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2002 TexAgs.com Lednicky Award (belated): CHANCE PEARCE!!

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Fightin TX Aggie
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From our friend Panhandle Slim
quote:
The Led

Kyle Lednicky finished out his Texas Aggie football career as a deep snapper without committing a single error.

He finished his Aggie football career several steps away from the bright lights of flashing cameras and the stretch of eager microphones.

He labored in the shadow of the stars of Dat Nguyen, Branndon Stewart, Tiki Hardeman, Steve McKinney, Sirr Parker, Rich Coady, Warrick Holdman, Shane Lechler and many others, toiling for four years in the deep snapper position, a position which thrives and prospers most successfully in the offstage darkness of obscurity.

Like most line positions, a deep snapper doesn't seek the bright lights of recognition, for should that light swing his way, it seldom carries with it the roar of applause or the warmth of adulation. Instead, should a deep snapper's name appear in the newspaper or gain mention on the airwaves, it means one thing: he made a mistake.....a costly mistake. He launched the ball over the punters head. He missed the open hands of the spotter waiting to tee up the ball for the game winning field goal.

No one knows the name of a wildly successful deep snapper. That honor is typically reserved for the galloping hoofer or the rifle armed count caller.

Unbeknownst to many of the most ardent fans of Texas Aggie football, Kyle Lednicky fit the bill. He was wildly successful. He layed out a perfect career. He deep snapped over 500 balls over four seasons without a single error. Kyle Lednicky pitched a perfect game, a game that lasted four years.

As Lednicky entered his fourth and final season, I was among the few who followed his impressive sideshow. Would he bounce a snap? Would he shoot the ball over the punters head? Would he cost us points in a close match?

Lednicky didn't fail. Not once. He was perfect. But did the press seek him out? Was his story tossed from a truck at the foot of the newstands? No. Lednicky operated in the shadows and finished in the shadows. He did his job to the sound of one hand clapping.

Kyle Lednicky was the Common Ag. He represented gridiron perfection and hardly anyone noticed. He hit a hole in one, over the fence, centered in the bullseye of his position.

As a tribute to an unsung Aggie hero, the TexAgs.com Kyle Lednicky Common Ag Award (The Led) was born. This annual award goes to the unheralded overachiever on the team who toils in relative obscurity. Camera flashes rarely blind him. The only time he sees a microphone is as he dodges it on its breathless way to capture a quote from a star player.

Yet he finished his senior year and left it all on the field. He accomplished much, but was recognized little.

The Led should be awarded to a senior player who fits the mold of it's namesake. He doesn't have to be perfect, but he should be the guy who everyone sees when they squint past the marquee players and the lock future draft picks.
I don't think there's any doubt that Chance Pearce should be the winner of the 2002 Led.

Chance handled 131 snaps without an error in 2002. For his career, Chance approached Lednicky standards, making 490 snaps with just one error. He was also strong in punt coverage with 3 tackles.

Indeed, given the above stats, I don't think there can be much of a debate on who the 2002 TexAgs Lednicky Award winner should be!

Gig 'em,
FTA

"Will incoming Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione be worth the money? Take it to the bank, Aggies fans. And be very afraid, Orangebloods and members of the Sooner Nation." — Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
airg8t
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That's really cool! I wonder how common it is to go four years without a single error?
Modano
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Not too common. I suppose that's why there is an award named after him!

Pearce is a good winner. None of us were talking about him prior to the past season.

But who annointed you god of The Led. Shouldn't Brandon or maybe even Slim be giving out this award?

--------
"Defense is attitude. A lot of it is attitude. You’ve got eleven guys flying around making plays. I was fortunate enough to have experience at A&M and coming here is similar. What we do here is a lot similar to what we did at A&M. We go out there and give 110 percent, and just play football." - Dallas Cowboys middle linebacker, Dat Nguyen

[This message has been edited by Modano (edited 5/7/2003 9:24a).]
PanhandleSlim
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Kudos to FTA for picking up The Led torch. I don't have time to work the event.

But it is worth the time for every Aggie football fan to take a minute and consider those gridiron warriors who shed blood, sweat and tears for the Maroon & White, yet operate almost exclusively in the shadows.

The 1999 Lednicky Common Ag Award went to wide receiver Matt Bumgardner with 54% of the Texags vote. It's hard to believe, but Bum only had 31 career receptions and only three TDs. For most of his career, he was the forgotten Aggie.

This quote captures the low profile career of the Luling Bum and defines the sentiment behind The Led:
OKLAHOMA STATE LINEBACKER JACK GOLDEN:

quote:
(On Bumgardner) I didn’t think the (scouting report) said anything about him but it will next week.


More Bumgardner Led credentials:
Dallas Morning News ...

quote:
...Bumgardner, one of the Aggies' more unsung offensive performers, claimed a hero's role...


BCS Eagle ...

quote:
Unheralded wide receiver Matt Bumgardner helped make sure the Aggies will catch nothing but praise this week after catching everything thrown his way.

Bumgardner, the former Luling High School standout, has been the ultimate team player.


Randy McCown ...

quote:
I'm so happy for Matt," McCown said. He's been through so much. He was able to come up with the big plays because he played his heart out.


Steve Kragthorpe ...

quote:
I have so much respect for Matt Bumgardner," A&M offensive coordinator Steve Kragthorpe said. "He's battled back from so many injuries. Heck, I love the guy like one of my own sons.


Thanks FTA, for picking up the ball on The Led, a refreshingly uncynical campaign which captures the true spirit of Aggieland through the big window of TexAgs.com.






[This message has been edited by PanhandleSlim (edited 5/7/2003 10:15a).]
Fightin TX Aggie
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You bet, Slim!

Gig 'em,
FTA

"Will incoming Texas A&M coach Dennis Franchione be worth the money? Take it to the bank, Aggies fans. And be very afraid, Orangebloods and members of the Sooner Nation." — Jimmy Burch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
55-99
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Should we start a pre-season All-Led candidate team?

Seriously, sometimes we forget about the guys that do the little things on the field that help the team just as much as anyone else, yet they go unnoticed.

Thanks for the effort.
PanhandleSlim
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That's not a bad idea.

The Led is a senior award, so folks could pick out their favorite obscure player and throughout the season could promote him with the props he deserves that would otherwise go unnoticed.

I don't have time to champion The Led, but I hope somebody does (FTA, if he has time).

Maybe Hank Reardon will run down Kyle Lednicky for a TexAgs.com interview.



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