The 12th Man

Many colleges have traditions and rituals that are University specific and very important to the players, fans and alumni. Texas A&M University, in College Station, upholds a tradition that involves all who proudly wear the Maroon and White.

The following information on the 12^th man was taken from the A&M website http://aggietraditions.tamu.edu/team/12thman.html.  Established on the second of January 1922 when the underdog Aggies faced Centre College the Nation’s top ranked team. As the Aggies dug deeply into their limited reserves, Coach Dana X. Bible remembered a squad man who was not in uniform. He had been 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 sent down from the stands and suited up in an Aggie uniform on the sideline where he stood ready throughout the rest of the game. A&M finally won the game 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."  

Gill became known as the 12^th Man because of his willingness to support his team and his school. This spirit of Texas A&M University has become a very valuable asset to the school in their quest for success on the gridiron and in the classroom. The 12^th Man is used as a marketing tool to promote pride on campus; the 12^th Man verbiage is visible on  university apparel, game day media guides, and is even on the football stadium. The 12^th Man is the spirit of the A&M student body and is represented at all Texas A&M football games as the student body stands ready (literally, the student body stands up during the entire game) should the eleven men on the gridiron need assistance.

Using tradition to promote school spirit is a simple yet powerful marketing strategy that all universities should embrace. Discover the history of your school and encourage students to rally around the tradition!

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