Pokes honor R.C. Slocum on Anniversary Team

Published 9:01 am Thursday, August 16, 2018

LAKE CHARLES – The revealing of McNeese’s All-75th Anniversary team to commemorate the 75th year of football continued this week with a look at the All-Tight Ends team has a familiar Orange flavor to it with Orange native and Texas A&M University coaching legend R. C. Slocum on the list.

First on the list, Orange’s own R.C. Slocum.  Slocum (1964-67) is one of the early pass receiving greats in McNeese history.  He played for four seasons and at one time held all of the school’s pass receiving records.  He caught 74 passes for 945 yards in his career, ranking third all-time in receptions and receiving yards among tight ends.  His 74 receptions ranks him tied for 20th all-time among all receivers.  The Stark High graduate led the team in pass receiving in 1966 and 1967 and was named the team’s outstanding offensive lineman.  He was inducted into the McNeese Hall of Fame in 2004 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 2012.

He served as the head football coach at Texas A&M University from 1989 to 2002. He has won more games as coach (123) than anyone else in Texas A&M Aggies football history.

n December 1988, R.C. Slocum was named head coach at Texas A&M. During his 14 years as head coach, Slocum led the Aggies to a record of 123–47–2, making him the winningest coach in Texas A&M history. During his career, Slocum never had a losing season and won four conference championships, including the Big 12 title in 1998 and two Big 12 South Championships in 1997 and 1998. Additionally, he led the Aggies to become the first school in the Southwest Conference history to post three consecutive perfect conference seasons and actually went four consecutive seasons without a conference loss. Slocum reached 100 wins faster than any other active coach. He has the best winning percentage in SWC history, one spot ahead of the legendary coach Darrell Royal who is number 2. Slocum helped make A&M’s Kyle Field become one of the hardest places for opponents to play, losing only 12 games at home in 14 years. For over a year, A&M held the longest home-winning streak in the nation, losing in 1989 and not again until late in 1995. In the 1990s, A&M lost only four times at Kyle Field. Slocum was named SWC Coach of the Year three times during his tenure as head coach. His “Wrecking Crew” defense led the SWC in four statistical categories from 1991 through 1993 and led the nation in total defense in 1991.

Over 50 Texas A&M players were drafted into the NFL during Slocum’s career as head coach.

A total of eight players make up the team that includes two McNeese Sports Hall of Famers, all-conference and all-Louisiana selections, all-Americans, and record holders.

The 75th Anniversary team is selected from players who have earned all-conference or all-America honors, a member of the McNeese Sports Hall of Fame, or record holders.

Since the 2018 season is the 75th anniversary of McNeese football, current players will be eligible for the list at the conclusion of the season.