Brazos 360 Fall 2021 Edition

INSIDE Meet Sarah Ables of Frios Gourmet Pops, see photos from Kyle Field tailgating and get a peek at football coach Steve Huff’s office trinkets and treasures at College Station High School

FALL 2021

FROM THE GRIDIRON TO THE GRILL

Coach Terry Price is the Texas A&M football team’s barbecue master THE EAGLE | BRAZOS360.COM

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Inside

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EVENT CALENDAR

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Make plans for the Brazos Valley Fair and Rodeo, Robert Earl Keen in concert, Halloweentown in Downtown, the BCS Marathon and Santa’s Wonderland.

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360 PROFILE

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After 12 years in the oil industry, Texas A&M graduate Sarah Ables switched gears, and now has a franchise of Frios Gourmet Pops in Montgomery and on University Drive.

360 PROFILE

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Artist Robert Schiffhauer has paintings and drawings depicting civil rights leaders and biblical scenes on walls across Bryan-College Station.

COVER STORY

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Texas A&M defensive ends coach Terry Price is known for his skill behind the grill, winning barbecue competitions and fostering team camaraderie with his “D-Line Cookout.”

PARTY PICS

Photos from the Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce’s Founders Night, Keep Brazos Beautiful awards banquet and tailgating around the Texas A&M football team’s first game.

WHAT’S IN YOUR OFFICE? 28 Take a look at College Station High School head football coach Steve Huff’s office trinkets and treasures.

THE LAST WORD

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Getting older comes with some uncomfortable moments, including being upside down on a roller coaster.

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22 STAFF Crystal Dupré PUBLISHER

Rob Clark MANAGING EDITOR

Darren Benson EDITOR

Linda Brinkman ADVERTISING MANAGER

Michael Miller Cassie Stricker Christina Emmett PHOTOGRAPHERS

ON THE COVER Texas A&M defensive ends coach Terry Price at Kyle Field, wearing his cooking gear that is embroidered with his barbecue competition wins. Photo by Michael Miller.

FALL IS ALWAYS A GREAT TIME FOR A SAFARI!

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Local EVENTS Event details are subject to change.

Please check event websites for updated information.

‘THE WEDDING SINGER’ The Theatre Company presents a musical rendition of the 1998 Adam Sandler movie featuring hit songs from the ’80s.

Details: Oct. 1 at 7 p.m., Oct. 2 at 2 and 7 p.m., Oct. 3 at 2 p.m. $10-$20. theatrecompany.com.

DASH FOR DOWN SYNDROME Down Syndrome Association of Brazos Valley hosts its annual awareness walk, which is its largest fundraising event each year.

Details: Oct. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Wolf Pen Creek. Register at dsabv.org/ events/dash-for-down.

WIENERSPIEL The event includes wiener dog races and “wanna-be-a-wiener dog” races, and raises funds for nonprofit organizations helping neglected animals.

Details: Oct. 16-17 at Wolf Pen Creek.

Registration fee for races is $30. wienerspiel.org. ’SUMMER NIGHTS’ The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra will open its 40th season with Sasha Cooke, an international opera star and Brazos Valley native, joining the orchestra to perform “Les nuits d’été”(“Summer Nights”).

Details: Oct. 17 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Auditorium. $20-$55. bvso.org.

WATERMELON BASH Texas A&M’s Century Men’s Society will host its annual carnival-style event with activities and watermelon competitions.

Proceeds benefit Camp Kesem, a nonprofit organization that runs summer camps for kids whose parents are affected by cancer.

Details: Oct. 24 at Wolf Pen Creek. tamucenturymen.com/watermelon-bash.

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

Eagle file photo

BRAZOS VALLEY FAIR & RODEO The event returns with rodeo competitions, carnival games and rides, food and concerts by Mike Ryan, Shenandoah and Los Tigrillos.

Details: Starts Oct. 16-17 with an agrobiotics competition, steak cook-off and weldoff contests and a tractor pull. Rodeo, carnival, music and other events are Oct. 22-24 at the Brazos County Expo. $12 for ages 10 and up. brazosvalleyfair.com.

CHILIFEST PRESENTS FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS Singer-songwriter and Texas A&M graduate Robert Earl Keen will perform on the eve of the Texas A&M-Alabama game, along with Josh Abbott Band, Shane Smith & The Saints and John Baumann.

Details. Oct. 8.

Doors open at 5 p.m., show starts at 6 p.m. Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. $40. roadhousetickets.com/Ticket/ Detail/980

Eagle file photo

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KOE WETZEL The Texas country artist will perform.

Details: Oct. 30 at Wolf Pen Creek Amphitheater. Doors at 6 p.m., show at 7. $35. bweglive.com.

