Head coach Jimbo Fisher has named linebacker Braden White the 12th Man for the 2019 Aggie football season, according to a statement released Tuesday afternoon.
The Florence, Alabama, native has been with the program for three seasons, compiling 16 tackles in 18 game appearances. Since the arrival of Fisher in 2018, White has primarily seen action on special teams and earned the Top Conditioned Athlete award at the team’s annual banquet.
In addition, White was named Defensive Scout MVP in his first season with the program.
White received a degree in management from the Mays Business School in August, and has two more seasons of eligibility to play at the collegiate level as he pursues a graduate degree.
White takes over for former 12th Man and now-Houston Texan fullback Cullen Gillaspia, who wore the number for 39 games. Gillaspia is tied for most appearances as the 12th Man with former defensive back Sam Moeller.
The 12th Man tradition started in 1922 during the Dixie Classic against Centre College. The Aggies had sustained several injuries and had no remaining players on the bench, prompting head coach Dana X. Bible to call E. King Gill down from the stands to suit up as the only remaining player left on the bench.
Although Gill never set foot on the field that day, he remained ready for the rest of the game, with the Aggies coming out on top at the final whistle. The readiness of any student lives on today, as the A&M student section is still referred to as the 12th Man.
The tradition is also carried on by the player picked to wear number 12 each season. Since 1991, the 12th Man has been a walk-on selected by the coaches prior to the start of the season to represent the student body on the football field.
The Aggies open their season against Texas State on Aug. 29 at Kyle Field. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be televised on SEC Network.