Photo by mysanantonio.com
Texas A&M Football
Notes from Bethel Johnson interview
* He is currently a college adviser at Carter High School in Dallas, and also runs his own fitness company that focuses on providing elite type of training for people that can’t afford it.
* From the day Kevin Sumlin was hired as A&M’s head coach, he believed that Sumlin would have success because he knew the type of guy Sumlin was. Sumlin has the ability to bring out the best in his players, and that is evident the way Sumlin was able to get the best out of him during his senior year.
* Sumlin brought that extra edge to the table even back when he was the offensive coordinator at A&M. Sumlin has never been afraid of anybody and enjoys being able to go up against the best every single week. Sumlin instills a confidence in his players like none other, and that confidence is able to make his teams better and better.
* Johnny Manziel exudes the same confidence that Reggie McNeal has back in his playing days. He never expected Manziel to do such big things so early in his career.
* Beating #1 Oklahoma in 2002 was the greatest feeling. No one gave them a chance in that game, and being up against the world actually motivated them even more to play a great game. A&M has that same type of opportunity this week against Alabama, and if the Aggies were able to pull off the upset, everyone would finally realize that A&M can compete in SEC.
* The most impressive thing about the A&M team this year is the physicality they are playing with. After seeing the way A&M played against Florida, he knew the team was going to be much more physical this season. That game took him back to the 1998 season in which they lost a hard-fought game to Florida State. Even though they lost that game, it gave them the confidence needed to succeed for the rest of the season.
* The current players have seen Sumlin’s track record and they understand where he has come from and the things that he has done. Either you can get on board with Sumlin and what he plans on doing, or you’re going to get run over by it. The players have made the wise decision to get on board with him and the confidence he shows has clearly been seen in his players.
* The fact that A&M was honest when they recruited him led him to College Station. In the recruiting process, everyone tries to tell you their intentions for you, and after filtering through everything, A&M was a very honest school. He was never recruited by Sumlin, but he knows that Sumlin has the ability to bring in the best guys out there.
* If he had the opportunity to play in Sumlin’s system, he knows for a fact that he would be much higher in the A&M record books than he currently is. The offense is so wide open and the receivers get so many opportunities, that there is no doubt in his mind that the receiving corps his senior year would have been the best in the nation.
* Getting the former players to be proud of playing for A&M again started with Coach Sherman. When Coach Franchione got to A&M, he didn’t understand the tradition of the school and the bond between the former players and the program was lost. He was of the mentality that he didn’t want to come back around the program because he didn’t feel welcome to come back in the first place. Sumlin, on the other hand, understands the tradition of A&M football and knows the importance of bringing guys back and allowing them to be around the program.
* Kliff Kingsbury and himself set their differences aside when they were both drafted to New England after their collegiate days were done. They formed a relationship there that allowed them to bury the hatchet that was formed while playing against each other in college. Kingsbury is a very laidback guy who never let the Texas A&M-Texas Tech rivalry get to him.
* Being a part of the New England Patriots organization in the mid-2000s was an incredible thing and he believes it really helped Kingsbury get to where he is today. Kingsbury’s job was to learn the offense forward and back, and that allowed him to become the offensive coordinator he is now.
* Bill Belichick was good at making his players feel like every game was of the same magnitude. That mentality kept the players focused on the task at hand, and kept the game from getting bigger than it actually was.
* When he injured his spleen, he thought that he would be able to come back to the game for sure. He didn’t realize the severity of his injury until the doctors informed him that he was probably done playing football. At that moment, he felt like that of the work he put in to get to where he was had been wasted. Fortunately, he was able to come back from that injury and worked his way back up to his position.
Aggie Flashback with Bethel Johnson
Notes from Bethel Johnson interview
* He is currently a college adviser at Carter High School in Dallas, and also runs his own fitness company that focuses on providing elite type of training for people that can’t afford it.* From the day Kevin Sumlin was hired as A&M’s head coach, he believed that Sumlin would have success because he knew the type of guy Sumlin was. Sumlin has the ability to bring out the best in his players, and that is evident the way Sumlin was able to get the best out of him during his senior year.
* Sumlin brought that extra edge to the table even back when he was the offensive coordinator at A&M. Sumlin has never been afraid of anybody and enjoys being able to go up against the best every single week. Sumlin instills a confidence in his players like none other, and that confidence is able to make his teams better and better.
* Johnny Manziel exudes the same confidence that Reggie McNeal has back in his playing days. He never expected Manziel to do such big things so early in his career.
* Beating #1 Oklahoma in 2002 was the greatest feeling. No one gave them a chance in that game, and being up against the world actually motivated them even more to play a great game. A&M has that same type of opportunity this week against Alabama, and if the Aggies were able to pull off the upset, everyone would finally realize that A&M can compete in SEC.
* The most impressive thing about the A&M team this year is the physicality they are playing with. After seeing the way A&M played against Florida, he knew the team was going to be much more physical this season. That game took him back to the 1998 season in which they lost a hard-fought game to Florida State. Even though they lost that game, it gave them the confidence needed to succeed for the rest of the season.
* The current players have seen Sumlin’s track record and they understand where he has come from and the things that he has done. Either you can get on board with Sumlin and what he plans on doing, or you’re going to get run over by it. The players have made the wise decision to get on board with him and the confidence he shows has clearly been seen in his players.
* The fact that A&M was honest when they recruited him led him to College Station. In the recruiting process, everyone tries to tell you their intentions for you, and after filtering through everything, A&M was a very honest school. He was never recruited by Sumlin, but he knows that Sumlin has the ability to bring in the best guys out there.
* If he had the opportunity to play in Sumlin’s system, he knows for a fact that he would be much higher in the A&M record books than he currently is. The offense is so wide open and the receivers get so many opportunities, that there is no doubt in his mind that the receiving corps his senior year would have been the best in the nation.
* Getting the former players to be proud of playing for A&M again started with Coach Sherman. When Coach Franchione got to A&M, he didn’t understand the tradition of the school and the bond between the former players and the program was lost. He was of the mentality that he didn’t want to come back around the program because he didn’t feel welcome to come back in the first place. Sumlin, on the other hand, understands the tradition of A&M football and knows the importance of bringing guys back and allowing them to be around the program.
* Kliff Kingsbury and himself set their differences aside when they were both drafted to New England after their collegiate days were done. They formed a relationship there that allowed them to bury the hatchet that was formed while playing against each other in college. Kingsbury is a very laidback guy who never let the Texas A&M-Texas Tech rivalry get to him.
* Being a part of the New England Patriots organization in the mid-2000s was an incredible thing and he believes it really helped Kingsbury get to where he is today. Kingsbury’s job was to learn the offense forward and back, and that allowed him to become the offensive coordinator he is now.
* Bill Belichick was good at making his players feel like every game was of the same magnitude. That mentality kept the players focused on the task at hand, and kept the game from getting bigger than it actually was.
* When he injured his spleen, he thought that he would be able to come back to the game for sure. He didn’t realize the severity of his injury until the doctors informed him that he was probably done playing football. At that moment, he felt like that of the work he put in to get to where he was had been wasted. Fortunately, he was able to come back from that injury and worked his way back up to his position.
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