HALLOWEENTOWN IN DOWNTOWN An outdoor trick-or-treat event will be held in Downtown Bryan. Photo booths will be available and businesses will be open late.

Details: Oct. 29 from 4 to 7 p.m. in Downtown Bryan. downtownbryan.com.

SANTA’S WONDERLAND The biggest Christmas attraction in the state opens with its lighted hayride tour, a horse and carriage tour, live music, shops, food, games and activities.

Details: Opens Nov. 12. 18898 Texas 6. $44.95-$49.95. Petting zoo, pony rides and ice skating cost extra. santas-wonderland.com.

‘WIND SERENADES’ The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra’s wind section performs compositions written mainly for flutes, oboes, clarinets, bassoons and French horns.

Details: Nov. 14 at 5 p.m. at Rudder Theatre. $20-$55. bvso.org.

HOLIDAY POPS CONCERT The Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra will host its holiday-themed concert featuring the Brazos Valley Symphony Brass and Percussion, the Christ United Methodist Church Sanctuary Choir and Canticle Ringers, and the College Station High School Varsity Women’s Choir.

Details: Dec. 12 at 5 p.m. at Christ United Methodist Church. $20-$40. bvso.org.

Eagle file photo

BCS MARATHON Baylor Scott & White sponsors the 10th annual half-marathon and full marathon, which go through Bryan, College Station and the Texas A&M campus. Proceeds benefit the Mercy Project.

Details: Dec. 12, starting and finishing at Wolf Pen Creek Park. Prices vary. bcsmarathon.com.

Eagle photo by Cassie Stricker

LIGHTS ON! Destination Bryan starts the holiday season with an event that turns on thousands of lights in Downtown Bryan, including Christmas trees at the north and south ends of the area.

Details: Nov. 19 in Downtown Bryan. Meet in front of the Queen Theatre on Main Street at 6:30 p.m. for the official countdown. downtownbryan.com.

DOWNTOWN LIGHTED HOLIDAY STROLL Visitors can go through Downtown Bryan and view floats and holiday-themed window displays from businesses.

Details: Dec. 9 at 6 p.m. downtownbryan. com.

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

CHRISTMAS IN THE PARK The city of College Station’s annual event returns with hayrides, music, games, snow slides and photos with Santa. The lights at Central Park will be on from Nov. 25 through Jan. 1 from 6 to 11 p.m.

Details: Dec. 3-4 from 6 to 10 p.m. at Stephen C. Beachy Central Park. Free. cstx.gov.

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

Experience our newest exhibits, education programs, virtual tours and more NOTE: Please verify the current operating status of the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum by visiting www.bush41.org.

When the museum is open, purchase your admission tickets in advance via the “Plan Your Visit” tab or by a special “Purchase Museum Tickets” link on the homepage.

E

ven if the museum is closed, you can experience it from the comfort of your own home with our virtual tour. Use the arrows to explore a century of American and world history as you travel through the life of George Bush. View family photos, the Camp David office, White House Situation Room, a portion of the Berlin Wall, the Oval Office, and more. You can also check out the new Storytelling Programs for all ages under the Education tab of the website, focusing on the environment, chemistry and the Constitution.

We have some exciting exhibits on display through July 5, 2022. The first is called Texas Sea Grant: 50 Years of Science & Stewardship, and is located in the Ansary Gallery of American History. A hallmark of Texas A&M University is its status as a land-, sea-, and space-grant university.

One of those programs — the Texas Sea Grant College Program– is celebrating 50 years of science and stewardship at the Bush Library and Museum!

Our second temporary exhibit is called Oceans of Plastic. Plastic pollution, particularly in our oceans, is one of the most pressing consumer and environmental issues that we face today. Oceans of Plastic is a strangely beautiful collection of art made of plastics acquired by artist and beachcomber Shelia Rogers from beaches along

the Texas Gulf Coast.

A third exhibit, George Bush: An Environmental President highlights the 27 environmental laws enacted by President Bush, including the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendment, largely considered to be one of the most significant environmental acts in the 20th century.

We appreciate your understanding and your patience with any COVID guidelines we have in place. The safety of our visitors, staff and volunteers is of utmost importance.

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360 Profile

SARAH ABLES

Finding a passion A

for popsicles |

Story CHELSEA KATZ

fter 12 years in the oil industry, Texas A&M graduate Sarah Ables pivoted her professional life toward popsicles.

Ables, 37, opened a franchise of Frios Gourmet Pops in Montgomery in March 2020, just a few weeks before life came to a halt due to COVID-19. She has now expanded her franchise into Aggieland, where her Frios trailer is part of a new food truck park on University Drive near Wellborn Road.

