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The Battalion
OOTBALL
Friday • September 5, 1997
Bryant
Continued from Page 6
career field goal percentage and career
scoring.
Naturally, some observers of
Bryant’s exploits point to a possible
“You can always say there’s room for professional kicking career. Bryant,
improvement, but as however, is quick to put aside such
far as placekicking, 1 ■ y notions, choosing instead to concen-
just try to take what I | trate on the tasks at hand,
do and make it more | “I’ve thought about it, but some-
consistent,” Bryant : fjjf j thing like (professional football) can
said. “1 also work on \ ' be a distraction to you,” Bryant said,
the mental aspect of W JwyjF , “Professional football would be a long
my game a whole IB ! term goal. If you concentrate on short
bunch. I think this term goals, long-term goals fall right
being my fourth ^ ||j||| into place.”
year, I feel experi- Then the impish grin returns and
enced and in a lot of Bryant he shyly admits hazarding such
situations I’m more thoughts.
relaxed, like I’ve been here before.” “But I have thought about it and it is
Indeed, very little should surprise part of my motivation for continuing
Bryant, whose heroics include an MVP to kick well,” Bryant said. “I feel that
performance in the 1995 Alamo Bowl. God has blessed me with a talent, and
He also ranks at or near the top of the I don’t think he would have given it to
A&M record books in season and me for nothing. I want to take it as far
career field goals made, season and as I can go.”
The Battalion Staff Box
the
Special thanks goes to the
following people for putting
time into making tne 1997
Battalion College Football
Preview:
Chris Ferrell — Sports Editor
Paul Mitchell — Asst. Sports Editor
jeremy Furtick — Asst. Sports Editor
Staff Writers:
Stephen Boudreau
Kristina Buffin
Jamie Burch
Travis Dabney
Margaux Harris
Nicole Hooven
Matt Michel I
Jeff Webb
Jason Whitcomb
Front Page Design: Dave House and
Brad Graeber
Photos: Dave House
Layout: Kristina Buffin and
Chris Ferrell
Helen Clancy — Editor in chief
Texas A&M Sports Information Dept.
Hall
Continued from Page 6
“It is instincts,” he said. “All good
running backs have them because
that is what helps you get the ball
and find the open holes and what
the defense is going to do."
The explosive Hall led the team
in all-purpose yards last season
1,551 with an average of 129.3 a
game. Hall racked up 642 rushing
yards and led the Big 12 in punt
return average illustrating his
duties as a multi-faceted player.
“Dante Hall is an excellent
punt returner,” said special teams
assistant coach Shawn Slocum.
Secondary
Continued from Page 5
Last season a young and inexperienced
secondary received much of the blame for
the Aggies meek 6-6 record. A&M failed to
rank among the Top 20 defenses in the
nation for the first time since 1983.
Defensive coordinator Mike Hankwitz
said the baptism under fire method only
helped the youthful corps of defensive
backs.
“The key is all those guys are back,”
Hankwitz said. “They’ve been under the
gun in game situations. Even though they
were not always positive experiences,
they’ve been there and it’s something you
can build on.”
Trying to build on last years successes
and failures, the Aggies will depend on both
the veterans and incoming freshman.
Sophomore Jason Webster and junior Shun
“We treat punt returns like first
downs because the further you
can carry the ball down the field
the better the position for the
offense will be in.”
The similarities between Hall
and McElroy lie primarily in their
ability to be utilized both on spe
cial teams and offense. Hall said
he has heard the comparisons
between himself and McElroy and
considers them a compliment.
“It is a compliment because
Leeland did good things here,”
Hall said. “In fact, it is a high com
pliment.”
Recently, Hall has been getting
a lot of compliments. He emerged
after the 1997 season as one of the
top freshmen in the country and
earned freshman All-America and
All-Big 12 honors.
“Last season was kind of a
shock,” Hall said. “I didn’t know
that I would get m
a chance (to
play) that early.”
This season
Hall will defi
nitely be playing
early.
Sophomore tail
back Eric
Bernard is out
all season with
an ACL tear in
his knee, therefore Hall’s playing
time at running back will likely
Hall
“With Eric we lost a quality
running back,” Marshall said. “But
Dante has had a great offseason,
his role will increase but I don’t
know if it will dramatically.”
Rucker, who has the privilege
of trying to balance playing time
between four talented veteran
backs, said the beauty of the run
ning back corps is that all four
complement each other.
