Any school with a long and rich history like the Texas A&M Aggies is going to have a tough time reducing a list down to just four people to go on the all-time Aggies Mount Rushmore. For example, both Paul “Bear” Bryant (legendary coach) and Dana X. Bible (won two national titles shortly after the first world war), were considered but both ultimately did make the list .
Texas A&M Aggies Mount Rushmore
The following four individuals all managed to make it the list of the Aggies Mount Rushmore
R.C. Slocum
R.C. Slocum was the head coach of the Aggies from 1989 to 2002 and during that time he led A&M to three SWC titles and one Big 12 championship with the three SWC titles coming in back to back years without losing a single conference game. Three straight losses in the Cotton Bowl early in Slocum’s tenure left a sour taste in the mouths of some fans, but he still ranks as the most successful Aggies head coach with the most wins in program history.
Slocum was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame after he retired and was generally recognized as a coach of great teams who played with a lot of integrity. The Hall of Fame coach took over a team that had been hit with penalties for NCAA violations and cleaned up the program while turning Kyle Field into one of the toughest places for opponents to play. The Aggies lost just 12 home games in the 14 seasons Slocum was at the helm, including a stretch of five straight seasons where the Aggies didn’t lose a single home game.
Johnny Manziel
Johnny Manziel was one of the most exciting and dynamic players while in college, but he has had a tough time in the NFL. Johnny Football struggled with the quicker pace and complex defenses at the professional level, but he had a far tougher time staying out of trouble off the field. However, all of Manziel’s issues in the NFL shouldn’t detract from an amazing two seasons in College Station which resulted in a Heisman Trophy in 2012 and helped to put Texas A&M on the map as they joined the SEC.
Manziel finished just 11 yards shy of 10,000 combined passing and rushing yards and with 93 total touchdowns. At times Manziel really was a one man offense and he helped to carry a mediocre team to nine wins in 2013 after an amazing 2012 season.
John David Crow
Some would say that John David Crow was the ultimate Aggie. The talented running back, who also played some on defense, was the first Heisman Trophy winner in A&M history and was one of the infamous Junction Boys who survived the brutal summer training camp run by Bear Bryant during the Texas drought. Crow’s hard work ethic and no nonsense style, both on and off the field, embodied what Texas A&M stands for.
Crow was the first player the Aggies ever got from Louisiana and, despite being renowned as a bruising running back during his Heisman campaign, he actually caught five interceptions while playing as a defensive back. Crow continued his career in the NFL where he went to four Pro Bowls before taking over as the athletic director for the Aggies in 1988 where he hired R.C. Slocum who also made this list.
Dat Nyugen
The leader of the infamous “Wrecking Crew” defense of the late 90’s under head coach R.C. Slocum, Dat Nyugen is an Aggie legend as a linebacker who won numerous awards during his college playing days. Nyugen was an All-American in 1998, where he also won the Chuck Bednarik, Lombardi and Jack Lambert awards. and was also named the Big 12 Defensive player of the year. The talented linebacker was inducted into the Texas Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 after being drafted by the Dallas Cowboys.
Nyugen was a big part of the Aggie team that won the Big 12 championship in 1998, the only Big 12 championship A&M won during their time in the conference. He averaged over 10 tackles per game and was a great leader for the defense.
Main Photo
