Texas A&M's All-Time 'Wrecking Crew' Defense Is Absurdly Talented

Legends are created in Aggieland; it's deeply rooted in the culture.

There are many incredible players from Texas A&M's long history, but only 11 can write their name in the sand as A&M's finest on the defensive side of the ball.

Defensive Tackles

Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Sam Adams (95) in action against the Oklahoma Sooners at the Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. | RVR Photos-Imagn Images

Ray Childress was a two-time All-American and is heavily regarded as one of the most dominant defenders in Aggie history. Childress was picked third overall in the first round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Houston Oilers. He played 12 years in the NFL, 11 with the Oilers, and played his final season with the Dallas Cowboys. He was honored with an induction to the Texas A&M Athletics Hall of Fame in 1990 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2010.

Sam Adams started as a true freshman in 1991 and became a consensus All-American by his junior year. Utilizing his speed and grit, he had 78 tackles, caused 5 fumbles, recovered three fumbles, recorded 10.5 sacks and 13 tackles for losses and broke up four passes all in his senior year. In 1993, he was named defensive player of the year by Sports Illustrated, and was then drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft the following year.

Defensive Ends

Texas A&M Aggies defensive lineman Myles Garrett (15) in action during the game against the Tennessee Volunteers at Kyle Field. The Aggies defeat the Volunteers 45-38 in overtime. | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Myles Garrett was the highest-rated recruit in Aggie history entering his first year. In his career, Garrett stacked up more accolades than you could think of, including 2016 Unanimous first-team All-American, Freshman All-American, two-time first-team All-SEC selection, first-team All-American, and a finalist for the Rotary Lombardi Award, the Chuck Bednarik Award, Ted Hendricks Award, and Lott IMPACT Trophy. To cap off a historic collegiate career, he became the first Aggie to be selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft by the Cleveland Browns in 2017.

Jacob Green gained notoriety for recording 134 tackles and 20 sacks in 1979 alone, with his 20 sacks still standing as the school record. Green earned All-America honors in 1979 and was a two-time All-SWC selection. In 1980, he was selected in the first round by the Seattle Seahawks, where he went on to earn the ranking of No. 4 in AFC history in quarterback sacks.

Middle Linebacker

Texas A&M Aggies former linebacker Dat Nguyen pretends to grab the ACP National Championship trophy at Kyle Field. | John Glaser-Imagn Images

Outside of Myles Garrett, this might have been the easiest choice.

Dat Nguyen is a College Football Hall of Famer, consensus All-American, and 1998 Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year. He ended his career at A&M as one of the most notable and greatest athletes to ever play for the Aggies. Nguyen received the Lombardi Award in 1998, as well as being a two-time all-Big 12 pick. Nguyen was also named the 1998 Chuck Bednarik College Defensive Player of the Year and Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, leading the Aggie squad to the Big 12 championship.

Outside Linebackers

Texas A&M Aggies linebacker Von Miller (40) fires up the crowd against the Baylor Bears in the third quarter at Floyd Casey Stadium. Texas A&M defeated Baylor 42-30. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Von Miller was a two-time All-American and one of the most disruptive pass rushers. In 2009, he led the nation with 17 sacks and is on the A&M leaderboard for sacks in a season to this day. He earned the Butkus Award for the nation's outstanding linebacker in 2010, and finished his collegiate career with 33 sacks. In 2011, he was drafted second overall by the Denver Broncos, and later won a Super Bowl and was named Super Bowl MVP.

Quentin Coryatt was the Defensive Newcomer of the Year in 1990 and followed it up with Consensus All-SWC Linebacker and SWC Defensive Player of the Year in 1991. As a senior, he put up 92 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, three passes defensed, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, representing how dominant the "Wrecking Crew" was. Much like his all-time counterpart, he was drafted second overall in the 1992 draft by the Indianapolis Colts.

Cornerbacks

Philadelphia Eagles running back Kevin Turner (34) in action against Dallas Cowboys defensive back Kevin Smith (26) at Veterans Stadium. | Lou Capozzola-Imagn Images

Kevin Smith was another key asset to the "Wrecking Crew" defense, as he was a Consensus All-American Defensive Back, three-time All-SWC Defensive Back, and 1991 Nation’s Top Defensive Back, as well as setting an all-time school and Southwest Conference record with 20 career interceptions. In 2024, he was formally inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame.

Pat Thomas was one of the best corners in the country in the mid 1970's. He was a two-time Consensus All-American defensive back and two-time All-SWC defensive back in 1974-75. He was drafted in the second round of the 1976 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams, and went with them to a Super Bowl.

Safeties

South Carolina Gamecocks wide receiver Shi Smith (13) is upended by Texas A&M Aggies defensive back Donovan Wilson (6) during the third quarter at Williams-Brice Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Lester Hayes finished his Texas A&M career with the school record of 14 career interceptions, which stood for 14 years, and he remains No. 2 on the Aggies’ all-time interceptions list. He left A&M as a Two-time All-SWC selection, and he earned first-team All-America honors in 1976. Though he was extremely dominant in college, his best years were ahead of him. Hayes was drafted in the fifth round of the 1977 NFL Draft by the Oakland Raiders and won two Super Bowl Championships. He also made eight career interceptions in the NFL Playoffs, which was the second-best in NFL history when he retired and remains tied for No. 5.

Donovan Wilson was known in the locker room for his intense leadership and the ability to make plays on a dime. The 2017 defensive team captain finished his college career with 207 tackles, eight interceptions, and five sacks. He also won the Aggie Heart Award in 2018, right before he was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 2019.

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