Texas A&M Football
Key quotes from Chris Dausin interview
“Of course (I miss the Texas game). That’s a burning desire that will never go away. What an experience. Here you are playing Texas A&M. Of course, I had a little bit of grit. Nicknamed everything from ‘Ragdoll’ to ‘Dirty’ – you’ll tend to have a little bit of feistiness to yourself. Especially after you believe – Texas A&M believed in me and the Dausin boys that played there. Of course, my two other brothers played up there. That was just so much respect. It wasn’t just playing for myself. It was playing for my two other brothers who would kick my tail if I got beat by anybody while playing for Texas A&M."
"Stepping out there on Kyle Field – I can’t explain it. From the inside I can’t explain it. From the outside you can’t understand it. The goosebumps – I’m willing to go to a different edge, because I believed in it. That was a key motivator that kept all of our motors running.”
“My uncle was a Ross Volunteer in ’52, I believe. Then my brother Brian – we all graduated from Roosevelt High School in San Antonio – a family of eight. My brother Brian was the first one at A&M. Emory Bellard was with my brother Brian from ’78-’82. He went on and played and started with the USFL, the Houston Gamblers. Then my brother Randy had a full scholarship there from ’82-’86. I followed it up and was there from ’88-’93.”
“Of course there was only one choice (when I was being recruited). When you’re going to those games at Texas A&M and the Aggie Band strikes up – once it’s in your blood, you can’t get it out of you. There’s no doubt about that.”
“Beating LSU (sticks out to me the most from my playing days). I don’t want to take anything away from poor Texas over there, but that was just going out there and beating someone down. That was the mentality, especially on the offensive line. You’re in the trenches, and I was fortunate enough to play center and start for Texas A&M. I mean, wow. Of course there were a lot of sacrifices, but are you joking me? Just for that one opportunity – playing Texas, I think one of my fondest moments was from my senior year. They had a bounty on my head. A radio station had a bounty on my head prior to the Texas game, so as a big offensive lineman that doesn’t get too much credit in the middle, I kind of put that on my hat and kind of wore it around for a while.”
“(My brothers) worked for everything. We weren’t the most talented. We weren’t the biggest in size. When I first came into A&M, I was 6’2” and 215 pounds dripping wet – hence the name ‘Ragdoll’ for about two years on the scout team. You get a little grit from that. I needed that. I needed that push. That was the Dausin way. We were grunters. We were ditch-diggers, but we were the best ditch-diggers out there. We took a lot of pride in that. We took a lot of pride in who we were, and that was the biggest contributing source of that.”
“It was a lot of pushing. You’d come in in those days, and we’d have Shotgun Alley. R.C. Slocum would pull up and during spring practice, we’d have Shotgun Alley. Either you’re going to step up and be the one when he says, ‘Who’s up?’ Or you’re going to sit in the back and be scared. That was my worst fear – not stepping up and putting all my effort into it when I do step up. I was fortunate to have that. A lot of it was hanging on during practice squad days and just not giving up. It was like Rocky Balboa says in that movie – it’s not how hard you can hit a person. It’s how many licks you can take and keep on going. I just had that mentality. “
“It’s a pretty passionate deal, (and I got into a lot of fights at practice.) When you believe in something the way A&M believed in me – I really believed in being a Fightin’ Texas Aggie. There was no doubt about that on game day or any day. During practice against my own guys, it was the passion. That’s the bottom line, and I would go the extra distance, I guess. Call it being mean or being nasty. I just called it trying really hard.”
“(Practices were most definitely harder than games). Everything was (about the) Wrecking Crew. As a poor offensive unit, we’re not going to take that. That’s what made practices very interesting. We could come together on game day. That was the thing. When we practiced and it was ones-on-ones, it was full go, because we’re not going to get intimidated by the Wrecking Crew coming in there and making tackles and doing what they do. We have more respect for ourselves on the offensive line.”
“We had a little barbecue joint in Seguin. I just recently shut down the doors a few months ago. I ran that for about seven years. I’m back here at Dausin Electric. It’s a family-owned and operated commercial electrical contractor here in San Antonio. I still reside in New Braunfels. That was a heck of a learning experience. It was a bar and restaurant place that was really good. I do my catering stuff on the side. I keep that cooking still going, keep that fire going, I guess.”