“College Station obviously holds a place in my heart, being an Aggie, and I think it’s really cool to come full circle and have my business here where I have so many great memories,” she said.

“My goal is to just make it a staple for the area. We want to get established with customers, and we want to grow and obviously have multiple units to sell from and pack the calendar.”

What makes Frios popsicles gourmet, she said, is they are made fresh each week at the corporate kitchen in Mobile, Alabama, with no preservatives or additives. The company also produces flavors not usually associated with popsicles, such as pumpkin cheesecake — with pieces of graham cracker crust in the popsicle — and banana pudding, with a vanilla wafer cookie frozen inside.

Ables graduated from A&M in 2007 with an agricultural systems management degree. She was hired by oil field company

Photo MICHAEL MILLER

Halliburton working offshore in Louisiana, then doing sales in Dallas, handling sales and operations in Midland before ultimately working in sales in Houston.

The career shift came as she was preparing to return to work after maternity leave with son Westley, who is now 2.

“After like five months of maternity leave, I wasn’t real thrilled to go back to work just because I wasn’t 100% satisfied with what I was doing, and also just liked the freedom,” she said.

She and her husband, Colt, had always talked about owning a business, and as they started a family in Montgomery, she said the timing was right. They researched different franchises and found Frios, and signed on after meeting with the corporate team and trying the popsicles.

“My husband and I both really like dessert and ice cream,” she said. “Then also just the price of it, the flexibility of it, having the freedom to make it kind of what we wanted it to be, but also having support from corporate.”

The College Station trailer will be operated by sisters Jenna and Leigh Freeman, both current A&M students. Jenna previously worked for Ables in Montgomery. The trailer’s hours are Thursday through Saturday from 3-10 p.m. through the fall, but those times could be adjusted based on home football game schedules.

Q&A How did you feel when you decided to take on the franchise?

It was exciting. At the time, when we signed up, my son was seven, eight months old, so it was kind of like we had gotten out of the fog of being new parents, and we were finally trying to figure out what we’re going to do moving forward. So it’s kind of exciting for me to come out of a 12-year career and have a new focus on something else. It’s fun to get through what I needed to do, and to figure it all out, of what I needed and the training and how it was going to work and what all I needed to set up. That was kind of fun, and I’ve used a lot of my skills from school and my career as far as management and leadership and accounting. A little bit of everything. It’s been fun. It’s something different, introducing popsicles to different people.

What is your favorite part about owning a Frios franchise?

My favorite part about it is probably just bringing fun to my customers, you know, seeing their faces and hearing their reac-

tions when they enjoy what they’re tasting.

And also the flexibility of scheduling events when I can or taking the day off or weekend off if I have to. I enjoyed having employees and teaching those that have come through my store. That’s always fun; something I enjoyed. I think the number one thing is probably the customers. You get a little pride when somebody walks away or makes a point to come back and tell you, ‘This is the best thing I’ve ever had.’ That makes you feel pretty good. It’s definitely a huge pivot from the oil field.

How does a 12-year career in the oil field influence how you run a popsicle franchise?

I was a female in the oil field, which, thankfully, it’s more prevalent now than it used to be when I started. But, you know, I’ve had obstacles my whole career, especially working in the field as an engineer. It helped me build who I am and how I operate. I take pride in what I do, and I always did there.

I did a lot of sales work, so taking care of my customers and making sure they were

happy and getting done what they needed.

Problem solving when issues come up, trying to resolve that, you know, because running a business is not easy, and things happen and stuff breaks or you got to reevaluate and pivot. … Just taking the right steps to be successful. Even in the oil field, Halliburton was really good about training, and we did a lot of management leadership classes, and those are definitely applicable to running a business. You got to take all those skills to manage every aspect of what it takes. It’s really a little bit of everything. It’s definitely a different application, but it’s the same principles and the same work ethic.

What do you hope your son takes away from seeing you own this franchise?

It’s life skills and work ethic. I hope to teach him all of it. We want him to be well-rounded and to be able to be independent, take care of himself and function in life. And I think owning a business teaches you a lot of things that help in all areas. We hope he enjoys it and wants to be a part of it too.

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Robert Schiffhauer, pictured with a self-portrait, taught at Texas A&M University for more than 40 years, including drawing, painting and sculpting.

Artist donates works across Bryan-College Station Story MEGAN RODRIGUEZ

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rom religious paintings to drawings of civil rights leaders, Robert Schiffhauer has told stories through artwork that is hanging on walls across Bryan-College Station and beyond.

Schiff hauer, 84, was raised in WilkesBarre, Pennsylvania, a town near Scranton.

