
This Saturday night, enjoy the
polka music & the family fun of
The Combinations... a big hit
on the Austin music scene. Imagine
the romance, the vineyard view, the
sunset, the starry night. Music
starts at 8 p.m. and you can get it
all for only $7. ($8/Gate) $4 for kids
under 12. More info or
reservations, call Designer Events’
Harvest Hotline at 778-9463.
Improvisational Comedy
4tctt Cove youi
Saturday, Aug. 10
Dixie Theater in downtown Bryan
10 p.m. $5 at the door