Throw Back, Look Forward: Players, others opine on new unis

Ryan Swope
* Getting these new uniforms is a great opportunity for Texas A&M. They give A&M a chance to represent the state of Texas at the highest level. The players play with pride for their school and want to look good while they do it.

* The team is feeling great right now. A lot of guys are working hard in the offseason and are doing the little things needed to win football games. A lot of people aren’t thinking A&M is going to do the best this year because of all of the changes, but that stuff doesn’t matter to the players. They block all of that stuff out and carry themselves with the highest of character. The team is ready to get out on the field and compete with the teams in the SEC and soak in all the knowledge they can during two-a-days in August.

* He feels really light in the uniforms and it feels like it’s easier to stretch out for balls in them as well. Adidas did a great job with the jerseys, as did Coach Sumlin.

* The white on white uniform looks pretty good. The maroon on maroon gives a different look and it’s hard to say that one combination looks better than the other because they are all very well done.

* The All-SEC award he recently received doesn’t mean that much because it’s only a preseason award. What matters in the end is what you do on the field and how many football games you win and he is excited to get on the field and play for Coach Sumlin. He has so much energy and makes practice fun. He is excited for his senior season and plans on going out with a bang.


Christine Michael
* The uniforms are breathtaking and unbelievable. It’s a blessing to be able to enjoy this experience and everyone looks great in their uniforms. The jerseys feel and look good and so do the helmets.

* It’s a blessing to have the amount of support this football team has. People don’t understand how much it helps the team both on and off the field.

* Uniforms are a big deal to a lot of players now days. Having this much attention because of new uniforms makes the team feel like people really care about them like other teams with great uniforms such as LSU, Alabama and Oregon.

* Guys like Matt Watson, Coach Sumlin, and Dr. Loftin all deserve a shout out for helping make these uniforms possible.

* Watson gave the players some options to get their opinion on different ideas. He didn’t really tell them where he was going with it, but the players didn’t think they would turn out as good as they did.


Sean Porter
* He’s very excited to get to play in the SEC against the best competition out there. As competitors, they always want to place themselves against the best in the country and now they are getting the chance to do just that.

* Last year the team lost each game by just a little bit. It was one mental mistake here or there that cost them their record. It was always something little that did them in, and they are focused on cleaning up those little mistakes which will ultimately make them a better team. 90% of the game is mental, so if they can clean up those little mental mistakes, they should be in good shape.

* Today was a huge day. They made a big deal out of this unveiling, so all of the players were excited to come out and show off the new uniforms to the fans and the media.

* He’s really excited about the new uniforms and likes all of the gray in them. He also likes the flat color of the helmets. The team was used to the shiny finish, but they definitely like the changes.

* He likes how they made a big deal of the new uniforms because things like this should be shared with the fans. The students love coming to things like this which makes it a good thing for the university.

* Matt Watson involved the players a lot in the uniform process. Anytime the team gets something new, he asks the players how they like them and what can be changed to make them better next time. He never makes the players wear anything they don’t want to wear and the team loves him.

* Wearing the SEC patch means a lot to him. He’s very excited to play in the league of champions, especially since it’s so close now. Everyone says the SEC has the best players in the country, and now A&M is a part of that.

*He’s glad that the SEC coaches have noticed his play on the field and that they chose him to be on the All-SEC team. In the same sense, it’s only a preseason award. The only awards that really matter are the ones you get at the end of the season.


Jonathan Stewart
* The new uniforms are great. Being chosen as a model was very unexpected and he didn’t know that he would be one of them until the press release came out. The uniforms feel great and the players all love them.

* His favorite combination is the all-white uniform. He also likes the maroon on white with a white helmet.

* The team loves the way the helmets look. Up close, you can really tell the difference from the past helmets.

* Coach Jackson has been great so far. The team hates him during the workouts, but post-workout, they love him. He’s preparing the team both mentally and physically for the season.

* Right now he is sitting at about 250 pounds and about 6’ 3 ¾’’.

* Clearly they chose him to model the uniforms not because of his size, but because of his face. That’s the reason they didn’t have him wearing a helmet.


Caleb Russell
* He was ecstatic to be able to be involved in the uniform unveiling. He’s pretty excited about the new uniforms. He can move a lot better in them and feels like he isn’t held back as much by them. They breathe better and he feels much cooler, temperature wise, than he did in the old ones.
   
* These new uniforms help the defenders a lot because they don’t allow a lineman to sit there and grab a hold of the jersey as the defender runs by them. When the uniforms are tighter, a defender is able to more a lot faster which is a complete change from the old uniforms.

* It’s an exciting time to be a part of Texas A&M. Being able to come out in these uniforms and show people what we are going to look like during the season is a good thing.


Mark Daniels
* The uniform unveiling was a tremendous event for Adidas. The new coaching staff wanted to make sure to put their stamp on the uniforms and Adidas worked very diligently with them to make these uniforms on a short timeline. You can feel the energy coming from the crowd and you can tell how excited they are about the uniforms and the upcoming season.

* This time is a new beginning for A&M. The Aggies have closed the book on where they once were and are completely focused on where they are going instead of where they have been.

* Kevin Sumlin was very hands on in the making of the uniforms. He first met Sumlin in early January and they pitched a few early ideas to him at that point in time. He took those ideas and ran with them because he wanted to make the new uniforms happen sooner rather than later.

