FIRST ANNUAL 12THMKOT FOUNDATION tu TAILGATE, FREEDOM PARK (located between Pickard Pass and Lot A) FROM 3-7PM
Howdy Ags! This is Ike Liles Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of ‘84. Not only was I one of the original 1983 12th Man Kickoff Team players, I made the first 12th Man Kickoff Team TACKLE!
I played Safety, Tailback and Tight End in high school. In a town of fewer than 3500, you can play and enjoy all aspects of sports. I also played basketball, ran track and played tennis. I was honored with the “Gene Stuckey” Leadership Award and was team football captain.
My aspirations were to attend Texas A&M because it had, and still has, one of the best programs for Electrical Engineering. A friend of mine read about the 12th Man Kickoff Team ad in the Battalion and encouraged me to tryout. Why not? What did I have to lose? I made the team in 1983 and 1984! I just attended my 25-Year Class Reunion with several of the original players. I have provided some of my memories but there were many more brought up this weekend. Please feel free to ask me questions. I will reply as quickly as I can but it may be after the Thanksgiving festivities and after we BTHO t.u.!
A feeling as my name was called out as a 12th Man? Great, it really was the real deal.
Best memory as a 12th Man? Making the first tackle and being exposed to the national news at the time was really crazy. Back then, it was a big deal to be on national news. My brother, Mike Liles, called me from Jackson Hole, Wyoming telling me he saw me interview on TV. My wife’s cousin, Ernie Galvan, was given a weekly reader with a photo of the first tackle. When I was a kid in school, I thought the weekly reader was something special. Now, I was in it. Kind of crazy. I was just playing football and making tackles. Little did I know what a difference Coach Sherrill’s idea would have.
Feeling of as I first entered Kyle Field as a player? Considering my high school Sr. class was about 75 people, my home town population of Stamford was about 3400 people and we played in front of 60,000 to 77,000 fans was a pretty big deal.
Feeling during my first play? Well, we called the onside kick and didn’t get it so it was a big let down because we all wanted to knock someone’s head off.
How many hits as a 12th Man? Ten million in practice. Plenty in the games.
Biggest game I played in? The first game was big. Coach Sherrill had taken a big gamble on us.
Typical day in training? We started before everyone else and finished after everyone else. Back then, we went full speed in practice and really knocked the crap out of each other and the scholarship athletes.
Opinion of Coach Sherrill then and now? Then: Motivator, big thinker, competitor, desire to win. Now: Compassionate, caring.
Where am I now? I earned a BS in Electrical Engineering. I am the Manager of Distribution Systems in Abilene.
Other awards/accomplishments?
-Made first tackle of the first team ever of 12th MKOT.
-MVP 12th MKOT first year of the teams inception in 1983.
-MVP 12th MKOT second year of the teams inception in 1984.
-Team Captain of 12th MKOT in 1984, my Sr. year.
-I was when I came to Texas A&M and am still married to my wife Brenda of 28 years. She is the real trooper!!
Other Aggie Family members? My wife Brenda sense 1981, 3 boys, Russell Liles a Sr. at A&M studying biomedical science. He wants to be an Optometrist. Wes Liles just finished sophomore year playing football at Hardin Simmons University, transferring to North Texas. Landon Liles, Jr. at Clyde High School.
Go to www.12thMKOT.com and order your bit of Texas football history today by purchasing the book No Experience Required! Bring it to the 12thMKOT FOUNDATION’S TAILGATE EVENT NOVEMBER 26TH AT FREEDOM PARK to have it autographed by the players and pass it on to the next generation! Live the legend. Continue the legacy.
FIRST ANNUAL 12THMKOT FOUNDATION tu TAILGATE, FREEDOM PARK (located between Pickard Pass and Lot A) FROM 3-7PM
Player #2!
Sponsor Message: Click here to buy Jackie Sherrill's book No Experience Required!
Howdy Ags! This is Ike Liles Fightin’ Texas Aggie Class of ‘84. Not only was I one of the original 1983 12th Man Kickoff Team players, I made the first 12th Man Kickoff Team TACKLE!
I played Safety, Tailback and Tight End in high school. In a town of fewer than 3500, you can play and enjoy all aspects of sports. I also played basketball, ran track and played tennis. I was honored with the “Gene Stuckey” Leadership Award and was team football captain.
My aspirations were to attend Texas A&M because it had, and still has, one of the best programs for Electrical Engineering. A friend of mine read about the 12th Man Kickoff Team ad in the Battalion and encouraged me to tryout. Why not? What did I have to lose? I made the team in 1983 and 1984! I just attended my 25-Year Class Reunion with several of the original players. I have provided some of my memories but there were many more brought up this weekend. Please feel free to ask me questions. I will reply as quickly as I can but it may be after the Thanksgiving festivities and after we BTHO t.u.!
A feeling as my name was called out as a 12th Man? Great, it really was the real deal.
Best memory as a 12th Man? Making the first tackle and being exposed to the national news at the time was really crazy. Back then, it was a big deal to be on national news. My brother, Mike Liles, called me from Jackson Hole, Wyoming telling me he saw me interview on TV. My wife’s cousin, Ernie Galvan, was given a weekly reader with a photo of the first tackle. When I was a kid in school, I thought the weekly reader was something special. Now, I was in it. Kind of crazy. I was just playing football and making tackles. Little did I know what a difference Coach Sherrill’s idea would have.
Feeling of as I first entered Kyle Field as a player? Considering my high school Sr. class was about 75 people, my home town population of Stamford was about 3400 people and we played in front of 60,000 to 77,000 fans was a pretty big deal.
Feeling during my first play? Well, we called the onside kick and didn’t get it so it was a big let down because we all wanted to knock someone’s head off.
How many hits as a 12th Man? Ten million in practice. Plenty in the games.
Biggest game I played in? The first game was big. Coach Sherrill had taken a big gamble on us.
Typical day in training? We started before everyone else and finished after everyone else. Back then, we went full speed in practice and really knocked the crap out of each other and the scholarship athletes.
Opinion of Coach Sherrill then and now? Then: Motivator, big thinker, competitor, desire to win. Now: Compassionate, caring.
Where am I now? I earned a BS in Electrical Engineering. I am the Manager of Distribution Systems in Abilene.
Other awards/accomplishments?
-Made first tackle of the first team ever of 12th MKOT.
-MVP 12th MKOT first year of the teams inception in 1983.
-MVP 12th MKOT second year of the teams inception in 1984.
-Team Captain of 12th MKOT in 1984, my Sr. year.
-I was when I came to Texas A&M and am still married to my wife Brenda of 28 years. She is the real trooper!!
Other Aggie Family members? My wife Brenda sense 1981, 3 boys, Russell Liles a Sr. at A&M studying biomedical science. He wants to be an Optometrist. Wes Liles just finished sophomore year playing football at Hardin Simmons University, transferring to North Texas. Landon Liles, Jr. at Clyde High School.
Go to www.12thMKOT.com and order your bit of Texas football history today by purchasing the book No Experience Required! Bring it to the 12thMKOT FOUNDATION’S TAILGATE EVENT NOVEMBER 26TH AT FREEDOM PARK to have it autographed by the players and pass it on to the next generation! Live the legend. Continue the legacy.
FIRST ANNUAL 12THMKOT FOUNDATION tu TAILGATE, FREEDOM PARK (located between Pickard Pass and Lot A) FROM 3-7PM
Player #2!
Sponsor Message: Click here to buy Jackie Sherrill's book No Experience Required!