Is that something recent???

Its something stupid, it obstructs the view of ppl behind you.

We did it when I was there during the late 80s...

I think the idea comes from the Steeler's "Terrible Towel" that they waved in the 70s-80s...

From Wikipedia:

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Beginning in 1985, fans also began waving 12th Man Towels during the game to show their support. The tradition of towels started when coach Jackie Sherrill's 12th man squad began carrying them to motivate the student body in the stands.

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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/12th_man_(football)

I always thought it came from that defensive player taking the other team's QB's towel and waving it in the air after sacking him.

I recall it was about the time the 12th man kickoff team started. seems like the kickoff team players would be waving them to work up the crowd prior to a kickoff and the crowd started waving them back to show support.

It did start in '85 when the 12th Man Kickoff Team would run out waiving towels taking the field for kickoff.


I'm going off memory, so some of this may be wrong, but I thought gained national prominence when someone from the 12th Man Kickoff Team swiped Notre Dame Heisman winner Tim Brown's towel right off of him during a kickoff in the '88 Cotton Bowl. Don't remember who it was, but it was pretty funny to see the guy take off and get chased by Tim Brown around the field. Brown never did get the towel back and A&M kicked Notre Dame's ass in that game.

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Gig'em s!

Jackie Sherrill brought this to Aggieland. Took it from the Steelers Terrible Towel.

Let's go ski-man!

Those of you mentioning the '88 Cotton Bowl, from the same Wikipedia article:

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In the 1988 Cotton Bowl Classic game vs Notre Dame, a member of Sherrill's 12th Man Kickoff Team Warren Barhorst tackled Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown. He took Brown's towel and waved it over his head in celebration. An infuriated Brown tackled Barhorst, earning himself a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

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Double Post.

[This message has been edited by 3rdGen2015 (edited 1/2/2011 5:53p).]

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Jackie Sherrill brought this to Aggieland. Took it from the Steelers Terrible Towel.

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No, that is not correct. It evolved as the 12th Man KO team would take the field waving towels.

I don't know why people want to make crap up when they have no clue.

I was in school then and it was the 12th Man Kick Off squad who started the tradition It started with just one or two guys waving towels to the 12th Man to get them pumped up. Soon after students started showing up with towels and well pretty soon the student section all had them. I can't remember the name of the original 12th Man player but one guy started it all. If I am not mistaken the terrible towel followed what we atarted.

That Wiki used to have all sorts of fail in it. I corrected what I could a few years back. Warren Barhorst borrowed Tim Brown's towel in the '88 Cotton Bowl, but we had been waving 12th Man towels a few years already.

I hear people arguing about the Pittsburg "Terrible Towel" influence, but I'd find it hard to believe if that did not at least play some part in the spread of the practice, Sherrill obviously liked the 12th Man towels and I assume he told the Athletic Director* to order a ton of them.





*Sherrill was the A.D.

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I'd find it hard to believe if that did not at least play some part in the spread of the practice

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Me neither, considering Sherrill was @ Pitt right after the Terrible Towel really took off.

Weren't the early 12th Man towels sponsored? I thought they were given out at games and had sponsor's names on them. I could be mistaken.

My original had no sponsor name on it. That vile anti-t.u. store puts their logo on the towels it sells, or at least they did in the mid-2000's.

I think towel waving started in the 70s with the Steel Curtain defense of the Pittsburgh Steelers. I don't think we started it.

the original 12th Man KO team started it.

Those dudes were fired up to take the field and many players of that era had towels hanging out from their pants. It was a stylish thing to have, much like todays armbands....
Anyhew, 1 or 2 of the 12th Men took their towels out of their pants and started waving it over their head as they took the field to fire up the 12th Man in the stands, and the student body loved it and responded. "The Towel" immediately caught on in the stands & grew to where it is today.

One possibility is that Sherrill started this tradition himself in 1984. Right after our big win over Texas he waved a giant white towel to the team and fans who were celebrating on the field after the game. This was in Austin.

what warhym said...I was there for the birth and the resurection this year!!

A number of teams borrowed the idea of the terrible towel.

As a sleep-deprived fish in the Corps in '84, I do the 12Man KOT waiving the towels to pump up the crowd.

We started bringing our own towels in the stadium after March-In. I think by '85 somebody was sponsoring the 12th Man Towels and they were handed out at some of the bigger games.

Like all things great at A&M, it started from within and spread orgnically was not a marketing ploy.

>>>>>I was in school then and it was the 12th Man Kick Off squad who started the tradition It started with just one or two guys waving towels to the 12th Man to get them pumped up. Soon after students started showing up with towels and well pretty soon the student section all had them. I can't remember the name of the original 12th Man player but one guy started it all. If I am not mistaken the terrible towel followed what we started.

Yep, it was 1985ish....walkon 12th man kickoff team would waive the towels they had tucked in their waists pre kickoff and soon fans started bringing their own and waving them too. Then it spread pretty rapidly to waving your towel anytime to incite the crowd or celebrate a great play.



[This message has been edited by mchensel (edited 1/2/2011 9:22p).]

Terrible Towels from Pittsburgh Steelers influenced any and all towel waving. Sorry, the Ags did not invent towel waving. That said, the Steelers may have invented it, but the Ags perfected it.

Terrible Towels from Pittsburgh Steelers influenced any and all towel waving. Sorry, the Ags did not invent towel waving. That said, the Steelers may have invented it, but the Ags perfected it.

Funny new army has to go to Wikipedia to find out where the 12th Man towel came from. Didn't have squat to do with Pittsburgh's TT.

It started before the 12th man kickoff team. In the early 80's, a student organization revived the tradition from many years ago of the corps waving white hankies at the games.

Sorry heddy lamarr, I had to look it up because it was before I was born. I didn't know research was illegal. Get over it.

I gave the idea of the 12th Man Towel to Harry Green the 12th Man Foundation Exec Director
In 1978. We promoted it in '79 through the Student 12th Man Group. Wish I had patented the idea. It was a take off on the Steelers Terrible Towel. The twirling started during Jackie's time in the early 80's. An athletic department staff member who had come over from Clemson helped us promote the idea. He was killed in a weird wreck on Wellborn road in 1980 I think. We sold them for $5 just inside the gates in 1979. Towels Up.

ABATTBQ87 said:

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Quote:

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Jackie Sherrill brought this to Aggieland. Took it from the Steelers Terrible Towel.

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No, that is not correct. It evolved as the 12th Man KO team would take the field waving towels.

I don't know why people want to make crap up when they have no clue.

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AbattBq is correct

12th man towels started with Jackie Sherril's 12th man all walk-on kickoff team.

Tim Brown's towel was "stolen" after the 12th man team had had some of their towels stolen by other teams.

The twirling of the towell did evolve under Jackie in the early 80's. The towel came into existence in the very late 70's. I can prove that in court. I worked right across the street from the old 12th Man Foundation by DeWare. Don't resent a good idea. Jackie didn't create it. He did promote and develop it. Gig'em

"Theyre not twirled! Theyre flapped!!!" Ol' Army

its a whole lot easier to beg for a couple bucks if you give someone a $0.25 crappy towel...

I remember it having to do with "Thinking Cotten", but I could be way off.