“(A&M’s rise) has been amazing. I think it’s just remarkable for the university, especially the way Coach Sumlin has stepped up and has taken that program and responded. There was some adversity there that we faced after losing Johnny (Manziel) and stuff like that. There were a lot of big question marks. I think Coach Sumlin has stepped up and gotten rid of those question marks. I think it’s so exciting that you see an offense and a defense that are just coming back and looking like they’re starting to click on all cylinders.”
“(The new facilities) are unbelievable. That’s the times. I remember coming up there and working out in Deware. There’s no other way to see it. It’s just a hot box, and there are free weights. You just get after it. Of course there was Netum-Steed and now the facilities they have now are just unbelievable. You don’t have a chance of failing. All the facilities are there. You have everything in place. It’s all state-of-the-art. I think it’s wonderful for these kids to come in there and really showcase their talent.”
“I keep in touch with John Ellisor. He was a good mentor for me. Old No. 51. He brought me through the ranks. He taught me the sayings and how to be tough out there, mentally tough out there on the football field. He’s doing well out there in Kingwood. Of course Greg Schorp – he played tight end. He played briefly out there with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then he won a Super Bowl championship with the Dallas Cowboys. He lives in San Antonio, so we try to get together to do some bird-hunting and some fishing.”
“Isn’t it something awesome? Besides being a great strength coach, (Larry Jackson) has more heart and desire and passion going into Texas A&M – I can tell you as a former player with Larry that he really cares. There’s something extra of Larry Jackson there in that weight room pushing these guys. He pushed himself. I remember watching him train and train. He just lives in that weight room, and he always loved it. He could never get enough of it. I love that Larry’s up there. He’s representing us well. There’s no doubt.”
“I’m telling you that Ms. Davidson and Mrs. Ruby over (in Cain Hall) serving us up some of the best food around – gosh, we’re going to miss those days. I think that place may need an exorcism before they tear it down.”
Aggie Flashback with former A&M center Chris "Dirty" Dausin
Key quotes from Chris Dausin interview
“Of course (I miss the Texas game). That’s a burning desire that will never go away. What an experience. Here you are playing Texas A&M. Of course, I had a little bit of grit. Nicknamed everything from ‘Ragdoll’ to ‘Dirty’ – you’ll tend to have a little bit of feistiness to yourself. Especially after you believe – Texas A&M believed in me and the Dausin boys that played there. Of course, my two other brothers played up there. That was just so much respect. It wasn’t just playing for myself. It was playing for my two other brothers who would kick my tail if I got beat by anybody while playing for Texas A&M.""Stepping out there on Kyle Field – I can’t explain it. From the inside I can’t explain it. From the outside you can’t understand it. The goosebumps – I’m willing to go to a different edge, because I believed in it. That was a key motivator that kept all of our motors running.”
“My uncle was a Ross Volunteer in ’52, I believe. Then my brother Brian – we all graduated from Roosevelt High School in San Antonio – a family of eight. My brother Brian was the first one at A&M. Emory Bellard was with my brother Brian from ’78-’82. He went on and played and started with the USFL, the Houston Gamblers. Then my brother Randy had a full scholarship there from ’82-’86. I followed it up and was there from ’88-’93.”
“Of course there was only one choice (when I was being recruited). When you’re going to those games at Texas A&M and the Aggie Band strikes up – once it’s in your blood, you can’t get it out of you. There’s no doubt about that.”
“Beating LSU (sticks out to me the most from my playing days). I don’t want to take anything away from poor Texas over there, but that was just going out there and beating someone down. That was the mentality, especially on the offensive line. You’re in the trenches, and I was fortunate enough to play center and start for Texas A&M. I mean, wow. Of course there were a lot of sacrifices, but are you joking me? Just for that one opportunity – playing Texas, I think one of my fondest moments was from my senior year. They had a bounty on my head. A radio station had a bounty on my head prior to the Texas game, so as a big offensive lineman that doesn’t get too much credit in the middle, I kind of put that on my hat and kind of wore it around for a while.”
