Texas A&M coach Mike Elko jokes about Texas fight song mishap, says Shemar Stewart won’t return to Aggies
There was no fight song mishap after Texas A&M football coach Mike Elko was introduced at SEC Media Days on Thursday.
When Texas coach Steve Sarkisian came out for his press conference Tuesday, the Texas A&M fight song, “Aggie War Hymn,” accidentally played as the Longhorns’ coach took the stage.
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SEC commissioner Greg Sankey acknowledged the gaffe, calling it “a bit of a fumble.”
“I want to acknowledge we had the wrong music played after I introduced Steve Sarkisian,” Sankey said Wednesday. “So, mistakes happen. No ill intent there. And we’ll make sure we do better in possessing our responsibilities.”
That led some to wonder — and perhaps hope — that the Texas fight song, “Texas Fight,” would play Elko out to the podium for his presser on Thursday. Alas, no one wanted another embarrassment. Perhaps Sankey was standing right behind whoever was working the sound system this time around.
Anyone hoping for a similar mistake or retaliatory playing of “Texas Fight,” was disappointed, however. Elko walked out to “Aggie War Hymn,” and all was right with the world — or SEC Media Days, at least.
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“For those of you who had me walking out to ‘The Eyes of Texas,’ you lost your bet,” Elko quipped as he took the podium.
In Elko’s first season at College Station last year, the Aggies went 8-5 and 5-3 in the SEC (part of a six-way tie for third place). Texas A&M lost to USC in the Alamo Bowl, 35-31, blowing a 24-7 lead the Aggies held midway through the third quarter.
Elko didn’t predict how the Aggies would finish in his second season, but implied that they should be competitive in the SEC with the amount of NFL talent on the roster.
“We should get to double-digit NFL draft picks this year,” Elko said, via ESPN’s Pete Thamel. “That’ll be the first time Texas A&M has done that in a very long time.”
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Quarterback Marcel Reed returns after throwing for 1,864 yards and 15 touchdowns (to six interceptions) as a freshman. Running backs Le’Veon Moss (765 yards rushing) and Amari Daniels (661 yards) will also be back, in addition to the entire starting offensive line. Cashius Howell, who finished second on the defense with four sacks, also returns.
On the subject of NFL draft picks, Elko also confirmed that Shemar Stewart, the Cincinnati Bengals’ first-round pick who remains unsigned, is working out by himself and not with the Texas A&M football team. He will not be attempting to rejoin the Aggies, amid speculation regarding him being in College Station, which likely would have required a lawsuit against the NCAA.
