'An Aggie Forever': Texas A&M Pays Tribute To Terry Price At SEC Media Days

Several Texas A&M faces made sure to pay their respect to Terry Price in Nashville following his death last month.

Media Days are meant to bring light to the positives surrounding a program after a rigorous spring and summer session. But not every media session comes with sunshine and happy praise.

Texas A&M is still mourning the loss of Terry Price, who died last month. He was 55. Sixth-year Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher began his press conference at SEC Media Days in Nashville, Tenn., honoring the legacy and remembering Price's impact on the program.

"We lost a great Aggie, but importantly the world lost a great person," Fisher said Monday at the Grand Hyatt in downtown Nashville during his introduction. "Terry was one of the people my Dad always had a saying that he called 'real people.' A guy who never judged you, you could take his word, whatever he said, how he did it, you knew when you give him a job it was going to get done the right way... our program and our family and the whole college football world lost a great man."

"We lost a great Aggie, but importantly the world lost a great person." - Coach Fisher on the loss of Terry Price pic.twitter.com/4G32nqZwgD

— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) July 17, 2023

Known for his booming humor, barbecue wisdom and ability to achieve greatness out of his players, Price was a prominent name in the SEC following his playing career at A&M. He spent a decade as an assistant at Auburn (1999-2008) and five seasons in two different stints at Ole Miss (1995-98, 2009-11) before returning to College Station in 2012.

Fisher immediately recognized Price’s value to the community and program when hired away from Florida State in 2018 and retained him following the firing of Kevin Sumlin. Price served as the Aggies' main defensive line coach under Fisher while serving as the program's most influential recruiter.

Price was essential in helping put together the 2022 recruiting class, considered the top class in college football history. Landing five-star talent on the regular, the longtime Aggie was credited with securing the commitments of former No. 1 overall defensive prospect Walter Nolen, Shemar Stewart, LT Overton, Malick Sylla, Ish Harris, and others.

"Coach Price meant everything to me," defensive lineman Fadil Diggs said. "He was more than a coach. He was a great mentor. Coach Price did everything with energy, and he brought the same energy every day to the field. He was never a different person."

"Coach Price means everything to me. He was more than a coach, he was a great mentor." - @fadil_diggs pic.twitter.com/hMArqF698O

— Texas A&M Football (@AggieFootball) July 17, 2023

One of the more significant recruits Price landed during his time at A&M was defensive lineman Myles Garrett. A native of Arlington Martin High School, Garrett would become one of the top defenders in program history and A&M's lone No. 1 NFL draft selection in 2017. Garrett credited Price for helping him learn the nuances of the position to better himself for the professional level.

“So, I’m very glad he had that impact not only on me but my draft class and the guys who came before and after," Garrett said, according to The Chronicle-Telegram last month. "I wouldn’t be here if he didn’t have that impact on me and I wouldn’t have been under his tutelage.”

A graduate of Plano High School, Price played for Jackie Sherrill and later R.C. Slocum at A&M for four seasons. During his senior campaign, Price earned an All-Southwest Conference selection before being drafted in the 10th round by the Chicago Bears in 1990.

"I can't reiterate he's one of the best human beings I've ever been around," Fisher said. "It was a very tough loss for us. He'll greatly be missed, but he'd be the first up here to say, 'Hey, get lined up and go play again.' That's the way he played and the way he was a person.

"He's an Aggie forever."

According to 247Sports, senior receiver Ainias Smith was expected to honor Price during media days with a customized lapel pin with the initials "TP" before a last-second change. Instead, Smith and the rest of the A&M programs, including coaches, will wear pins ahead of the season opener against New Mexico on Sept. 2. 

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