In this episode, Brian talks with three members of the original 12th Man Kickoff Squad. The 12th Man Kickoff team was created by Coach Jackie Sherrill at Texas A&M in the early 1980s.
The kick off team was the first kickoff team in college football history comprised totally of non-scholarship athletes, also known as “walk-ons.” It was one of the most impressive traditions in all of sports, and likely the most important tradition in college football history. Although the all walk-on tradition was stopped long ago, the Texas A&M football team still has a walk-on player who serves on the kickoff team.
To become a member of the 12th Man Kickoff Team, you had to be a great athlete, you had to be tough as nails, and you had to absolutely love the sport of football and Texas A&M.
In this episode, Brian talks to three of the original members of the kickoff team: Dave Coolidge, Ike Liles, and Dennis Mudd.
Dave, Ike, and Dennis all served on the kickoff team when it originally started, and they have some amazing stories to tell about football, leadership, toughness, and grit.
Not surprisingly, Dave, Ike, and Dennis are all successful businessmen and family men. All three earned engineering degrees from Texas A&M, and all three have been leaders in their communities, in business, and in family life.
In the show, Brian and the guys talk about:
- What the kickoff squad was like at the very beginning
- How they made the team
- The best players they ever played against
- The first time the kickoff team kicked off - great story!
- Their thoughts on leadership, toughness, grit, persistence, and waiting your turn
- And a whole lot more.
And now we give you, Ike Liles, Dennis Mudd, and Dave Coolidge.
Watch this episode on YouTube
In this episode, Brian, Dave, Ike, and Dennis discuss:
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How they all ended up at Texas A&M.
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Their backgrounds in football.
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What it took to get on the field at the 12th Man Kickoff.
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The importance of being persistent and waiting your turn.
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Why you must believe in yourself above all else.
Ideas worth sharing:
“You’ve got to believe in yourself first.” - Ike Liles
“Change creates conflict” - Dennis Mudd
“Work hard and wait for the benefits.” - Ike Liles
