Texas A&M yell leaders joked about dead Vols mascot before last meeting
The Tennessee Volunteers and Texas A&M Aggies haven't played each other much since the Aggies joined the SEC for the 2012 season. The matchup will mark the first time since 2020 that the schools have faced off, which resulted in a 34-13 A&M win in Knoxville during the COVID-shortened season. Before that game, A&M held […]
The Tennessee Volunteers and Texas A&M Aggies haven't played each other much since the Aggies joined the SEC for the 2012 season. The matchup will mark the first time since 2020 that the schools have faced off, which resulted in a 34-13 A&M win in Knoxville during the COVID-shortened season.
Before that game, A&M held their traditional Midnight Yell in College Station, in which "yell leaders" lead a pep rally with cheesy jokes, whoops, and ritualistic cheers.
In taking their typical shots at their weekly opponent, the yell leader apparently named "Keller" delved deep into UT history to take a shot at the Vols. (Attention is called to the 6:30 mark of the foregoing video.)
"Keller" makes reference to the death of Smokey I, who was killed in 1955 when he was hit by a car after escaping from the garage of his home. He quips that the A&M mascot told him that if she was Tennessee's mascot, she would have done the same thing.
It's one thing to take digs at players, fans, or pretty much anything to do with human beings. Making light of the death of an animal who happens to be a beloved icon of the university is a pretty low blow. And it was a whiff of a joke, as many of the attempts at humor during the Midnight Yell seem to be.
The Vols have plenty of reasons to be motivated for Saturday. A deafening crowd of 100,000 screaming fans at Neyland Stadium should have Tennessee players juiced up. The game will be broadcast in the most-viewed time slot of the week. Eric Berry is being honored at the game. The Vols also no longer have much of a margin for error after losing to Florida earlier in the season.
Now you can add defending the honor of a school legend to that list.