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Whatever happened to the jumbo back?

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12thMan9
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In reply to 83Aggie • 1:54p, 1/13/26
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83Aggie said:
Jerome Bettis....unfortunately I watched in person as he drug us up and down the cotton bowl turf in '93.

Not quite. Reggie Brooks ran for 127, Bettis only 75. But he caught a TD & had 2 short scoring runs.

As a team? Yes, they ran all over us.
Ronnie '88
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jejdag
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2:28p, 1/13/26
Dalton's brother Doug should have a year of eligibility left. He could run, for a big dude!
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redjalapeno-87
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In reply to NoahAg • 2:32p, 1/13/26
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The thing about Lane is he had great feet. Incredibly nimble for a really large dude. He could catch the ball too.

Depending on what year Lane played, he weighed in anywhere from 280-300 lbs. And he still had some quick feet. Most DBs and LBs did not want to get in front of that when he was rollin'.
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Hank the Grifter
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In reply to AgFan1974 • 2:42p, 1/13/26
AgFan1974 said:
Christian friggin Okoye


Steve A****er says "hello!"

OMG. Stupid filter. At-water.
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WC94
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8:52a, 1/14/26
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Gotta be able to catch the ball and turn it up field in a hurry.
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WC94
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In reply to Peter Piper • 9:05a, 1/14/26
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Peter Piper said:
Southlake said:
Cedric Hardeman.

D'Andre "Tiki" Hardeman.


Tiki has the second longest touchdown run in school history, at 95 yards.
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cevans_40
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In reply to TX_Aggie37 • 9:23a, 1/14/26
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TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game devolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

FIFY.

Can't waste a roster spot on a short yardage back. Gotta have 8-10 wide receivers so you can throw the ball 3 times with 4:00 on the clock and a 3 point lead. It's no wonder there are so many points scored at the end of every game. No one can just line up and impose their will on the other team with a 240lb back.
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soleta27
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In reply to cevans_40 • 9:40a, 1/14/26
cevans_40 said:
TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game devolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

FIFY.

Can't waste a roster spot on a short yardage back. Gotta have 8-10 wide receivers so you can throw the ball 3 times with 4:00 on the clock and a 3 point lead. It's no wonder there are so many points scored at the end of every game. No one can just line up and impose their will on the other team with a 240lb back.


My thought has been 7 on 7 popularity, making everyone athletic pass catchers rather than guys of that size choosing to be rb. The ground and pound at the highest level in high school isn't a thing anymore.
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94chem
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In reply to soleta27 • 9:44a, 1/14/26
soleta27 said:
I.E. Javorski, Toombs, Bettis, Natrone Means, Barry Foster etc

It seems like that type of athlete would still be useful in today's game


Help me out here. Is Javorski one of those things like "running fast through many holes," "moran," and "PJ Tucker is still dribbling," where people bring it up on purpose ad infinitum, or do people just really not know how to spell his name?
94chem,
That, sir, was the greatest post in the history of TexAgs. I salute you. -- Dough
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MSFC Aggie
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In reply to soleta27 • 9:33a, 1/15/26
AG
soleta27 said:
cevans_40 said:
TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game devolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

FIFY.

Can't waste a roster spot on a short yardage back. Gotta have 8-10 wide receivers so you can throw the ball 3 times with 4:00 on the clock and a 3 point lead. It's no wonder there are so many points scored at the end of every game. No one can just line up and impose their will on the other team with a 240lb back.


My thought has been 7 on 7 popularity, making everyone athletic pass catchers rather than guys of that size choosing to be rb. The ground and pound at the highest level in high school isn't a thing anymore.

My kids school (catholic school) football team went up against a 270 lb back this year. I think he went for 230 yards and 7 TDs. It was glorious to watch to be honest.
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Southlake
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9:37a, 1/15/26
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Javorski also punted when he was at Lufkin High. He averaged just under 50 years a punt. We played them twice in the HS playoffs. He actually played a lot of QB his senior year.
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Furlock Bones
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In reply to TexanJeff • 9:45a, 1/15/26
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TexanJeff said:
My theory? Guys that big, and that fast realized they could make more money being an Edge rusher and are all of the defensive side of the ball.

Cassius Howell reminds me a lot of Keith Joesph in their build as just one example. I think High School coaches have been helping larger fast guys select out of the RB room and over to the DLine.

great call.
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ATM9000
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9:52a, 1/15/26
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Joe Hall from K State is the one I really remember and thinking that dude is massive.
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GrayMatter
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In reply to TX_Aggie37 • 10:05a, 1/15/26
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TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game evolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

Unless you need 5 yards or less to punch it in for a score.
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soleta27
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In reply to GrayMatter • 10:15a, 1/15/26
GrayMatter said:
TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game evolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

Unless you need 5 yards or less to punch it in for a score.


Hot take here, ill take 5 yards at any point of a game
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cevans_40
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In reply to soleta27 • 12:45p, 1/15/26
AG
soleta27 said:
cevans_40 said:
TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game devolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

FIFY.

