The 12th Man is a term used to describe the fans of the Texas A&M University sports teams, particularly the football team. The tradition of the 12th Man began on January 2, 1922, during a football game between Texas A&M and Centre College, which was then the nations top-ranked team. During the game, an underdog Aggie team was struggling, and the coach called upon E. King Gill, a former football player who was in the press box, to suit up and stand ready to play if needed. Although Gill did not play in the game, his willingness to serve his team has passed down from generation to generation of Aggies for nearly one hundred years, as Texas A&M’s student section stands together during entire football and basketball games, a symbol of the 12th Man on the team.

The 12th Man is a symbol of the unity, loyalty, and willingness of Aggies to serve when called to do so. It is the reason that Texas A&M has earned a name that embraces Gill’s simple gesture of service: Home of the 12th Man. The entire student body at A&M is the Twelfth Man, and they stand during the entire game to show their support. The 12th Man is always in the stands waiting to be called upon if they are needed. This tradition took on a different look in the 1980s when Coach Jackie Sherrill started the 12th Man Kick-Off Team composed of regular students through open tryouts. Later, Head Coach R.C. Slocum changed the team to allow only one representative of the 12th Man on the kick-off team.

In summary, the 12th Man is a term used to describe the fans of the Texas A&M University sports teams, particularly the football team. It is a symbol of the unity, loyalty, and willingness of Aggies to serve when called to do so. The entire student body at A&M is the Twelfth Man, and they stand during the entire game to show their support.