The tradition of the Twelfth Man was born on the second of January 1922, when an
underdog Aggie team was playing Centre College, then the nation's top ranked team. As the
hard fought
game wore on, and the Aggies dug deeply into their limited reserves, Coach
Dana X. Bible remembered a
squad man who was not in uniform. He had been up in the press box helping reporters identify players. His name was E. King Gill, and was a former football
player who was only playing
basketball. Gill was called from the stands, suited up, and stood ready throughout the rest of the
game, which A&M finally won 22-14. When the game ended, E. King Gill was the only man left standing on the sidelines for the Aggies. Gill later
said, "I wish I could say that I went in and ran for the winning touchdown, but I did not. I simply stood by in
case my team needed me."
This gesture was more than enough for the Aggie Team. Although Gill did not play in the
game, he had accepted the call to help his team. He came to be thought of as the Twelfth Man because he stood ready for duty in the event that the
eleven men on the gridiron needed assistance. That spirit of readiness for service, desire to support, and enthusiasm helped kindle a flame of devotion among the entire student body; a spirit that has grown vigorously throughout the years. The entire student body at A&M is the Twelfth Man, and they stand during the entire
game to show their support. The 12th Man is always in the stands waiting to be called upon if they are needed.
This tradition took on a new look in the 1980's when Coach Jackie Sherrill started the 12th Man Kick-Off Team composed of regular students through open tryouts. This 12th Man team performed very well and held opponents to one of the lowest yards per return averages in the league. Later, Head Coach R.C. Slocum changed the team to allow only one representative of the 12th Man on the kick off team. The 12th Man tradition also took musical form. The 12th Man sings this song after each
game in which the Aggies are outscored.