Can't waste a roster spot on a short yardage back. Gotta have 8-10 wide receivers so you can throw the ball 3 times with 4:00 on the clock and a 3 point lead. It's no wonder there are so many points scored at the end of every game. No one can just line up and impose their will on the other team with a 240lb back.


My thought has been 7 on 7 popularity, making everyone athletic pass catchers rather than guys of that size choosing to be rb. The ground and pound at the highest level in high school isn't a thing anymore.

Neither is tough, physical defense and sound tackling.
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Matsui
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In reply to soleta27 • 1:52p, 1/15/26
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A big back?
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Commander-In-Beef
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In reply to redjalapeno-87 • 2:06p, 1/15/26
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I was a wee lad at the time and attended that game with my parents. I'll never forget him dragging those defenders into the end zone.
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Commander-In-Beef
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In reply to soleta27 • 2:20p, 1/15/26
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soleta27 said:
GrayMatter said:
TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game evolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

Unless you need 5 yards or less to punch it in for a score.


Hot take here, ill take 5 yards at any point of a game


Even on 4th and 6?
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Ogre09
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3:25p, 1/15/26
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J Train came in around 240 lb. He got up around 280 by his junior and senior years. His sophomore year was his most productive. He definitely lost a step when he got up over 260-270. I don't think he ever hit 300 at A&M, although he has now.
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agracer
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In reply to Loftin • 3:31p, 1/15/26
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Loftin said:
deer corn said:
soleta27 said:
I.E. Javorski, Toombs, Bettis, Natrone Means, Barry Foster etc

It seems like that type of athlete would still be useful in today's game


I ask this every year. 3 yard plays inside the 5 wouldn't be a problem even for Klein.

Don't underestimate bad play callers' ability to screw it up. How many times with Franchione/Koenning did A&M have a 3rd or 4th and 1, or goal to go inside the 2, and find a way to come up with nothing? Kyle Field would all be pumping our arms for J-Train and the excitement could be felt in the air. What did we do? Call a timeout, then run a playaction pass that would be incomplete. This scenario played out over and over again.

Ja'Mar Toombs standing on the sidelines vs OU late in the 4th at the goal line in that 2000 game comes to mind. He'd run all over OU that afternoon and the coaches decided on the game deciding play to leave him on the sidelines. Hell, even if you don't utilized him, at least keep him in as a decoy.

The OU LB said they knew what we were going to run based on personal on the field and formation and they snuffed it out no problem.

Sometimes coaches just outthink themselves.
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NyAggie
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In reply to Loftin • 3:35p, 1/15/26
AG
Loftin said:
deer corn said:
soleta27 said:
I.E. Javorski, Toombs, Bettis, Natrone Means, Barry Foster etc

It seems like that type of athlete would still be useful in today's game


I ask this every year. 3 yard plays inside the 5 wouldn't be a problem even for Klein.

Don't underestimate bad play callers' ability to screw it up. How many times with Franchione/Koenning did A&M have a 3rd or 4th and 1, or goal to go inside the 2, and find a way to come up with nothing? Kyle Field would all be pumping our arms for J-Train and the excitement could be felt in the air. What did we do? Call a timeout, then run a playaction pass that would be incomplete. This scenario played out over and over again.


I still remember us getting to like the 2 or 3 yard line on 2nd down in the 2000 OU game and toombs was standing on the sidelines after he had been running all over OU that day

Of course if I remember correctly we threw 2 incomplete passes on 3rd and 4th down, didn't score and lost the game

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soleta27
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In reply to Commander-In-Beef • 3:46p, 1/15/26
Commander-In-Beef said:
soleta27 said:
GrayMatter said:
TX_Aggie37 said:
The real answer is the game evolved. One-dimensional backs just don't have as big of a place in the game anymore.

Unless you need 5 yards or less to punch it in for a score.


Hot take here, ill take 5 yards at any point of a game


Even on 4th and 6?


Why would you ever get to 4th and 6 if you're getting 5yds a pop?
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Papa Joe
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8:53p, 1/15/26
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What ever happened to the jumbo jack???

I'm sorry I just misread the title!
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angus55
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In reply to mAggie8610 • 5:32a, 1/16/26
mAggie8610 said:
83Aggie said:
Jerome Bettis....unfortunately I watched in person as he drug us up and down the cotton bowl turf in '93.

Yeh, I was there too. Freezing cold. Wasn't the final score 24-3? We tried to stop Bettis with the same 3-4
defense we'd used all season. Didn't work.


Well you aren't really going to change your entire defensive philosophy for the last game. Especially when it's been successful.
We'll win this war, but we'll win it only by fighting and by showing the Germans that we've got more guts than they have, or ever will have. We're not going to just shoot the sons-of-b******, were going to rip out their living G*******d guts and use them to grease the treads of our tanks. We're going to murder those lousy Hun c********** by the bushel-f****** basket. War is a bloody killing business. You've got to spill their blood or they will spill yours. Rip them up the belly. Shot them in the guts.
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