Texas A&M Football: The 5 Most Under-Appreciated Players in School History

Considering how many players contribute to the success of a football team, there are bound to be scores of young men who go under appreciated each season on any given squad. Texas A&M has been no different over the years, allowing hundreds of hard-working young men to go seemingly unnoticed on the gridiron.

As the Aggies make their move into the toughest conference in the nation under new head coach Kevin Sumlin, taking a look back on the great history of this program and the players who made it into what it is now is a necessity for A&M.

With just over a week until spring practices begin, here are the top five under-appreciated Aggies from A&M's great past.   

5. LB Warrick Holdman

Making his way out of Alief (TX), Holdman was a part of the original Wrecking Crew, receiving his NFL draft bid in the same year as legendary linebacker Dat Nguyen. 

Finishing his career with 294 total tackles, 46 for loss, 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles, Holdman was a force at his position. Many underrate him because of who he happened to play with, but as a star member of A&M's best defensive unit ever, Holdman deserves more credit. 

4. CB Jason Webster

Also a member of what was known as the Wrecking Crew, this little corner proved himself on the field time and time again. Coming out of Houston (TX), Webster was one of the kind of guys who had too much heart to ever give up.

As an Aggie, the cornerback was one of the nation's best, earning A&M's prestigious Defensive MVP just a year after Nguyen had graduated. Webster was also one of the team's most honored leaders as he represented the football squad following the 1999 Bonfire collapse.

Making the All-Big 12 selection as well as an All-American team his senior year, Webster went on to play with many different NFL franchises including the 49ers, Falcons, Patriots and Bills.

His leadership qualities set the smallish cornerback apart and is one strong reason why many Aggies need to remember Webster when looking back on the Wrecking Crew.   

3. RB Rodney Thomas

When it comes to the early 1990s Aggie football, there is no way this guy's name shouldn't come up in conversation. Forming a powerful three-hit punch with Leeland McElroy and Greg Hill, A&M led the SWC in rushing each year Rodney Thomas played, resulting in him never losing a single conference game.

Thomas comes in as A&M's fourth overall leading rusher and second overall in touchdowns scored, but many also remember him for his off-the-field contributions just as much as his on-the-field ones. The star RB became the definition of selfless service to the A&M community as he served as an example to future football players of Aggieland.

Behind the likes of McElroy and Hill, Thomas has never received as much credit as he deserves. He was one of A&M's greatest overall players in the past couple of decades, leading this team like many never dreamed.  

2. DT Rocky Bernard

When it comes to football, one of the most underrated positions has to be the defensive line. Many see it just a force to distract offensive linemen from the linebackers, but the D-Line is arguably the most important defensive position hands down. 

Starring there for each of his four years, Rocky Bernard anchored this A&M team's defensive center for the late 1990's and early 2000's. His contributions earned him a spot in the NFL where he still plays today for the Superbowl Champion New York Giants. 

As the Aggies started to digress in the early part of the past decade, much blame was heaped onto the defensive side of the ball. Following the Wrecking Crew put the teams that Bernard played with in a difficult position, which resulted in the steady decline in performance from many of the squads.

The defensive tackle's consistent play on the field made him invaluable at the time, but many an Aggie overlooked him due to the team's overall performance issues. 

1. LB Jason Glenn

In this Aggie family, most of the glory goes to the legendary cornerback Aaron Glenn. Many a fan, however, miss his younger, stockier brother Jason Glenn and his entire contributions to A&M success during his tenure on the gridiron.

Coming out of Houston (TX), Glenn was fast enough to play cornerback but was moved to linebacker due to his sheer size and strength. A strong member of the original Wrecking Crew, Glenn was an All-Big 12 First Team selection his senior year in 2000, even though it was cut short following a knee injury.

Playing for a solid couple of years in the NFL, Glenn was able to escape the shadow of his older brother's success with some of his own. Many remember the Glenn name in Aggie football history, but it should certainly be two-fold with the brothers getting equal respect.