Texas A&M Football
Key quotes from Albert Connell interview
“I used to love going over to the Rec Center and playing intramural basketball. Actually, basketball was my first love. It was my first love, but I was enamored with the whole physical part of football, so I wanted to get into that.”
“At the time (that I committed), A&M was #1 in the country. Coming off the national championship, I felt that a lot of people were saying, ‘Why are you going to A&M? They’re running. They’re Linebacker U.’ I’m like, ‘I can change it.’ With my work ethic when I got there and my ability – the coaches couldn’t deny it. We had to throw the ball. It was like I pretty much changed the whole game. I’m part of a group. We’re the Texas A&M guerrilla warfare group. It’s just the receivers. We talk constantly and encourage each other, and everyone tells me that I set the tone. A lot of guys started looking at A&M because they actually started passing the ball. That’s what brought a lot of the great wide receivers through, and I’m just grateful to have that opportunity to show those guys that you can make a difference wherever you go if you just work.”
“I was in bounds (against SMU in ’95). I’m telling you I was in. I swear I was in. I swear. Corey (Pullig) made a great throw. Corey made a great throw and put it right where I needed to be. It was almost like he was my point guard at that point. I put basketball into the equation and went up for the alley-oop. I’m (very glad there was no instant replay at that time). A lot of people say you can look at it and my body might have been out of bounds a little bit, but I felt I was in. I really did. There was so much excitement at that time that I don’t think they would have called it back anyway.”
“(Home life) was great (growing up). I was a single child, so it was tough coming up without siblings. I made the best of it. I had a lot of great friends out there. I just came up with a group of great guys. I learned from the best. A lot of people don’t know my background. I learned the game from Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. They lived in the complex I lived in while I was growing up. They would play ball with us and teach us and show us different things that we were doing wrong. I think that went a long way with me. Out of my neighborhood alone, we go Michael Irvin, Asante Samuel, Isaac Bruce – we got a lot of great receivers, and we can attribute that to the support structure we had in the neighborhood.”
“I had a coach – me and Al Harris, the great defensive back that played for years in the NFL, came up together, and we had a coach that coached us in Pop Warner. We weren’t getting the looks. We were trouble makers, and our grades weren’t the best coming out of high school. We had a coach that took it upon himself. He drove us here to Texas, and we were going to do a walk-on try-out at every junior college we could find. The first stop was Trinity Valley. We worked out for them. I ran a 4.3 forty and Al was killing them with coverage. Next thing I know, we were offered full scholarships at our first stop.”
“(Matt Bryant) is the best. He’s still (playing in the NFL). I love Matt. He kicked barefoot at Trinity Valley, so it was an odd situation. He was a strong-footed guy.”
“I think I was wide open (during my recruitment). I wanted to go – I was actually recruited by (Michigan). Like I said, my grades weren’t the best, and they were going to prop me. My coaches were in my ear, and they were like, ‘Man, we’re going to go a different route. Let’s try this.’ I’m so glad I did. I’m still good friends with Derrick Irvin. He lives out here in the area with me, and he says, ‘Man, you should have stayed in Florida.’ I think I made a good decision.”
“I’ve been so envious (of the Aggie offense the last few years). I wish I could have gotten a piece of the SEC. That is a great conference, and the things they’re doing down there at A&M – I enjoyed watching that young quarterback this weekend. He really did his thing. Like I said, we talk. We stay in the loop, and if we want to get down for a game, we’re taken care of. The group of guys I’m in constantly talks about A&M – the good, the bad, the ugly. We talk about how we need to get down there and get in these young guys’ ears and tell them how we did things and just show them what it takes.”
“I’m representing TM5 (properties) right now with my hat on. Terrence Murphy is a great guy. Like I said, we encourage each other. I wish him the very best and so much success. He’s just a great individual.”