“(My brothers) worked for everything. We weren’t the most talented. We weren’t the biggest in size. When I first came into A&M, I was 6’2” and 215 pounds dripping wet – hence the name ‘Ragdoll’ for about two years on the scout team. You get a little grit from that. I needed that. I needed that push. That was the Dausin way. We were grunters. We were ditch-diggers, but we were the best ditch-diggers out there. We took a lot of pride in that. We took a lot of pride in who we were, and that was the biggest contributing source of that.”
“It was a lot of pushing. You’d come in in those days, and we’d have Shotgun Alley. R.C. Slocum would pull up and during spring practice, we’d have Shotgun Alley. Either you’re going to step up and be the one when he says, ‘Who’s up?’ Or you’re going to sit in the back and be scared. That was my worst fear – not stepping up and putting all my effort into it when I do step up. I was fortunate to have that. A lot of it was hanging on during practice squad days and just not giving up. It was like Rocky Balboa says in that movie – it’s not how hard you can hit a person. It’s how many licks you can take and keep on going. I just had that mentality. “
“It’s a pretty passionate deal, (and I got into a lot of fights at practice.) When you believe in something the way A&M believed in me – I really believed in being a Fightin’ Texas Aggie. There was no doubt about that on game day or any day. During practice against my own guys, it was the passion. That’s the bottom line, and I would go the extra distance, I guess. Call it being mean or being nasty. I just called it trying really hard.”
“(Practices were most definitely harder than games). Everything was (about the) Wrecking Crew. As a poor offensive unit, we’re not going to take that. That’s what made practices very interesting. We could come together on game day. That was the thing. When we practiced and it was ones-on-ones, it was full go, because we’re not going to get intimidated by the Wrecking Crew coming in there and making tackles and doing what they do. We have more respect for ourselves on the offensive line.”
“We had a little barbecue joint in Seguin. I just recently shut down the doors a few months ago. I ran that for about seven years. I’m back here at Dausin Electric. It’s a family-owned and operated commercial electrical contractor here in San Antonio. I still reside in New Braunfels. That was a heck of a learning experience. It was a bar and restaurant place that was really good. I do my catering stuff on the side. I keep that cooking still going, keep that fire going, I guess.”
“(A&M’s rise) has been amazing. I think it’s just remarkable for the university, especially the way Coach Sumlin has stepped up and has taken that program and responded. There was some adversity there that we faced after losing Johnny (Manziel) and stuff like that. There were a lot of big question marks. I think Coach Sumlin has stepped up and gotten rid of those question marks. I think it’s so exciting that you see an offense and a defense that are just coming back and looking like they’re starting to click on all cylinders.”
“(The new facilities) are unbelievable. That’s the times. I remember coming up there and working out in Deware. There’s no other way to see it. It’s just a hot box, and there are free weights. You just get after it. Of course there was Netum-Steed and now the facilities they have now are just unbelievable. You don’t have a chance of failing. All the facilities are there. You have everything in place. It’s all state-of-the-art. I think it’s wonderful for these kids to come in there and really showcase their talent.”
“I keep in touch with John Ellisor. He was a good mentor for me. Old No. 51. He brought me through the ranks. He taught me the sayings and how to be tough out there, mentally tough out there on the football field. He’s doing well out there in Kingwood. Of course Greg Schorp – he played tight end. He played briefly out there with the Jacksonville Jaguars. Then he won a Super Bowl championship with the Dallas Cowboys. He lives in San Antonio, so we try to get together to do some bird-hunting and some fishing.”
“Isn’t it something awesome? Besides being a great strength coach, (Larry Jackson) has more heart and desire and passion going into Texas A&M – I can tell you as a former player with Larry that he really cares. There’s something extra of Larry Jackson there in that weight room pushing these guys. He pushed himself. I remember watching him train and train. He just lives in that weight room, and he always loved it. He could never get enough of it. I love that Larry’s up there. He’s representing us well. There’s no doubt.”
“I’m telling you that Ms. Davidson and Mrs. Ruby over (in Cain Hall) serving us up some of the best food around – gosh, we’re going to miss those days. I think that place may need an exorcism before they tear it down.”
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