I should have entered this little serendipity day a few weeks ago, but everyone loves it a little serendipity and it never goes out of style.

Muster is probably the most sacred tradition at Texas A&M where traditions are revered and plentiful.  Muster occurs every April 21st where all Aggies who have pasted away during the past year are honored for their final “roll call”.  Jackie Sherrill came to speak in Victoria on April and speaking the next day on Muster in Yoakum, a town close to Victoria and the hometown of Dennis Mudd who was a vital member of the Twelfth Man kickoff team.

Jackie Sherrill was the head football coach of Texas A&M from ’82 to ’87.  He turned around the Texas A&M football program and led the team to 3 consecutive Cotton Bowl appearances.  The winner of the former Southwest conference would receive an automatic invitation to play on the New Years’ Day game.  Jackie Sherrill was a true lightning rod of a head football coach and a man who chose to follow his own instincts and dealt with whatever consequences that followed his actions.  As a student at A&M and graduated in’86, I liked him.  He was and is a true motivator of players.  He was an outstanding recruiter that is paramount in the college game.  He also was very effective at reaching out to the student body and truly loves Texas A&M.

In reaching out to the student body, he chose to manifest a revered tradition bring it onto the field.  It is the tradition of the twelfth man.    The student stands throughout every football game in our declaration that we are all prepared to go out on the field and play if needed.  It dates back to an incident that occurred in the 1920′s where a student did put on a uniform as the squad was running out of players.  It is clearly a symbolic gesture in this age.  In watching some students work on building the bonfire, he had the idea of using regular guys get on the field and play one very special play…..the kickoff.  He said that only one member of his staff was in  support of his decision.  In true Jackie Sherrill style, he felt it would work and that was good enough for him.

It did work.  And  it worked very well.  The student body and football fans ate it up!  There were 10 kamikazes flying down the field on every kickoff (I’m not including the kicker).  We could feel some of those hits in the stands while we were swirling our towels.  It would be very LOUD.

He has a book telling the story that includes the players and twelfth man members telling their stories.  It is complete with some great photos bring the experience to life.  The book is No Experience Required: Jackie Sherrill and the Texas A&M 12th Man Kickoff team. It can purchased on the 12th MKOT Foundation website where more information can be found.  100% of the proceeds from the book will go the foundation.

I bought the book and it was signed by Jackie and Dennis Mudd.  Jackie gave me a phone number of a mutual friend of ours who graduated with a degree in Marketing at the same time that I did who is also in the beer business.  I called Carl, the friend, later that day and he was just arriving at a hotel in Florida for a meeting.  I never call him.  He said he was just thinking of me after seeing someone on the plane who liked just like me.  I guess I have a twin out there somewhere.

It was a serendipitous day.