Traditions of Texas A&M

Texas A&M is known by sports fans everywhere as the home of the 12th Man. In 1922, Texas A&M played Centre College, and the Aggies suffered so many injuries in the first half that Coach Dana X. Bible had only eleven players. He called student E. King Gill out of the stands to suit up and stand by, ready to play if needed.

Although Gill didn't play, he was the last man — the 12th man — standing on the sideline. He later said, "I simply stood by in case my team needed me." The Aggies won, and since that time, Aggies stand ready and willing to support their team to the point of actually entering the game.

The tradition was born out of the willingness to serve. This willing spirit has endured, and today the Aggie student body is known as the 12th Man: united in loyalty, united in support and united and ready to serve when they are called to do so.

Reveille, the first lady of Aggieland, is the official mascot of Texas A&M. As a five-star general, she is the highest ranking member of the Corps of Cadets. She attends class with the mascot corporal, a cadet tasked with her care, and attends football games and other events on campus.

The first Reveille came to Texas A&M in January 1931. A group of cadets hit a small black and white dog on the road, picked her up and brought her back to school so they could care for her. She got her name the next morning: when "Reveille" was blown by a bugler, she started barking. It was not until later that a purebred collie, the Reveille seen today, was selected as mascot.

When Reveille I died in 1944, she was given a formal military funeral and buried at the north end of Kyle Field so that the score of the Aggie football game was always visible from the site. Reveilles II-VI are also buried there.

The most current Reveille is Reveille VIII. She was officially introduced on Aug. 30, 2008.

When people want to know where the cheerleaders are during Aggie games, they quickly learn Aggies don't cheer — they yell. Instead of cheerleaders, yell leaders walk the sidelines. Yell leaders are a team of upperclassmen — three seniors and two juniors — elected each year by the student body.

The tradition of yell leaders dates back to 1907 when Texas A&M was still an all-male institution. Ladies were invited to campus to attend football games, and during one game, the upperclassmen ordered the freshmen to find a way to entertain their guests. The freshmen found white coveralls and began leading the crowd in yells. They had so much fun and received so much attention from the ladies that it was decided that only upperclassmen would be allowed to participate in leading yells in the future.

Aggie Yell Leaders still wear white during games and attend all home and away football games, all home basketball, volleyball and soccer games, as well as post-season football, basketball and volleyball games. They can always be found on the sidelines of the playing field in front of the student section, encouraging the Aggies to show their Aggie Spirit.

When Texas A&M was established in 1876, its students were all members of the Corps of Cadets.

Although membership in the Corps is no longer mandatory, cadets are known as "The Keepers of the Spirit" because many of A&M's most cherished traditions grew out of the Corps, including Muster, Silver Taps and Midnight Yell Practice.

The Corps of Cadets has been training leaders who have served their state, nation and the world with distinction. One corps unit — The Ross Volunteers — actually serves as the official honor guard for the governor of Texas.

More than 2,300 strong today, the men and women of the Corps form the largest uniformed student body in the U.S. and commissions more officers into the military than any institution, outside of the national service academies.

One of the greatest moments in the life of any Aggie is the day they receive their Aggie Ring — the distinctive ring serves as the symbolic link to the Aggie network of former students.

Aggies around the world recognize each other when they see the ring and greet each other as friends. The ring is not given; it must be earned academically.

Although the first Aggie Ring began with the class of 1889, it was E.C. Jonas, class of 1894, who designed the ring Aggies wear today. Nothing on the ring has changed, except when the university's name changed to Texas A&M University in 1963.

All members of the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band — the largest military marching band in the United States — are members of the Corps of Cadets. The band was formed in 1894 to coincide with the first Aggie football game and remains a source of great pride to the entire Aggie family.

The nationally acclaimed band is known for military precision and style. In fact, some of the band's maneuvers — such as the famous block T — are so complex that a computer says they can't be done because they require two people to be in the same place at the same time. It's been said that the band has never lost a halftime, so when the band steps off on the heavy beat of the "Aggie War Hymn" during halftime, Aggies respond with a resounding "Whoop!"

The band performs at all university football games, in inaugural parades for presidents and governors and at numerous other special events, making it one of the most traveled collegiate marching bands in the nation.

Nothing shows the Aggie tradition of service like Big Event — the largest one-day student-run service project in the nation.

