Texas A&M Football
Billy Pickard pays homage to Rodney Thomas
Key quotes from Billy Pickard interview
"Rodney Thomas was an unusual individual who spent his time making the people around him better. He was an amazing young man."
"The thing that demonstrates the type of individual he was was when he showed up Sunday morning to unpack the truck after 'Not doing what he was supposed to' during Saturday's game."
"Often what we get now is young men who have been told how great they are for so long and they start to believe it. That's not their fault, but
"Rodney could have played today. So many guys couldn't play today even though they were great players at the time."
"The Texas game where Rodney was running to the goal line and hurdled a Texas player and scored, that was one of the greatest plays we have ever seen."
"Everything we've built up has been off of Johnny Football. The thing we need to think about Manziel is what law did he violate? All we hear about is him being out of control. Three weeks ago he was criticized for being gone from Cleveland every weekend when one of those trips was forced by the NFL. Johnny was a special player and his special play helped build that stadium over there."
"Rodney and I had good times visiting. I used to get here at 5:30 in the morning and Rodney knew it. We visited every chance we got."
"The biggest thing about the heart award ... Gene Stallings originated it and said he didn't want to base it solely on how good a football player someone was, but also what the individual contributed to the team."
"I've been employed here 50 years. I was here before that with Coach Bryant. I was a trainer at a couple of high schools and then came back with Gene Stallings."
"Nothing changed at Kyle Field from 1929 to 1954. In 1954 we built a little second deck on the west side. I was a student then, that's the same time we build G. Rollie. I've been here as a student or working for nearly every change at Kyle. It's going to be amazing."
"My first meeting with Coach Sumlin was asking if I could still stick around. I don't do much but hang around and be a pest, but Sumlin said absolutely. He told me he wanted to talk to the players before each game every Thursday. Coach Sumlin is magnificent. Every head coach here has been nothing but good to me."
"The guy toughest on pain was Marvin Tate. The guy weakest on pain was Gary Kubiak. He could stand no pain. How tough you are has nothing to do with it, some people can tolerate it and some can't."
"When I got to Kevin Murray when he got hurt, I got about half way there and saw what it was and knew I had to have a splint to put on him. I turned to come back and Coach Sherrill asked if he could play any more today, I said no. He asked if he could play anymore next week, and I said 'No, he's out for the year.' He said, 'You're full of you know what!' I told him to go look and he got about three quarters of the way down there, saw it, and came back. Kevin was going one way and his ankle was going another."
Never miss the latest news from TexAgs!
Join our free email list