Aggie Flashback with former A&M RB Keith Joseph

Key quotes from Keith Joseph interview

"I'm in the process of buying a house in Stafford, Texas. It's nearby Houston -- about ten miles. I close at the end of this month, so I'm excited about that. Career-wise, ever since I stopped playing with the Saints I started a trucking company. Me and my brother -- I have family members that have CDL's. Ever since I stopped playing football, I started that trucking company. It's been doing pretty good. We do flatbed, taking loads Houston to Lousiana and then Lousiana back to Houston. It's been doing pretty well, so I'm excited about that also."

"Me and my wife -- we have twin boys. They're pretty big. Aiden was 7 pounds when he was born, and Austin was like 6.8, so they're pretty big boys. They're growing, eating up everything, climbing and jumping on things. I'm just excited to see them progress and grow."

"I (keep up with Aggie football) when I have the chance. I'm actually going to the game this Saturday, because they're playing at NRG. I'm pretty excited to see how they're going to start their season off."

"As soon as they have a home game, I'm going to try to get with some former players to go down there and see the new stadium. I heard it's pretty nice. It's pretty incredible. We're going to go down there and check it out. I hear the weight room is pretty nice too. I want to see who has some of the records on the bench press and the incline. I need to come and check that out also."

"I've got to stay healthy. I try to do a lot of cardio. I lost a lot of muscle mass, because I'm not lifting as heavy as I was, but I try to stay fit. I do a lot of cardio. I do a light workout -- nothing heavy. It's just to keep my muscle tone and live a healthy lifestyle. That's pretty much what I try to do now."

"I was excited (when Texas A&M hired Kevin Sumlin). When I was there, he was the receivers coach. He was pretty good. Coach Sumlin has done a tremendous turnaround job at Texas A&M. He's a great coach, a player's coach. That's the number one thing as far as coaching. You've got to be able to communicate and get with the players, because if the players don't think you're a player's coach, it'll be hard for player's to actually get up and want to play for you. I think Coach Sumlin does a good job of getting his players ready for the game. His mindset -- his philosophy is pretty good. He turned this program around, and I'm excited for about what he does for the program this coming year, as far as him doing good with A&M. I think that this'll be a really good year for him and the program, because of his coaching style and his way about doing things as far as helping the players reach their potential and to come together as a team."

"R.C. Slocum, out of all the coaches that were recruiting me out of high school -- I visited Texas. I visited Nebraska. I visited Michigan State. R.C. Slocum came into my house -- back then I stayed off of Hardee close to downtown. I forget the other coach. I think it was a running back coach. My memory is bad. R.C. Slocum came into my house and convinced me. He sat down with me and my mom and my step-dad, and he told me all about the program and the upcoming things that were going to happen with the program. That sealed the deal as far as me going to A&M. That showed me that he was really interested in me, because he came all the way to my house to sit down and talk to me and tell me things about the program. Other coaches -- they didn't do that. I felt like they took the extra step to try to recruit me, so that's what really made me decide to go with A&M."

"I was coming off of knee surgery (during my senior year in high school). I didn't have a chance to go through the offseason workout program. I was coming off a bad knee surgery. I came in and put up more numbers than all these recruits that were coming out my senior year. That was good for me. I've been through a lot as far as injuries and just trying to overcome and get my body right. I thank God that he let me go to A&M and graduate and play a couple years with the Saints. Now I have the trucking company, so I thank God for that."

"(Moving from tailback to fullback at A&M) wasn't really disappointing. I've always been a team player, so it wasn't really disappointing, but coming in from high school you want to keep your position, because that's all you know. The coaches put you in the best position to succeed at the college level, so I felt that if that's what they saw my role as to help the team, I was all for it. I've always been a team player. Whatever I can do to help the team, I'm willing to do it. It wasn't a big problem to me. I adjusted well. I was a tweener anyway, because I was kind of big for a running back and a little bit too small for a fullback. Once I came in and started eating good and lifting, I gained a lot of muscle mass and got bigger. That was really the best position for me to succeed at that level and the next level. I thank the coaches for doing that, and it helped me out in the long run."

"I remember that Texas game (my redshirt freshman year). I think Texas came to College Station, and I scored a touchdown in that game. I remember that McNeese State game. I did have a pretty good game. I had a couple of good carries. The one game that stands out to me is when Oklahoma was #1 in the country. They came into town. I think me and Joe Weber were in the backfield, and we beat the #1 team. That was really one of my most memorable moments in College football, so that will never leave me."

"Honestly, lifting weights and that Cain Hall food were really (what put all the muscle on me). It was incredible. With my work ethic -- in high school I didn't like lifting weights, because I could depend on natural talent. When I got to A&M, I had to put in the extra effort. When I started lifting weights, I started seeing progress in my body, and that made me want to lift weights even more. That's really what did it. I kept the same speed. I just got bigger. That was probably what made them want to move me to fullback too."

"I was fast like a running back. I was athletic. Fullback was really a good role for me -- for my talent level and skill level at A&M, and the coaches saw that. That's probably why they moved me. It all worked out for the good. I'm thankful for how my career worked out at A&M. That was the best. Those chicken tenders and mashed potatoes -- that's what put all the weight on me. Then when Coach Fran came in, his style of working in the weight room -- the body-building techniques -- that's what did it too."

"I've got to give it up to my mom. She played an important role in my decision and things as far as me picking A&M and trying to be successful in life. I was the first one to graduate from college in my family. I just give the praise to her and the thanks for the things she's done for me. Putting me in the right position and making me go to the right schools to get my education and perform -- I just thank her for that. Praise should go out to my mom."

"R.C. recruited me, so he knew my ups and my downs. Coach Fran didn't really know any players. Not to take anything away from Coach Fran, but honestly, if R.C. was there I think I would have had a better career, because when Coach Fran came in, he came in with the shotgun offense. That kind of did away with the fullback's playing time. I don't know. Coach Fran wasn't a player's coach. R.C. Slocum -- I remember the time on Friday after we would do our little walkthrough before the game. We would relax and go to the movies and have a free night just to keep your mind off of football. With Coach Fran, we had to do video tests -- everything was just straightforward. He couldn't get his players. He couldn't crossover. He still was a good coach, but if Coach Slocum would have continued to be at A&M, I think a lot of players would have appreciated that more."

"My first year when I came in with the Saints, I worked hard. I impressed the coaches, but they decided to keep me on the practice squad and develop me a little more to help me out. That was kind of tough on me, because I thought I was good enough to make the team, but they said they wanted to keep me and try to develop me a little more. My following year, I worked hard. I got a little bigger, stronger and faster. I made the team. My first game was against Cleveland. It was me, Reggie Bush, Deuce McAllister, and Mike Carter. They only dressed four of us. I could play running back and fullback, so if any of them got hurt, then they could just stick me in. Mike Carter got hurt in the first game. He never got hurt, but he got hurt the first game. I had to come in and play special teams and fullback. That was my first game, so that was a lot on me. I wasn't really ready for that, but I had to come in and play fullback and special teams, then I got hurt. Things happen for a reason."

"I enjoyed the opportunity I had for my two-year career in the NFL. It didn't work out the way I wanted it to. Like I said, when it's all said and done, I started a company with my brother. It's been successful. I'm still living life. I've got my twin boys and my wife. I'm just living life right now. I still watch football. I still watch the Saints and the NFL. I'm excited about A&M's season. I thank God for that."