In-studio chat with former Texas A&M quarterback Randy McCown

Under R.C. Slocum from 1995-1999, former Texas A&M QB Randy McCown had many special moments during his career, including a Big 12 title in '98 and a comeback win over Texas just 12 days after the Bonfire tragedy. McCown joined TexAgs Radio to discuss those memories and more.

Key notes from Randy McCown interview

• I still pay attention to Texas A&M for the most part. It’s exciting to see what is happening, and a part of the joy of coming back is to always see how it is changing. It is awesome to see it continue to grow.
   
• When I think back, talent is so overrated. When I look back to the 1996 team, that defensive line went to the NFL, but that 1998 team had a bunch of guys that loved one another and just went to work. That is something I am looking towards with the new regime that is trying to bring that mentality back. When you look at someone like Dan Campbell, he is taking that mentality, and that is how they're playing football in Detroit.
   
• I can remember the core of that team intentionally working out during the hottest times in the summer, seeking as much adversity as we could to continue to grow our mindset. That’s just who we were.
   
• You look back, and our last conference championship was won in 1998. So you start to think, what’s different? You think of guys like Dan Campbell or Dat Nguyen, and that’s what it was. The model works. You just have to get people to buy into it. It was a good team. It was us. We weren’t going to blow out anybody, but we were going to grind you out.
   
• The things I remember about the 1999 game, I remember there was a weird calm to it. We didn’t play great in that first half, but we never felt down. To have the last pass I threw in that stadium be that pass to beat Texas, to my roommate. It was just wild.
   
• The Nebraska game that year was pretty big. Quarterbacks get way too much credit, good or bad. I threw eight passes that game, and someone said I played great. I had a run for about 35 yards, so I think one thing the people liked about me was that I wore it on my sleeve.
   
• That’s the way I was wired, and that’s what made the 1998 team good. Even Dat was never like, “Look at me,” but it was more a solid unit that is going to work and grind you into the ground. When you get that surge of chemistry and love, that is when you do great things. I haven’t met any of the new staff, but if we, the older guys, had anything to say, it would be that we have to get back to that. This is what this place is built on. If we do that, good things will happen.
   
• When I think about coach Steve Kragthorpe, he was really fun to be around, he cared about you, and he held you accountable. He was a great coach, but he was an even greater person. He still cares about you, even when you are done with football.
   
• There’s not really any one story in particular that is my favorite from Dan Campbell. Whether it was Ole Betsy the white truck, getting that tattoo, or even breaking the squat record and immediately falling over, but man, there is no better storyteller than Dan.
   
• I remember getting on the bus after the Sugar Bowl, and I remember telling Dan, “Man, I hope I can get the guys to listen to me how they do you,” but I don’t know if anyone could have done that. That’s just what he did.