“I have two teenage sons and one in college. The teenagers go to Lamar High School in Houston. They’re in their junior year. Little A.C. – he’s doing his thing. I’m really proud of him. This past summer, we were at an Adidas camp in College Station, and he got an opportunity to play down there. I didn’t get a chance to take him to campus during the daytime, but I took my guys out there. We looked around at night. I showed them where the famous Cain Hall used to be. So many memories – it was the best. When I got there I was like, ‘You’re saying I can eat a second time?’ Because in junior college we struggled. I remember those meals like they were yesterday. Some of the best memories are just from hanging out with the guys. The junior college guys – me, Pat Williams – we were real tight. We just bonded and used to do a lot of things together. There were a lot of fun times and video games. We would go to the parties on campus, and we would bowl. We just did things together, and I think that helped us a lot as things went on at A&M.”
“That first year, the LSU game where I got my first touchdown (stands out). I didn’t have that many catches that game, but I was nervous when I got there. I actually threw up, because I saw those people in the stands, and it seemed like the stands were just rocking, waving. I was getting seasick. But I sucked it up, and it was just something I wasn’t used to. I felt something just to score and to say, ‘I’m and Aggie, and this is my first touchdown. I’m going to be a problem for the rest of this year.’ That was my best memory – the first touchdown I had. It was a great feeling.”
“I had glue on my hands for some reason (during the ’95 SMU game). I don’t know. It was like everything Brandon (Stewart) was throwing, I was catching. I was just getting open, just focusing. I really had to drive, because we were behind. I really tried to work hard to get us back in that game. Brandon knew that, and he worked hard to get me the ball. That was a great experience. I didn’t expect to catch that many. A lot of guys don’t get (18 catches) in one season. It’s wild that the record still stands. I was actually watching that TCU game earlier this year. I said, ‘Uh-oh. 18. He’s going to get me.’ He’s a great receiver, and that’s a great accomplishment, especially to do that in one game. TCU’s having a great year.”
“(Playing in the NFL) was a dream. We didn’t have that many wide receivers coming out of A&M. Now we have them by the boatload. It was amazing to me. I really appreciate and thank Coach Slocum. He really pushed me to take it to that next level.”
“I’m not going to say I’m too bitter, but I was a little upset (to be drafted in the fourth round). That year – it still plays in my mind – I was in the top-5 wide receivers in the country. I actually had talked to Miami with that tenth pick. They had called me. They were going to go with me, but (Yatil Green) was a big guy and ran a 4.3 or something at the combine, which pushed his stock up. I was a little disappointed, but at the same time, I was just elated. My dream came true. To actually do it, I was just grateful."
“These days, I really love to talk about (my exit from the NFL). It’s like I really had a lot more years left in me, and to be thrown out of the league for a foolish prank, I learned about decision-making. You have to make good decisions regardless. Don’t follow. Always be your own man. I teach my sons that. It can just take one decision – it doesn’t matter what. I don’t care how much athletic ability you have in the world. If there’s a problem or issue, you can only escalate it by doing something that the higher-ups don’t like. If there’s already been problems – I’m not going to deny having that cockiness or that bad attitude. I think, in the long run, that’s what controlled me. I got too big for myself, if I can say that. Like I said, I learned a lot from that experience. It was nothing that deterred me"
" I went over to Canada and did well over there. Unfortunately, I had injuries that I never experienced in the NFL. It’s a different game up there. I take from it the experience – just growing as a man, things you need to do and doing the right thing regardless. It’s just the immaturity factor. I’ve matured a lot. Those immature things you do – they can cost you. It really cost me. I thought I had to be a 1,000-yard receiver, and it wouldn’t be looked at. I really felt that I ruined my own path because of the bad attitude. Being accused of stealing – look at it. I just got 15 million dollars and you just gave me another 2.5 million. Really? Seriously? You really think I was stealing? But you know, that’s water under the bridge. I learned from it. No ill will towards anyone – the NFL or the Saints or anyone. “
Aggie flashback with former A&M WR Albert Connell
Key quotes from Albert Connell interview
“I used to love going over to the Rec Center and playing intramural basketball. Actually, basketball was my first love. It was my first love, but I was enamored with the whole physical part of football, so I wanted to get into that.”“At the time (that I committed), A&M was #1 in the country. Coming off the national championship, I felt that a lot of people were saying, ‘Why are you going to A&M? They’re running. They’re Linebacker U.’ I’m like, ‘I can change it.’ With my work ethic when I got there and my ability – the coaches couldn’t deny it. We had to throw the ball. It was like I pretty much changed the whole game. I’m part of a group. We’re the Texas A&M guerrilla warfare group. It’s just the receivers. We talk constantly and encourage each other, and everyone tells me that I set the tone. A lot of guys started looking at A&M because they actually started passing the ball. That’s what brought a lot of the great wide receivers through, and I’m just grateful to have that opportunity to show those guys that you can make a difference wherever you go if you just work.”
