Pick and Colonel Joe Tom Haney are what we are about. They both make me proud to be an aggie!

In 1975 Temple Wildcats were Bryan Vikings for the district title at Kyle Field. Bryan was #1 in the state. 3 players from Bryan's team had long NFL careers and one from Temple. Plus the two fastest rb's in the state were on opposing teams.
Bryan was up 21-0 at half.
Coach Bob McQueen wrote on the Wildcat chalkboard "7+7+8= 22-21. "
Then wrote " 12 minutes to play and a lifetime to remember! ".

Temple won that game by that score in the closing seconds. Coach McQueen aske Mr Pickard if he could have the chalkboard and would reimburse the school.

Pick said, " Coach, if you can get it out of here, it is yours. "

That Chalkboard hung for over 30 yrs in Temple's locker room.

Pick and other joked about that for yrs.. Pick even shared the story with Coach McQueen's grandson when he showed up as a walk on QB 3 yrs ago! ( pick shorts)

One day during two-a-days as an equipment manager back in the early 2000's I used his golf cart without asking for permission while he was taking a nap. Unbeknownst to me he had just finished his siesta and was on his way back out to the practice fields.

I made a poor decision. A very poor decision.

As soon as I got to the corner of the practice fields closest to Wellborn and Bush, there was a scream in the distance. Then another. And some more screaming. It grew louder, but equally shrilly and high-pitched, with quite colorful phrases and let-me-tell-you what's scattered throughout. It was Mr. Pickard. His screaming somehow continued to get even louder the closer he got to me and his golf cart. I continued to absorb the lesson he was teaching me, hands to my side, head down, ears begging for mercy. It all finally subsided after he disappeared back out the practice field gates. Kinda.

It has been 14 or so years since I have borrowed much of anything without permission.

Wes Speer '03

Athletic Dept Mail Guy/Horn Blower '01-'02
Equipment Manager '03-'04

As a member of the last "Fish" team in the SWC in 1972, "Pick"was bigger than life to me and probably most freshmen. We struggled to make it and Mr. Pickard made us feel just as much a part of the program as the Varsity starters. A great human being who treated us all with respect even when "getting our attention". I am proud to have known him and vulue the gear that never made it back to locker room..RIP.

So very sad. Aggieland has lost a true legend. God bless him, his family, and the Aggie family.

I first met Billywhen I had a job that interacted with A&M athletics. The first couple of
years he acknowledged my presence but later we became friendly but not really
close.Later in life I was a baseball umpire. I did some college, alot of high school and like other umpires worked Little League baseball as a
worked my way up the ladder.I was assigned a Little League playoff game for either 13-14year olds or it could have been 15-16 year olds. I think Billy's son was on one
of the teams. It was a playoff game for the Championship and it matched Bryan
East against Bryan North. The game was played at the Southwood complex in
College Station. As luck would have it, the game ended regulation play withthe score tied. I was working the bases.The fans were going wild on every pitch. One of the teams (I don't remember
which) got a runner on first.The pitcher was trying to hold him on base but was making ajerking move, leaning as if he was going to throw to first. The manager for the
team with the runner, was barking at me that the pitcher was balking. I told
the pitcher in a voice that only he could hear, that he couldn't lean like
that. He kept doing it and the manager kept yelling at me. Looked at the other
dugout and mouthed to that manager and shook my head side to side that his
pitcher can't do that.The pitcher did it again, and I called a balk and sent therunner to second. As luck would have it the next hitter hits a line drive shot to right field
and the runner scored. Game over.Umpires quietly and quickly leave the field together, usually.

I see mypartner exiting near the losing team's dugoutand fans. I leave from the other
side, in an unlighted area, to head for my car. I look up in the darkness and
see a parent (big male parent) heading for me. I had nowhere to go. It was just
me and him in an unlighted area of Southwood Park. Then I noticed directly behind the big mad parent, was guy witha crew cut and glasses moving quickly towards us. As the big guy got to me,
Billy Pickard grabs him from the rear and wraps his arms around the guy. Billy
says "_________, I have him, get out of here". He was a parent on Billy's sons team and until this day no one
knew about that incident except, me, Billy and the Big Guy. My teeth and I thank you Billy.

Before this thread disappears, I just wanted to say it was a great idea to have people share their memories. Like a lot of former students, I have my vague memories of Mr. Pickard driving his golf cart around and barking into his wallkie-talkie, but the personal stories from people who knew him better really help fill out the picture.

I particularly appreciated Senator Gramm's story, as it added a new dimension to that apparently universal feeling of being on Mr. Pickard's turf.

Gramm...member since 2004 with 1 post