As my last football season came to a close, I was asked how I wanted to be remembered as a Texas A&M Football player and as an Aggie. I was not quite sure how to answer the question at the time, but as I put more thought into it, one word kept running through my mind: Passion. My passion for the game of football, more specifically Texas A&M Football, has been a driving factor in my life for as long as I can remember. My grandmother has pictures of me still in the hospital wearing a Texas A&M onesie with the caption, “Kyle Field, here I come!” written underneath it. I attended my first Aggie football game before I could even walk. Needless to say, when Coach Sumlin gave me an opportunity to join the team in June of 2012, he had made my lifelong dream come true.
I cannot begin to describe the adrenaline rush I felt the first time I walked behind those drums and ran through the smoke on to Kyle Field. It was the same adrenaline rush I felt on Senior Night, along with the other 30 times I had the honor of stepping foot on Kyle Field. Regardless of how big or small the game was, my attitude and approach was the exact same. I was going to wear my emotions on my sleeve and give the team everything I had, which as some may note, has attributed to my animation on the sidelines through the years. For me, it was never about playing time or recognition. I just wanted to win and see my teammates succeed. My parents taught me that if you are truly passionate about something, your individual role should not matter as long as you are contributing to the whole. Whether I was the scout team wide receiver, scout team quarterback, placekick holder  or second/third/fourth/fifth-string quarterback on game day, I was driven by the desire to win football games. I would be lying if I said I never had second thoughts about my position on the team, but as I became one of the older members of the team, I grew into a significant leadership role. Coach Sumlin knew how passionate I was about this football program, and he saw how important it was to me. He also awarded me a scholarship in August of 2014, which still goes down as my best day ever. Thanks, Coach. That was pretty neat.
I am going to miss the 12th Man. Nothing better epitomizes the Aggie Spirit than 50,000 students standing and yelling in unison, ready for their number to be called. That support and unity is what makes game day on Kyle Field an experience like no other. And when the fourth quarter starts or the clock hits zero for an Aggie victory, and the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band strikes up The Aggie War Hymn, nothing can replace that feeling. Just writing about it gives me chills.
I could not write this without mentioning the Mays Business School, for the professors and classmates I have had over the last five years have had an equally substantial impact on my life. I am thankful for those individuals, not just for providing me with two degrees from the Professional Program of Accounting (and sleep deprivation), but for challenging me to set big goals and providing me with tools to achieve them.
The friendships and memories that I have made during my tenure as a student are ones that I will hold on to for the rest of my life. I know this is cliché, but I can honestly say that so much of who am I, and who I will become, can be attributed to this great university. It provided me with the best years of my life, and it molded me for the years to come. It challenged me to dream big, and it made many of my dreams come true. Words cannot explain my excitement for the next big journey in my life to begin after I walk across that stage, and I can only wish that journey brings me back through College Station one day. Thank you, Aggieland.
 Conner McQueen is an accounting senior and quarterback for Texas A&M