“It is real when someone goes
down,” he said. “They all must
step up and we must try not to
lose a step.”
Marshall said the Aggie’s phi
losophy is to get the best athlete
on both special teams and offense.
“We are fortunate to have
Dante on our team,” he said.
Unfortunately for teams facing
A&M in 1997, they will have to
contain Hall in both roles once
again. But Hall’s main concern is
the overall production of the team.
“I believe in winning as a team
more than the individual statis
tics,” he said. “Without the line
blocking them I’m nothing. It all
goes back to pull and tug. I’m
nothing without the team.”
Hall has two individual goals
for the season, but once again they
illustrate his team first philosophy.
“I want to become a better
blocker and have no fumbles,” he
said.
Horn are the projected as the starting cor
ner backs when the Aggies open the season
Saturday against Sam Houston State
University.
As a true freshman, Webster started last
season against Oklahoma State University
in addition to seeing playing time in all 12
games. Webster posted 32 tackles, broke
up one pass and snagged one intercep
tion.
At the other corner position, Horn start
ed 10 games racking up 52 tackles and one
interception, while breaking up seven pass
es.
Hankwitz said he is not overly con
cerned with the green secondary.
“We’re still going to be young,” Hankwitz
said, “but after having played a year they’re
not quite as young as they were.”
Penciled in at the safety slots are two-
sport standout Toya Jones and sophomore
Brandon Jennings. Jones, a sprinter for the
A&M track team in the spring, started the
first four games last season at free safety,
finishing with 25 tackles.
Jennings played in every game last sea
son, starting the final eight. The true fresh
man posted 43 tackles, one interception
and a fumble.
Because of the large number of players
vying for a starting role, no one position is
set in stone.
Slade said the coaching staff has been
impressed by the play of junior cornerback
Rich Coady and true freshmen Jay Brooks,
Michael Jameson, Ronald Patton and Jason
Glenn.
“It’s a big mix of players and competition
is healthy,” Slade said.
Glenn, the brother of current New York
Jet and former A&M standout Aaron Glenn,
is a heralded signee expected to fill big
shoes.
“Jason has extraordinary ability,” Slade
said. “He had a groin injury that has set him
back. But I believe he will be as good if not
better than everyone has hyped him up to
be. However, he and his brother are two dif
ferent guys.
“Aaron was a short guy that could run
fast at the corner position. Jason is a tall guy
that is a pure safety.”
Saturday will begin a year of redemption
for the Aggie’s last line of defense. The
Aggies will look to put the past behind them
and return the Wrecking Crew to national
prominence.
“While we don’t dwell on the past,” Slade
said, “we do remember it.”
The question is how well.
Nguyen
Continued from Page 5
Nguyen went on to a stellar high
school career earning two
Defensive Player of the Year Awards
and was named a Consensus Texas
Top 100 Linebacker. Even with all
his accomplishments, Nguyen was
redshirted his freshman season at
A&M.
The linebacker said it was diffi
cult for him to sit on the bench his
first year.
“I came from a school where
you never came out of the game,”
Nguyen said. “I played and started
three years and the only time you
came out is when you were tired.
You never walked off the field. I
came in (to A&M) and it was so
competitive.”
“When I sat out my first year I
was frustrated and depressed. But
that’s when I learned football was
going to end somewhere down
the road.”
But the road has not ended yet.
In 1995 Nguyen became the first
freshman in school history to lead
the Aggies in tackles with 94. He
repeated the feat during his
sophomore campaign with 146
tackles. In addition, Nguyen
topped the squad in forced and
recovered fumbles.
Oddly enough, defensive coor
dinator Mike Hankwitz said none
of this has changed Nguyen’s
approach to the game.
“Dat doesn’t play for numbers,”
Hankwitz said. “We tell our play
ers that when you play team
defense, everybody benefits in the
long run. You’ll be more effective
and make more plays.
“When you do your own thing
you leave holes and nobody is
making the plays.”
Nguyen added he just wants to
contribute as one member of a
cohesive unit.
“I don’t really think about it
(the awards),” Nguyen said. “I just
came here to win football games. I
wanted to be part of the Wrecking
Crew.”
All the coaching staff can ask
for is that he continues his growth
as a player.
“I just want Dat to improve
each year,” Hankwitz said. “To me
that’s the true measure of sue-