Aggies Coach Terry Price To Be Inducted Posthumously Into Southwest Conference Hall of Fame
Former Texas A&M defensive end Terry Price will be inducted posthumously into the Southwest Conference Hall of Fame on Oct. 11, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame announced Tuesday.
Price, who spent 10 seasons as A&M's defensive line coach and was a pioneer as one of the program's top recruiters, passed away this summer at the age of 55.
A stalwart defender under then-coach Jackie Sherrill and later R.C. Slocum, Price became a staple of the Aggies' defensive front from 1986-89. His impact in the trenches helped A&M win the Southwest Conference championships in Championships in 1986 and '87.
Individually, Price became one of the nation's top defenders during the 1989 season, when he posted 57 tackles and 14 quarterback pressures. As a member of the "Maroon Goons" front, Price and multiple other defenders helped A&M finish ranked top-two each season in run defense among SWC teams.
Following a brief stint in the NFL as a member of the Chicago Bears, Price returned to college as a coach. He began his career at A&M as a volunteer under Slocum and would have stops at Western Kentucky (1994), Ole Miss (1995-98, 2011) and Auburn (1999-08) before returning to College Station in 2012 under Kevin Sumlin.
When hired in 2017, Jimbo Fisher elected to retain Price on his staff, a move that benefitted all parties due to his skills as a recruiter. Price was poignant in landing top-ranked defensive linemen, including DeMarvin Leal, Justin Madubuike and future No. 1 overall pick Myles Garrett.
Garrett, who now has solidified himself as one of the NFL's top pass rushers, credited Price for his development in college towards helping him become A&M's highest draft selection in program history.
“I truly cannot express the impact this man made in my life," Garrett tweeted following Price's passing. "Not only as an athlete but more importantly as a man, brother, and son. From his commitment to God, to grilling and mentorship, he embodied everything a great man should be. My family and I will always miss his presence."
For A&M's season opener versus New Mexico, players wore "TP" stickers on the back of their helmets to honor Price's legacy. Coaches wore "TP" lapel pins instead of stickers. A “TP” will also be painted on the 25-yard line for games this season at Kyle Field.
"Terry Price will always be a part of this family, a part of our staff. He'll always be a part of A&M, but he'll always be a part of our personal staff," Fisher said following A&M's 52-10 win over the Lobos. "Who he is as a person, what he is, he will never be forgotten.
"There's not a bigger A&M guy in the world. It was very special for us [to get the win] and we're going to play that way for him all year."