Aggie Football Top 100: Nos. 50-41

There was the Haskell Hurricane. There were the Blitz Brothers. There was Tank. Actually, there were two tanks.

There was DaMonster, Stonewall, Johnny Football and an array of Junction Boys.

In more than a century of college football, Texas A&M has produced hundreds of great — sometimes legendary — football players.

But who are the 100 best?

A TexAgs panel that includes coaches, former players, A&M football historians and media members were tasked with compiling the list of A&M’s 100 greatest players and ranking them in order. The Top 100 will be revealed in groups of 10 over the next two weeks.

Today we reveal Nos. 50-41.

50. Ryan Swope, 2009-12, WR (533): An All-Big 12 pick in 2011 and an All-SEC choice in 2012, Swope was an integral part of A&M’s banner 2012 season in which the Aggies finished ranked fifth. He holds school records with 252 career receptions and 3,117 receiving yards. He also had 24 receiving touchdowns (A&M’s second-highest total). In 2011 he had 89 catches for 1,207 yards and 10 touchdowns. He followed that up in 2012 with 72 catches for 913 yards and eight touchdowns.

Swope was a sixth-round selection of the Arizona Cardinals in the 2013 NFL Draft, but recurring problems with concussions prevented him from pursuing a pro football career.

49. Tommy Maxwell, 1966-68, (541): Yet another member of A&M’s 1967 Southwest Conference championship team. Maxwell was named an All-American free safety in ’68 and All-SWC in ’67. He also led the Aggies with 27 receptions for 455 yards in ’66. A member of A&M’s athletic Hall of Fame, Maxwell was a second-round selection of the Baltimore Colts in the 1969 NFL Draft. He helped the Colts post a victory in Super Bowl V. He played six NFL seasons with three teams, but was a neck injury forced a premature end to his career.

48. Quentin Coryatt, 1990-91, LB (544): An intimidating presence at 6-3, 250 pounds, Coryatt was the embodiment of the Wrecking Crew. Although he didn’t post enormous tackle totals, he was a pulverizing tackler. He’s best known in College Station (and Fort Worth, perhaps) for delivering “The Hit” that left TCU receiver Kyle McPherson unconscious with a jaw broken in three places. As a junior in 1991, Coryatt was named All-American and the Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He eschewed his senior season to enter the 1992 NFL Draft and was the second player selected. He played seven professional seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and one with the Dallas Cowboys.

47. Jack Little, 1950-52, OT (549): According to legend, Little was originally enrolled at Houston, but did not want to endure the Cougars’ three-a-day practices. Instead, he transferred to A&M and made an immediate impact. In ’50 he helped A&M lead the Southwest Conference in total offense. The next two seasons he was named All-American and All-SWC. A member of A&M’s athletic Hall of Fame, Little was selected by the Baltimore Colts in the fifth round of the 1953 NFL Draft. He played two professional seasons until a back injury forced an end to his career.

46. Damontre Moore, 2010-12, DE (550): “DaMonster” arrived in College Station as a less-than-heralded recruit, but left as an All-American. Moore steadily developed in A&M’s program — he posted 5.5 sacks as a freshman in 2010, 8.5 as a sophomore and 12.5 in 2012 when he earned All-SEC and All-American honors. He also led the Aggies with 85 total tackles in ’12. He completed his career with 26.5 sacks, which ranks seventh in school history. Moore opted to forgo his senior year and entered the 2013 NFL Draft. He was a third-round pick of the New York Giants.

45. Ray Mickens, 1992-95, CB (556): Though somewhat overshadowed by Aaron Glenn much of his career, Ray-Ray was among the most productive cornerbacks ever to wear the Maroon-and-White. He broke up 28 passes and had nine interceptions in his career. He led the Aggies with four interceptions in ’95. Yet, he may be most remembered for making perhaps a victory-saving, one-on-one tackle on big Texas receiver Lovell Pinkney inside the five-yard line in 1993.

A member of the A&M athletic Hall of Fame, Mickens posted 162 career tackles and was also dangerous on punt returns. He was named All-Southwest Conference in 1994 and ’95 and was All-American in ’95. He was selected in the third round of the 1996 NFL Draft by the New York Jets. He played 11 professional seasons.

44. Jerry Fontenot, 1985-88, OL (564): One of many great players to come to A&M from Louisiana, Fontenot was a major factor in the Aggies’ rise to prominence in the ‘80s. He played every position on the offensive line and helped A&M win consecutive Southwest Conference championships in ’85, ’86 and ’87. Perhaps best remembered as a center, he was named All-SWC three times and was honorable mention All-American as a junior and senior. Also a member of the A&M athletic Hall of Fame, Fontenot was selected in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears. He played 16 NFL seasons and was part of the Green Bay Packers team that won Super Bowl XLV. Fontenot has been on the Packers coaching staff since 2006.

43. Leeland McElroy, 1993-95, RB/KR (575): ‘Lectric Leeland only started one season at running back and rushed for 1,122 yards in 1995. He gained 2,442 rushing yards in his A&M career. Three-times he was an All-Southwest Conference pick (twice as a kick returners, once as a running back). He was named All-American as a kick returner in ’94 and ’95. McElroy averaged 36.6 yards on 30 kickoff returns in his career, which is a school record.

He scored 40 touchdowns in his career; that included back-to-back kickoff returns for touchdowns against Rice in 1993. He’s also a member of the A&M athletic Hall of Fame. McElroy opted to forgo his senior season and entered the 1996 NFL Draft. He was a second-round selection of the Arizona Cardinals and played four professional seasons.

42. Patrick Bates, 1991-92, S (581): A product of Galveston, Bates transferred to A&M after originally signing with UCLA. He was a big safety who contributed an air of intimidation to the Wrecking Crew defense. He made an immediate impact for the Aggies and was named All-SWC in 1991 when he had four interceptions. He followed up with an even better showing in 1992 when he led the team with 95 tackles and earned All-SWC and All-American honors. He was taken in the first round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Raiders. Bates played four seasons in the NFL.

41. Marcus Buckley, 1990-92, LB (594): A native of Fort Worth, Buckley was a havoc-wreaking linebacker. He posted 29 career sacks, including 13 in 1991. His career sack total remains the sixth-highest in school history. He also holds the school record with 10 fumbles recovered in his career.

Buckley was named All-Southwest Conference in 1991 and 1992. He was named All-American in 1991. He’s a member of A&M’s athletic Hall of Fame. Buckley was selected in the third round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the New York Giants. He played seven professional seasons.

The Aggie Football Top 100

• Nos. 60-51
  
• Nos. 70-61
  
• Nos. 80-71
  
• Nos. 90-81
• Nos. 100-91

About the rankings

Panelists include: Jackie Sherrill, Jimmy Wright, Dave Elmendorf, Dennis Goehring, Hugh McElroy, Rusty Burson, Mike Henderson, Tom Turbiville, Brad Marquardt, Bob Spoede, Chip Howard, David Sandhop, Gabe Bock and Olin Buchanan.

Rankings were compiled by a points list in which 100 points were awarded first place, 99 for second place, etc. After a 13-vote total was accumulated, the point values of the highest and lowest votes were eliminated to determine a final point score. Each individual’s final point score is in parentheses.