With the first two rounds of the NFL draft complete, three Texas A&M football players are off the board. Shemar Stewart went in the first round, at 17 overall to the Cincinnati Bengals. Nic Scourton was next, going with the 51st pick to join Demani Richardson and Bobby Brown up in Carolina. Then, Shemar Turner completed the triumvirate when he was chosen by the Chicago Bears at 62.
In case you were unaware, all three of those players are former Aggie defensive linemen, which is a huge testament to what has been the strongest position group on Texas A&M's team for quite some time.
However, the meaning runs deeper than that. As fan favorite Leon O'Neal pointed out, a dearly-departed Aggie coach, though no longer with us, is honored by this sequence of selections.
Three Aggie defensive linemen in first two rounds of NFL Draft is testament to coaching, development of Terry Price
Both Turner and Stewart, as well as eventual transfer Walter Nolen, were recruited by the former longtime Aggie defensive line coach, and now have been selected in the top two rounds. Coach Price is warmly remembered by fans and players alike, having played at A&M before his lengthy coaching career in the Maroon and White. He passed away before the 2023 season after quietly battling health issues for some time.
Scourton was not a coach Price recruit, but Price's impact on the culture of the defensive line room was inescapable, given that he had been a staple there for nearly a dozen years. The reputation that the Aggies have had for top DL over the past several years began with coach Price, especially thinking about players like Myles Garrett.
Terry Price was a special presence in College Station, and the difference he made on this program and in the lives of these young men is profound. This outstanding first two rounds of the NFL draft is a true testament to the work he did in Aggieland.