Jimbo Fisher lists what he looks for in Texas A&M's 12th Man honor

Being named the 12th man is one of the highest honors that a Texas A&M football player can receive. It stems from the 1922 season when the Aggies were down to just 11 players in a game against Center College and called upon a student, E. King Gill, from the stands.

According to A&M’s website, the honor represents “the unity, the loyalty, and the willingness of Aggies to serve when called to do so.” As coach Jimbo Fisher attempts to figure out who will fill that role for the 2023 season, he opened up on what he looks for in the 12th man.

“The character. What they stand for. What they represent. Their effort. How much selflessness is there and are they ready to go at all times just like the 12th man is based off of,” Fisher said. “How much their heart and soul is into every inch of practice and what this program is and what it stands for. The university, not just the football program.”

As Fisher determines who will fill that role in, he faces a difficult decision. The coach said that there are multiple players whom he feels are deserving of the honor, though he can only give it to one. It’s a choice he and the rest of the coaching staff are not taking lightly.

“It’s a very tough choice,” Fisher said. “In the past, we’ve got quite a few that were up there. You’ve had more guys this year than I’ve ever had that you’ve had to put our mind to and really choose between. I don’t mean that as a negative to the others. That’s a positive to what this team is and some of the experiences some of the guys are doing and where we’re going with it.

“That’s a very, very tough choice and we take it very seriously. As a staff, we talk about it. It’s a very thought-out decision that we take very seriously.”

Long snapper Connor Choate earned the 12th man honors for Texas A&M the past two seasons. However, he has since graduated, leaving the door open for a new 12th man in 2023.

Coming off of a 5-7 finish this past season, Fisher will want to make sure he picks the right player ahead of this pivotal year. He has now less than a week to make the announcement before the Aggies open the season on Saturday against New Mexico.