The Gift of Friendship: Sherman Zimmerman's love of the Aggie Spirit

He cannot remember exactly when he subscribed to TexAgs. He cannot remember exactly when he canceled his subscription, either.

Sherman Zimmerman didn’t want to cancel.

About a year ago, the 81-year-old retired high school coach was diagnosed with an aggressive form of cancer. Treatment would be expensive. Money was tight. Any expense which wasn’t absolutely necessary had to be cut.

That included his TexAgs subscription. Although Sherman enjoyed listening to TexAgs Radio every morning, watching video features, reading articles and perusing message boards, he reluctantly unsubscribed.

But when TexAgs’ co-owner and executive editor Billy Liucci learned of the situation, he comped Sherman’s subscription.

Sherman recounted that story to me earlier this week from the assisted living facility he moved into recently. When I entered his room, this gentle, wonderful, fragile man — who is in the 15th round of his fight — struggled to stand. Then he politely offered his chair.

“Keep your seat,” I said as I sat down on the bed next to him. I saw tears well in Sherman’s eyes when he told the story of Billy’s gesture.

“I didn’t have words,” Sherman said, his voice cracking. “I don’t know Billy, but for someone to say they care about you… It’s not those words — and it wouldn’t mean as much if it was just words — but it’s just that Aggie thing.”

Sherman has always loved Texas A&M. He loves the passion of Aggies. He loves the traditions. He breaks out in laughter talking about classes ending if Reveille barks.

“There’s just something that I can’t put into the words,” he said. “Maybe it sounds a little corny, and some people would say that’s just football. But it goes beyond that. I really wanted to be part of that tradition even though I’m not an Aggie.”

That’s right. Sherman isn’t an Aggie. Not in the literal sense, anyway. He did not attend Texas A&M.

But his close cousins Jack Kay and Jimmy Lloyd did. Jimmy’s wife, Pat, did, too. Two of Sherman’s uncles were A&M fans. Really, the whole family was.

“I can remember growing up as a youngster, Thanksgiving was our family reunion. That was Texas-A&M,” Sherman said. “I can remember everybody finished their meal and then ran to the TV. If you said something about Texas A&M, food would fly.

“All our kin folks that went to college were Aggies.”

But Sherman attended Howard Payne University in Brownwood. He never finished his degree but had a long, distinguished career as a football coach at private schools around the state.

He coached at St. Mark’s Academy in Houston and St. Mark’s School in Dallas, where Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt was on his team.

He later coached at St. Stephen’s in Austin, Episcopal High School in Houston and Houston Kincade High School. He also graded film for the Dallas Cowboys during the Tom Landry era.

Upon retirement, Sherman moved to Bryan, where he and his late brother, Shelby, had a home on 12 acres off Dilly Tap Shaw Road.

The first Bonfire Stack held off campus after 1999 was on his property.

Eventually, Sherman moved into an apartment in Bryan. He transferred to an assisted living facility shortly after being admitted into hospice care last November.

My wife is Sherman’s hospice social worker. They share a love of football and conversation. During a discussion about Texas A&M, she informed him that her husband worked for TexAgs.

He was delighted to learn she was married to “OB” and asked if we could meet.

I made the first of three visits with him soon afterward. We talk about football, the Aggies and his life. He asked if I would talk to his cousin, Jack, on the phone. Of course, I would.

He thanked me profusely. He always thanks me profusely. And I always thank him.

In the grand scheme, my job — talking and writing about sports — would seem wholly unimportant to most.

Teachers give knowledge. Doctors give healing. Farmers give food. Lawyers give legal counsel. Hospice workers give compassion and comfort.

I also give opinions. And as the saying goes, opinions are like (a certain body part)... Everybody has them. 

So, by comparison, my job does seem insignificant.

Yet, Sherman said he thanks me and TexAgs for what we give him.

He said TexAgs gives him entertainment. TexAgs gives him joy. He said TexAgs gives him something to look forward to every day.

In turn, Sherman has given me friendship. He has given me perspective. He has given me validation.

He has given me much more in a month than I’ve given him in 10 years at TexAgs.