* The design team did a tremendous amount of research in past uniforms. After this process, they have become somewhat of experts on A&M and really tried to key into the 1970’s jerseys from the Emory Bellard era.

* The most important thing for Adidas is the performance level that comes with the jerseys. If you can’t grab someone you can’t tackle them, so Adidas tried to make it as hard as possible for opposing teams to grab the A&M uniforms. Their goal is to have their product be a factor in making a team better than the next.

* The helmets take on a little bit of a different look depending on whether they are used under the lights at night or during the day. They do a good job of tying the entire uniform together and making it a great look.

* Matt Watson, A&M’s equipment manager, has worked alongside Adidas for the past three years on this jersey and Adidas is continuing to test the next evolutions of the jersey which he will also be involved with.


Matt Watson
* It has been a long time in the making. Glad to finally be at this point. It was received well and the players liked it. It's been eight months in the making and it's good to be here.

* The way it played out was: After the Cotton Bowl, we talked to adidas in Dallas. They approached us and asked what we thought about doing a one-game uniform. They threw some things out, we said we'd like to try it. We had tried, unsuccessfully, in the past. Instead, we thought a throwback look might be better for us. A throwback game. We talked about the mid-'70s uniform with the 'Bellard Stripes,' and that's something we thought people would want to see. It's iconic to Texas A&M. We left that alone, then when Coach Sumlin came on board, he and I were texting back and forth one night and he said, 'Let's get with adidas and see what they can do to get a fresh look for us.'

So I got with Mark Daniels and he was going to be there at that bowl game. He said he actually had something to show me. He showed me the artwork and we weren't able to get with Coach Sumlin then, so we set it up at the Football Coaches' Convention in San Antonio. We showed Sumlin, he loved it, and we really got it going. We kept it tight, didn't let it get too far going. I don't know that he even told the assistant coaches. It culminated in what we showed here today and we're glad to finally have it done.

* It was important to get it right. You don't want to rush something. This was late in the process, when we started, even though we started in December. The same uniform we had been wearing for seasons was already being processed overseas. We put a stop to that, changed gears a bit, and it was late in the process. But it's something you want to hit out of the park, and I think we did.

* The stripes are the first thing I love. It's so unique. The SEC patch on the jersey doesn't hurt either. The helmet, I really like that. The paint, that's something the players really love. Up close you can tell it's different. Not matte, not shiny. It's different.

* Once the ball gets kicked off, it's about performance, not how you look. The materials and fit are the the same we've been wearing the last two years. We're the first team outside the NFL to wear that. But there've been a few tweaks. The techfit specs are things the players will hopefully love.


Jason Cook
* We've succeeded in taking an old school, 1970's uniform and modernizing it in today's terms. One of the neatest things about it was hearing the reaction from the players. They might be ready to go out and play today.

* It is a unique shoulder stripe. That could become a signature for Texas A&M. We want to stay true to our brand — traditional, conservative — but that doesn't mean we have to stay stuck in the past. The helmet, the socks, things of that nature, the new font, we can add modern things. adidas did a great job helping stay true to who we are.

* The helmets are a great look. The Oregon helmets, what Notre Dame has done ... this is a unique helmet. It looks great with the old school type of tinge.

* This is SEC Country. We want to make sure we're staking claim to the entire state of Texas. This is Texas A&M. So you're going to see that new (aTm + Texas outline) mark on not just the uniforms but a lot of retail products coming from adidas in a couple of weeks.

* Matt Watson is incredible. He's an Aggie. And that's one thing, working with him. I remember the first day he called me and said, "Jason, Coach Sumlin and I are working on the uniforms. We want to show you something." And I walk over to the Bright Complex and there's this nondescript, tattered box sitting on the table. Didn't know what to expect. I know we wanted to be edgy and push forward, but when he pulled it out, I said, "This is it." Watson is great to work with. He's a great asset to the program. This was a big day for him. Don't know who was more excited, him or the players.

* The uniforms will be on display on mannequins at the TexAgs Tailgate. People will be able to see them, touch them, take pictures with them. That'll be the first real public unveiling where people can actually come and see them.


Ryan Tannehill
* It's an honor to be here. An exciting time for everyone here. It's a big time, the unveiling of these uniforms, and I'm jealous I didn't get to be here to wear them myself.

* To walk out on stage and hear the applause was great. It's great to be home. This'll always be home, and to get a warm welcome is great. Seeing the guys was the best thing, seeing my best friends. They're excited about the uniforms and the season. Great to get to enjoy that with them.

* The uniforms, the conference and a lot of other things that have happened are all changes since I've been gone. But I'm excited about the direction. We'll have to see how these guys go and do next year.

* It helps having so many people from A&M in Miami. Being in a situation with familiar faces and a familiar playbook helps a lot. I'm not going to a place with no one I really know. I have the background with the offense, so while it's been a whirlwind, it's been fun. I'm still settling in South Florida. Excited for training camp to start up.

* It helps Lauren and I that we landed in Miami. She was pulling for it the whole way. I wasn't leaning in any direction, but she was more than elated on draft night to see that area code pop up. She's been involved in modeling down there and it's been a great spot for me with the familiarity. I'm excited for our future as a franchise.

* Coach Sherman is doing great. He's still focused on football, but he's doing great.