Big Event began unceremoniously in 1982 with six Aggies volunteering to clean up a local cemetery. Since that time, an ever-increasing number of Aggies have volunteered their time in order to create, as they say, "one big day, one big thanks and one Big Event."

In 2012, more than 17,000 Texas A&M students, faculty and staff came together to say 'thank you' to the residents of Bryan/College Station for supporting and hosting them while they attend Texas A&M. Spreading throughout the community, Aggie volunteers worked on approximately 1,700 community service jobs.

At a yell practice before the 1930 TCU game, a dedicated fan and member of the Texas A&M Board of Regents named Pinky Downs '06 shouted, "What are we going to do to those Horned Frogs?" Improvising, he borrowed the name of a sharp-pronged frog hunting tool, called a gig. "Gig ’em, Aggies!" he said as he made a fist with his thumb extended straight up. With that, the first hand sign in the old Southwest Conference was born.

Today the words and the thumbs-up sign are found outside the football stadium and have come to signify that the person is an Aggie or an Aggie fan. Usually done with the right hand, the Gig ’em sign also shows the Aggie Ring, which is worn on that hand. More than that, Gig ’em signals optimism, determination, loyalty and the Aggie Spirit.

In true Aggie Spirit, "Howdy" is the official greeting of Texas A&M. The university is known for its welcoming attitude and for making sure no one who visits the campus feels like a stranger.

Visitors often say they find the friendliness of the campus remarkable. They tell stories of looking lost only to have an Aggie walk up, say "Howdy," offer to help and, to their amazement, walk with them to make sure they arrive at their destination.

While the exact origin of this tradition is not known, "Howdy" has come to be a tradition that sets Texas A&M apart as one of the friendliest campuses in the world, where all are welcome.

Each football season, one game is specially designated for Maroon Out as a way to build unity among the Aggie community. The Maroon Out tradition began in 1998 when tens of thousands of Aggies attending the Texas A&M vs. Nebraska game were encouraged to wear their Aggie colors and create a sea of maroon in Kyle Field. So many maroon shirts were purchased that it led to a temporary national shortage of maroon T-shirts.

Even the Nebraska fans acknowledged after the game that the intensity of the Maroon Out spirit made a difference in the game leading to A&M's 28-21 victory. As The Daily Nebraskan expressed on October 12, 1998: "A game that was dubbed a 'maroon-out' for Texas A&M fans proved to be a lights out for Nebraska. The fans dressed themselves in maroon T-shirts in an attempt to wash out the red and white that opponents have gotten used to. It worked."

Aggies, never known to lack enthusiasm for their school and their team, don't have cheers — they have yells and yell leaders. The night before every home game, Aggies hold Midnight Yell at Kyle Field. It is regularly attended by more than 25,000 people. The yell leaders lead the Fightin' Texas Aggie Band and current and former students into the stadium.

Once there, the yell leaders lead the crowd in yells dating back to the earliest days of the institution. The crowd will also sing the "Aggie War Hymn" and listen to stories from the yell leaders, telling how the Aggies are going to beat the opponent on the field the next day.

A recent addition to Midnight Yell is called First Yell. The yell leaders started it in 1999 as a way of welcoming all Aggies, including both current and former students, back to campus to begin a new school year. First Yell occurs on the weekend of the first home football game and includes performances from student, local and nationally-known entertainers. At the end of the performance, Aggies walk across campus to attend Midnight Yell at Kyle Field.

Muster is the tradition that forever unites the Aggies past with Aggies present. It is Texas A&M's most solemn and most visible tradition.

Muster was first held on June 26, 1883, when former students of Texas A&M gathered together to "… live over again our college days, the victories and defeats won and lost upon drill ground and classroom. Let every alumnus answer a roll call." No matter where Aggies are, whether it is as few as two or as many as the thousands who gather on the Texas A&M campus, they come together each April 21 for Muster.

At each Muster ceremony around the world, a speaker will be followed by the "Roll Call For The Absent." Names of those from that area who have died in the past year will be read, and as each name is called, a family member or friend will answer "Here" to show that Aggie is present in spirit, and a candle will be lit.

Following the ceremony in Reed Arena, which is the largest Muster in the world, a rifle volley is fired and then a special arrangement of "Taps" is played.