The first round of AggieYell.com's 64-player tournament to crown the best player in Aggie Football history continues with our third portion of the bracket, the Bonfire Region.
1 seed John Kimbrough vs. #16 Jason Webster
Kimbrough (RB; 1936-40)
Awards: Heisman runner-up, 1940; fifth in the Heisman balloting, 1939; All-American, 1939-40; All-Southwest Conference, 1939-40
"Jarrin John" wasn't just a big back at his time, he would be now at 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds. His stats aren't easy to come by, but when he's compared favorable to Jim Thorpe, Red Grange and Bronco Nagurski, you know he was good. His 26 carries and 151 yards in the Sugar Bowl against Tulane were key to A&M's victory and the 1939 national championship.
Webster (CB; 1996-99)
Stats: 239 tackles, 26 passes broken up, 7 interceptions
Awards: 1999 All-American, 1999 All-SWC
One of the post under-appreciated players in recent Aggie history, Webster helped helm one of the last shutdown secondaries of the Wrecking Crew before being drafted in the second round of the 2000 NFL Draft.
#2 Von Miller vs. #15 Shane Lechler
Miller (LB; 2006-10)
Stats: 181 tackles, 50.5 tackles for loss, 33 sacks
Awards: 2010 Butkus Award winner; 2009-10 All-American; 2009-10 All-Big 12
One of the most popular Aggies in recent memory, Miller was also one of the most dominant. He was the nation's best pass rusher for two straight seasons and dominated opponents before being drafted second overall by the Denver Broncos.
Lechler (P; 1996-99)
Stats: 268 punts, 44.7 average
Awards: 1998-99 All-American; 1996 Freshman All-American; 1997-99 All-Big 12; 10 Anniversary All-Big 12 punter
Still A&M's leader in punts, punting yards and punting average in a game, Lechler remains third all-time in average in program history. He also hit 6 of 9 field goals in 1999 when the Aggies were in a kicking dilemma. He may be the best college punter of all-time (if Braden Mann isn't) and is likely going to be the second punter to be enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
#3 Quentin Coryatt vs. #14 Erik McCoy
Coryatt (LB; 1990-91)
Stats: 184 tackles, 7.5 sacks
Awards: 1991 All-American; 1990 SWC Newcomer of the Year; 1991 SWC Defensive Player of the Year; 1991 All-SWC
Coryatt only played two seasons at A&M, but was the best player on the nation's best defense. He wreaked havoc on everyone, culminating with the still famous "Hit" against TCU.
McCoy (C; 2016-18)
Stats: 39 straight starts
Awards: 2016 All-Freshman
Criminally underrated at the national level, McCoy was one of the nation's best centers for three straight seasons. He was the SEC offensive lineman of the week in his first start and didn't skip a beat. He never gave up a sack or missed a game.
#4 Charlie Krueger vs. #13 Keith Mitchell
Krueger (OL/DT; 1954-57)
Awards: 1956-57 All-American; 1956 All-SEC
Krueger was a force on both sides of the ball, an All-American offensive lineman and a tackle who, in the words of John David Crow, "would knock your brains out". After two excellent seasons, he was the eighth overall pick in the 1958 draft.
Mitchell (LB; 1993-96)
Stats: 34 career sacks
Awards: 1995 All-SWC; 1996 All-Big 12; 1996 All-American
Mitchell was a sack machine his last two seasons, racking up 27.5. He's still fourth all-time in program history with his 34 sacks.
#5 Antonio Armstrong vs. #12 Kevin Murray
Armstrong (LB; 1991-94)
Awards: 1994 All-American; 1993-94 All-SWC; 1994 Butkus Award Semi-Finalist; 1994 Cotton Bowl MVP
An explosive linebacker who helped lead the Wrecking Crew, Armstrong was one of the nation's best defenders.
Murray (QB; 1983-86)
Stats: 534-926, 6,506 yards, 48 TD, 32 INT
Awards: 1985-86 All-SWC
Murray's 2,463 yards passing in 1986 were the best in A&M history for 14 yards, until Mark Farris broke it. He's still fifth in passing yards, fourth in completions and third in attempts.
#6 Ryan Swope vs. #11 Rodney Thomas
Swope (WR; 2009-12)
Stats: 252 receptions for 3,117 yards and 24 TD
Awards: 2011 All-Big 12; 2012 All-SEC
Swope remains the program leader in receptions and yards for a career and receptions for a season. He may have been overshadowed by Jeff Fuller and Mike Evans, but nobody had a better career.
Thomas (RB; 1991-94)
Stats: 3,014 yards, 45 total TD
Awards: 1993-94 All-SWC
Even though he never ran for 1,000 yards in a season (he ran for 996 in 1993), Thomas remains sixth all-time in rushing yards in Aggie history. He's third all-time in rushing touchdowns with 41. He was also one of the classiest players in Aggie history and a winner of the Aggie Heart Award.
#7 Leeland McElroy vs. #10 Patrick Bates
McElroy (RB; 1993-95)
Stats: 448 carries for 2,442 yards and 29 TD rushing; 53 receptions for 645 yards and 7 TD; 30 kick returns for 1,099 yards (36.6 yards per return) and 4 TD
Awards: 1994-95 All-American; 1993-95 All-SWC
One of the best kickoff returners of all time, he still holds the record for the most all-purpose yards in a game in A&M history (359 against LSU, 1995). He ran for 100 yards in a game eight times and led the nation in kickoff return average at more than 39 yards a return in 1993.
Bates (S; 1991-92)
Awards: 1992 All-American; 1991-92 All-SWC
Bates led the team in tackles and interceptions with 95 and 4, respectively, and was one of the hardest-hitting safeties in America after transferring in from UCLA. He was a first round pick in the 1993 NFL Draft.
#8 George Woodard vs. #9 Joe Routt
Woodard (RB; 1975-79)
Stats: 630 carries for 2,911 yards and 35 TD
Awards: 1976 All-SWC
The durable Woodard remains seventh all-time in Aggie history in rushing yards, fourth in carries and fourth in touchdowns. He ran for 100 yards or more in a game 16 different times.
Routt (OL; 1933-37)
Awards: 1936-37 All-American; 1936-37 All-SWC
Routt was not only one of the best offensive linemen in A&M history, he was the program's first All-American. His professional career, and life, were cut short when he was killed in action in Holland on Dec. 10, 1944. He received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was just 30 years old.
