Texas Football

By Dennis Hall/Texas Football

Texas A&M coach Mike Sherman showed up at Big 12 Media Days on Monday noticeably slimmer, but he's not ready to say how many pounds he's dropped. That's because he hasn't yet reached his unspecified goal. "I've still got a ways to go," he said.

The same could be said of the Aggies. Sherman says they’re making steady progress, but the road to the Big 12 championship is a long one. Sherman’s team, like the coach himself, is a work in progress.

Sherman figures he’ll whip himself into shape, then whip his team into shape.

“I knew this was going to be a season where I need to step up and have a lot of energy and get us going in the right direction,â€Â Sherman said. “It hasn’t been very fun, but it’s been very healthy.â€Â

Sherman and his players spent the afternoon Monday trying to convince the assembled media that the Aggies are healthy, rested and ready to begin the tough turnaround from 4-8 to Big 12 contenders.

Aggie fans don’t have high hopes, but they demand to see improvement in 2009. Though only in his second season, Sherman could be on the hot seat if the Aggies don’t give fans some reason for optimism. Most prognosticators, including Dave Campbell’s Texas Football, are predicting another rocky season in College Station.

“I think we have a lot of work to do. I’d be lying to say that we’re ready to go out and win the Big 12. Are we going to try to, yeah,â€Â Sherman said. “We’ve got a lot of young guys. One-third of our team is new. And that one-third Is going to contribute mightily to our season.â€Â

Quarterback Jerrod Johnson didn’t appear to have any butterflies when he answered multiple questions about the Aggies’ expectations. Johnson insisted that his goal is to win the Big 12 title and the national championship.

“We’re confident in what we do,â€Â Johnson said. “When you go to Texas A&M, you expect to win championships.â€Â

Like everyone else, coaches try not to bring their work frustrations home with them. Sometimes, it’s not that easy.

After last year’s season-ending 49-9 loss to Texas, Sherman said he was having a quiet weekend at home, doing some work and not exactly taking advantage of his quality family time. That’s when 9-year-old daughter Selena came into his study and set him straight.

“She looks up at me, and she says, ‘Daddy?’ I said, ‘Yes, Selena, what's up?,’â€Â Sherman said. “You're expecting your little daughter to say those three words you want to hear, which is, you know, ‘I love you.’ She says, ‘Daddy, get over it.’â€Â

Sherman said repeatedly Monday that this year’s team will be better. Why? Mostly because last year’s freshmen are now sophomores.

Sherman pointed out that when his staff was hired last year, they only had seven scholarships left. Of those signees, six started as freshmen.

A year later, the Aggies are counting on those sophomores to lead a resurgence. Sherman specifically cited wide receiver Jeff Fuller, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound specimen, as a player who could make a big leap in 2009.

“Jeff Fuller has just scratched the surface as a receiver in this conference,â€Â Sherman said.

Another player Sherman singled out is defensive tackle Tony Jerod-Eddie, who had success individually on a defense that struggled as a unit. Two more sophomores, running back Cyrus Gray and defensive tackle Eddie Brown, were also highlighted.

“We've had a number of kids that played last year that are still anxious to be a winning football team, to get our team on track,â€Â Sherman said. “I see a lot of progress in the off-season with these young men.â€Â

Plus, the Aggies have another big class coming in. Sherman signed 28 players on Signing Day. Two of those recruits, athlete Dustin Harris of Livingston and defensive end Spencer Nealy of San Antonio Reagan, had big showings at last week’s Texas High School Coaches Association All-Star Game.

• Lucas Patterson is making the transition from defensive line to left tackle. Sherman said that move will help the entire offensive line. He said Patterson was a good defensive lineman but has the potential to be great at left tackle, potentially NFL material.
• The Aggies announced that wide receiver Roger Holland will miss the season still recuperating from a head injury. He also missed the 2008 season.
• Incoming freshman linebacker Malcolm Johnson had surgery for an injured knee and won’t be ready for the start of the season.
• Two more players are recovering from knee injuries: cornerback Terrance Frederick and offensive lineman Vincent Williams. Both are expected to be ready to start the season.

“We can get guys to go to Texas A&M. Part of that is my staff. They knew when they came on board that they were hired as recruiters as well as coaches and that recruiting was going to be our lifeblood.â€Â – Mike Sherman

“We’re going to be faster at linebacker, but don’t be mad at me if they’re going the wrong way,â€Â – Mike Sherman

“The main reason (to expect improvement) is our chemistry. We have a lot more confidence in each other in our second season in this system. In addition to that, we’ve added a lot of speed and speed kills. We’re going to play a faster brand of football, offensively and defensively, and we think that’s going to make a difference this year.â€Â – QB Jerrod Johnson