Steve Solari talks being a TexAgs folk hero, Texas A&M in 2016

Key quotes from Steve Solari interview

"I'll tell you what, I have to laugh at myself about (being famous on TexAgs). The guys and girls are great on TexAgs, it is a running joke. It just started with me just posting a little emoji and it just caught fire."

"I don't know, it was just random (choosing the Solari emoji). I think it might have been an accident at first. You guys have to police the forums, because some people get out of control. I think I saw a post with it before, saying, 'Wow, I can't believe you said that.' Some of the people caught on to it after I did it. I wish I had posted anonymously, but it's all good, I enjoyed it. I welcomed the shots and the good as well."

"I think from TexAgs (that more people know him from than from being an A&M defender). I ran into some guys this summer, I dropped my son off at the Rec Center in Pearland and I saw a guy with an Aggie ring on so I walked up to him and started to have a conversation with him. He was just starring at me and I was wondering what was going on. He finally goes, 'It's you, from TexAgs! And you do talk, you actually talk!' My son was with me and he couldn't believe it. He was like, 'It's just my dad, what are you talking about?' It was great."

"I'm doing a lot of public speaking, thank God. I'm actually working a deal right now, I can't really talk about it because I signed a non-disclosure agreement. But it's involved with sports and things like that so I'm looking forward to moving forward with that. I'm working on a book that hopefully will be done by December and really just enjoying my family and watching my kids grow and looking forward to everything that is Texas A&M."

"I couldn't think of a better game to start the year off with, it's a great test. The UCLA Bruins are going to come to town ready to play and I think it's really going to set the tone for the rest of our season."

"(Josh Rosen) is good, he's really good. We are going to have some young defensive backs in there and the linebacking corps are definitely going to have to get after it. We got two guys up front at end that can really get after it as well."

"Oh it's amazing (what Chavis did in year one). Chavis is a defensive mastermind, he's been doing it for a long time. You don't get to coach at Tennessee or LSU and now Texas A&M, all schools in the SEC, without doing something right. I, just like everyone, want the defense to do well because as the defense goes, sometimes with Texas A&M goes the season. Chavis is a great guy, I've had the chance to meet him several times and I think he's going to do well this year."

"(My former teammates and I) do (get together) quite often. We were at Reggie Brown's house a few weeks ago and a bunch of fellas were over there. Sometimes we ask if we could have played during this era because guys are bigger and faster. Of course well all say we could, we're not going to say we couldn't. On the flip side, I was talking at lunch at the Letterman's reunion in April. At the table was Antonio (Armstrong), his son AJ, myself, my son Jack, Reggie Brown and his son, big-little Reggie. We had all of our sons right there, just listening to us and  having people talk to them about you and how you played. That was a magical moment then, and to answer your question, we do talk about it all the time."

"Absolutely. I believe we're going to see the Wrecking Crew come the UCLA game, absolutely."

"I like the big fellow, Mack, that's my man. Him slimming up is great because that means he can play on the field more. That's going to wreak havoc on offenses and it will give him more endurance throughout the game."

"(If the Wrecking Crew doesn't make it's return) I think the main reason is going to be focus and concentration. Obviously there's going to be a lot of pressure on the guys to perform well with the questions that are going to come around Coach Sumlin for this upcoming season. I'll be highly surprised if our defense does not play at a high level, especially with the guys we have at end and big Mack in the middle. I think our linebacker play will be good, if not better than last year."

"I think (having a positive change locker room wise at quarterback) is very huge. Big O (Olin) had a great article about Bucky (Richardson) the other day and he hit it right on the head. I remember playing with Bucky and he was so huge because he was such a great leader and you knew it wasn't an individual deal with him. That position was solidified so we didn't have to worry about who was going to step up in that position. I think that's very huge for a team with that type of leadership and I think they have that right now. Knight is an older guy, he only played for one season, but he's very focused and I think it will pay off in the end."