Aggie Football Top 100: Nos. 90-81

There was the Haskell Hurricane. There were the Blitz Brothers. There was Tank. Actually, there were two tanks.

There was DaMonster, Stonewall, Johnny Football and an array of Junction Boys.

In more than a century of college football, Texas A&M has produced hundreds of great — sometimes legendary — football players.

But who are the 100 best?

A TexAgs panel that includes coaches, former players, A&M football historians and media members were tasked with compiling the list of A&M’s 100 greatest players and ranking them in order. The Top 100 will be revealed in groups of 10 over the next two weeks.

Today we reveal Nos. 90-81.

90. Chet Brooks, 1984-87, S (171): An All-Southwest Conference selection in 1986, Brooks is credited with 26 passes broken up in his A&M career. He was part of defensive units that were ranked among the nation’s top 10 in ’85, ’86 and ’87. Brooks is credited with coining the “Wrecking Crew” nickname for A&M’s defense. He was an 11th-round choice of the San Francisco 49ers in the 1988 NFL Draft and played three professional seasons.

89. Sammy Davis, 1999-2002, CB (180): An All-Big 12 selection in 2001, Davis broke up 29 passes in his career, which stands as the seventh most in school history. He had 11 interceptions, which is the fifth most. He led the Aggies in INTs in 2000 and 2001. Davis was a first-round draft choice of the San Diego Chargers in 2003. He played five NFL seasons with three teams.

88. Cody Risien, 1976-78, OT (182): Offensive linemen are often overlooked, but Risien twice earned All-Southwest Conference recognition. The Aggies produced a 1,000-yard rusher every year he was a starter. A member of A&M’s athletic Hall of Fame, Risien was a seventh-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 1979 NFL Draft. He played 11 professional seasons and appeared in two Pro Bowls.

87. Dick Todd, 1936-38, RB (186): A native of Thrall, Todd was a two-time All-Southwest Conference selection. He rushed for 1,556 yards in his career and posted 3,384 career all-purpose yards. Those were extremely impressive statistics for his era. In ’38 he was ranked third in the nation in return yardage and ninth in yards per carry when he averaged 5.0 yards on just 99 attempts. He averaged 12.6 yards on 91 career punt returns, which remains the second-highest average in school history. He was taken in the fifth round of the 1939 NFL Draft by the Washington Redskins. He played eight seasons for the Redskins and coached them in 1951.

86. Corey Pullig, 1992-95, QB (188): Hailing from Deer Park, Pullig was thrust into the starting lineup as a true freshman when starter Jeff Granger suffered a concussion against SMU. Pullig never left the starting lineup. He was 33-6-1 as a starting quarterback and helped the Aggies win Southwest Conference championships in ’92 and ’93. He also helped the Aggies to an undefeated season in ’94, but they were on probation and ineligible for the conference title.

Pullig set a since-broken school record with 6,846 passing yards; he also threw 47 career touchdown passes. He played professionally in the Arena Football League.

85. Robert Ferguson, 2000, WR (192): Though he played only one season at Texas A&M, the Houston product made quite an impact. He was named A&M’s offensive MVP after leading the Big 12 with 58 catches for 885 yards and six touchdowns to earn all-conference honors. His receiving yardage was a school record at the time. Ferguson was a second-round pick of the Green Bay Packers in the 2001 NFL Draft. He played eight seasons in the NFL.

84. Doug Williams, 1984-85, OT (195): One of the top offensive linemen of the Jackie Sherill era, Williams earned All-Southwest Conference mention and was a key figure on the Aggies' SWC championship team in 1985. He was selected in the second round of the 1986 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers.

83. Puny Wilson, 1920-23, TE/DL (198): A three-time All-Southwest Conference pick, T.F. Wilson played major role on A&M's 1921 SWC championship team that defeated Centre College in the Dixie Classic. He is in A&M’s athletic Hall of Fame. Wilson was the first Aggie to play in the NFL and was a part of championship teams with the New York Giants and Green Bay Packers.

82. Kip Corrington, 1984-87, S (200): A two-time All-Southwest Conference pick, Corrington led the Aggies with five interceptions in 1985 and with three in ’87. He had 11 career interceptions and was credited with 27 passes broken up. He was also regarded as a sure tackler. He was also a two-time academic All-American. Corrington, who is now a doctor, was a ninth-round selection of the Denver Broncos in the 1988 NFL Draft. He played two professional seasons.

81. Steve O’Neal, 1966-68, P (221): An All-American in ’68, O’Neal averaged more than 40 yards per attempt in each of his three seasons. His 41.8-yard career average remains the sixth-highest in school history. Twice he was named All-Southwest Conference. He was selected by the New York Jets in the 13th round of the 1969 NFL Draft. O’Neal played five professional seasons and owns the professional football record with a 98-yard punt.

About the rankings

Panelists include: Jackie Sherrill, Jimmy Wright, Dave Elmendorf, Dennis Goehring, Hugh McElroy, Rusty Burson, Mike Henderson, Tom Turbiville, Brad Marquardt, Bob Spoede, Chip Howard, David Sandhop, Gabe Bock and Olin Buchanan.

Rankings were compiled by a points list in which 100 points were awarded first place, 99 for second place, etc. After a 13-vote total was accumulated, the point values of the highest and lowest votes were eliminated to determine a final point score. Each individual’s final point score is in parentheses.

To see the players ranked 100 through 91, click here.