“I was in bounds (against SMU in ’95). I’m telling you I was in. I swear I was in. I swear. Corey (Pullig) made a great throw. Corey made a great throw and put it right where I needed to be. It was almost like he was my point guard at that point. I put basketball into the equation and went up for the alley-oop. I’m (very glad there was no instant replay at that time). A lot of people say you can look at it and my body might have been out of bounds a little bit, but I felt I was in. I really did. There was so much excitement at that time that I don’t think they would have called it back anyway.”
“(Home life) was great (growing up). I was a single child, so it was tough coming up without siblings. I made the best of it. I had a lot of great friends out there. I just came up with a group of great guys. I learned from the best. A lot of people don’t know my background. I learned the game from Mark Duper and Mark Clayton. They lived in the complex I lived in while I was growing up. They would play ball with us and teach us and show us different things that we were doing wrong. I think that went a long way with me. Out of my neighborhood alone, we go Michael Irvin, Asante Samuel, Isaac Bruce – we got a lot of great receivers, and we can attribute that to the support structure we had in the neighborhood.”
“I had a coach – me and Al Harris, the great defensive back that played for years in the NFL, came up together, and we had a coach that coached us in Pop Warner. We weren’t getting the looks. We were trouble makers, and our grades weren’t the best coming out of high school. We had a coach that took it upon himself. He drove us here to Texas, and we were going to do a walk-on try-out at every junior college we could find. The first stop was Trinity Valley. We worked out for them. I ran a 4.3 forty and Al was killing them with coverage. Next thing I know, we were offered full scholarships at our first stop.”
“(Matt Bryant) is the best. He’s still (playing in the NFL). I love Matt. He kicked barefoot at Trinity Valley, so it was an odd situation. He was a strong-footed guy.”
“I think I was wide open (during my recruitment). I wanted to go – I was actually recruited by (Michigan). Like I said, my grades weren’t the best, and they were going to prop me. My coaches were in my ear, and they were like, ‘Man, we’re going to go a different route. Let’s try this.’ I’m so glad I did. I’m still good friends with Derrick Irvin. He lives out here in the area with me, and he says, ‘Man, you should have stayed in Florida.’ I think I made a good decision.”
“I’ve been so envious (of the Aggie offense the last few years). I wish I could have gotten a piece of the SEC. That is a great conference, and the things they’re doing down there at A&M – I enjoyed watching that young quarterback this weekend. He really did his thing. Like I said, we talk. We stay in the loop, and if we want to get down for a game, we’re taken care of. The group of guys I’m in constantly talks about A&M – the good, the bad, the ugly. We talk about how we need to get down there and get in these young guys’ ears and tell them how we did things and just show them what it takes.”
“I’m representing TM5 (properties) right now with my hat on. Terrence Murphy is a great guy. Like I said, we encourage each other. I wish him the very best and so much success. He’s just a great individual.”
“I have two teenage sons and one in college. The teenagers go to Lamar High School in Houston. They’re in their junior year. Little A.C. – he’s doing his thing. I’m really proud of him. This past summer, we were at an Adidas camp in College Station, and he got an opportunity to play down there. I didn’t get a chance to take him to campus during the daytime, but I took my guys out there. We looked around at night. I showed them where the famous Cain Hall used to be. So many memories – it was the best. When I got there I was like, ‘You’re saying I can eat a second time?’ Because in junior college we struggled. I remember those meals like they were yesterday. Some of the best memories are just from hanging out with the guys. The junior college guys – me, Pat Williams – we were real tight. We just bonded and used to do a lot of things together. There were a lot of fun times and video games. We would go to the parties on campus, and we would bowl. We just did things together, and I think that helped us a lot as things went on at A&M.”
“That first year, the LSU game where I got my first touchdown (stands out). I didn’t have that many catches that game, but I was nervous when I got there. I actually threw up, because I saw those people in the stands, and it seemed like the stands were just rocking, waving. I was getting seasick. But I sucked it up, and it was just something I wasn’t used to. I felt something just to score and to say, ‘I’m and Aggie, and this is my first touchdown. I’m going to be a problem for the rest of this year.’ That was my best memory – the first touchdown I had. It was a great feeling.”
“I had glue on my hands for some reason (during the ’95 SMU game). I don’t know. It was like everything Brandon (Stewart) was throwing, I was catching. I was just getting open, just focusing. I really had to drive, because we were behind. I really tried to work hard to get us back in that game. Brandon knew that, and he worked hard to get me the ball. That was a great experience. I didn’t expect to catch that many. A lot of guys don’t get (18 catches) in one season. It’s wild that the record still stands. I was actually watching that TCU game earlier this year. I said, ‘Uh-oh. 18. He’s going to get me.’ He’s a great receiver, and that’s a great accomplishment, especially to do that in one game. TCU’s having a great year.”
“(Playing in the NFL) was a dream. We didn’t have that many wide receivers coming out of A&M. Now we have them by the boatload. It was amazing to me. I really appreciate and thank Coach Slocum. He really pushed me to take it to that next level.”
“I’m not going to say I’m too bitter, but I was a little upset (to be drafted in the fourth round). That year – it still plays in my mind – I was in the top-5 wide receivers in the country. I actually had talked to Miami with that tenth pick. They had called me. They were going to go with me, but (Yatil Green) was a big guy and ran a 4.3 or something at the combine, which pushed his stock up. I was a little disappointed, but at the same time, I was just elated. My dream came true. To actually do it, I was just grateful."
“These days, I really love to talk about (my exit from the NFL). It’s like I really had a lot more years left in me, and to be thrown out of the league for a foolish prank, I learned about decision-making. You have to make good decisions regardless. Don’t follow. Always be your own man. I teach my sons that. It can just take one decision – it doesn’t matter what. I don’t care how much athletic ability you have in the world. If there’s a problem or issue, you can only escalate it by doing something that the higher-ups don’t like. If there’s already been problems – I’m not going to deny having that cockiness or that bad attitude. I think, in the long run, that’s what controlled me. I got too big for myself, if I can say that. Like I said, I learned a lot from that experience. It was nothing that deterred me"
" I went over to Canada and did well over there. Unfortunately, I had injuries that I never experienced in the NFL. It’s a different game up there. I take from it the experience – just growing as a man, things you need to do and doing the right thing regardless. It’s just the immaturity factor. I’ve matured a lot. Those immature things you do – they can cost you. It really cost me. I thought I had to be a 1,000-yard receiver, and it wouldn’t be looked at. I really felt that I ruined my own path because of the bad attitude. Being accused of stealing – look at it. I just got 15 million dollars and you just gave me another 2.5 million. Really? Seriously? You really think I was stealing? But you know, that’s water under the bridge. I learned from it. No ill will towards anyone – the NFL or the Saints or anyone. “
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