Schiff hauer fi rst grew fond of art when he was in high school after a friend who was going to New York’s Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art taught him how to paint and draw. Schiff hauer applied for the same school in the 1950s and was excited to be one of the few students from outside of New York to be accepted.

“That was my real, true beginning in art,” Schiff hauer said. He went on to graduate from Yale.

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Photos MICHAEL MILLER

After concluding his academic career, Schiff hauer became interested in becoming an educator and he applied to schools across the country, eventually landing at the University of Houston.

In 1969, Schiff hauer made Aggieland home. During his more than 40 years at Texas A&M University, Schiff hauer taught graphic design, landscape architecture, drawing, painting and sculpting.

Sharing his love of art through his courses was always something special, he said.

“My aim to accomplish things has always been through teaching,” he said.

After retiring from A&M about six years ago, Schiff hauer donated 55 paintings and drawings to the university. Many of the works portray civil rights leaders, along

with musicians and other influential figures.

Since 2018, pieces depicting abolitionists, journalists and musicians have lined the walls between two sets of elevators on the third floor of Evans Library. Schiff hauer said a couple of his favorites that are on display include portraits of jazz legends Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington.

There is also a portrait of Matthew Gaines, who was a former enslaved person and Washington County’s fi rst Black state senator. Gaines was instrumental in passing Senate Bill 276, which helped to create the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas under the Land Grant College Act of 1862, also known as the Morrill Act. Work is underway to erect a statue of Gaines on campus.

Schiff hauer said that he sees Gaines as “the true founder of Texas A&M,” and a person who students would be interested in seeing depicted in the permanent Evans Library exhibition.

Patrick Zinn, director of marketing for the A&M library system, said he is pleased that Evans Library could be a home for the collection. Zinn said the library is a good fit for the work since it is a place that all types of students come through, rather than having the art in one particular college’s building.

“We’re happy to do it,” he said. “We’re happy to keep this up. It really continues our mission.”

Schiff hauer has also donated portraits of Europeans who publicly opposed anti-Semitism and genocide during the 20th century to Germany’s Academy for International Education. The institution is a study abroad venue for the A&M College of Architecture.

Several other places around town are home for Schiff hauer’s work.

When the Brazos Valley African American Museum in Bryan opened its doors in 2006, some of Schiff hauer’s work was among the location’s fi rst art installations, including a painting of Martin Luther King Jr.

Robert Schiffhauer’s art is on display at Evans Library on the Texas A&M campus.

Curator Wayne Sadberry said that Schiffhauer recently donated several additional drawings to the museum that he said he is working to find a good space for. The portraits include jazz musician Ornette Coleman and sociologist and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, who was the fi rst Black American to earn a doctorate from Harvard and was a founding member of the NAACP. “He’s really a profound person,” Sadberry said of Schiff hauer.

At St. Thomas Episcopal Church in

College Station there are several pieces depicting biblical scenes hanging in offices, according to parish administrator Kammy Jaques. Pictures include Adam and Eve and Jesus Christ. Schiff hauer said the pieces are wood cut prints with some paint. He made them by carving into wood, rolling ink on that wood and then pressing the blocks onto the canvas.

“We are very thankful,” Jaques said.

“We’ve got several different artists in our parish community and he has just been very generous in sharing his gifts with us.”

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Cover Story

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

During their days at Ole Miss, Don Dunn (left) and Terry Price (right) cooked together at the Memphis in May International Festival’s World Barbecue Cooking Contest.

Photo courtesy of Don Dunn

TERRY PRICE

Coach has winning ways and skill behind the grill

T

erry Price is serious about two things — football and barbecue.

The Texas A&M defensive ends coach’s affection for cooking is so serious that it extends to his grilling fashion choices: He has his own traditional chef ’s jacket embroidered with his barbecue competition wins on the front right shoulder.

Price played on the defensive line at Texas A&M from 1986 to 1989 and started his coaching career as a volunteer assistant at A&M in 1992. He’s served as the defensive ends coach for the Aggies since 2012.

Cooking barbecue was something Price picked up along the way in his nearly 30-year coaching career. He has become known for his skills on the smoker and serving up pounds of meat to his players and others. ‘“I look for an excuse to cook,” Price said. “I enjoy it.”

Catching the ‘barbecue bug’

Price first got an interest in barbecue in 1997, when he was coaching defensive ends at Ole Miss. A fellow assistant coach — Don Dunn, who coached defensive tackles — approached Price about joining him and three other staff members on a trip to the Memphis

Story ALEX MILLER

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Photo MICHAEL MILLER

in May International Festival’s World Barbecue Cooking Contest in Tennessee.

Their team name? The Pigskins.

Despite being rookies, or “patio porkers” as Dunn described, the crew of coaches came away victorious, winning first place in the vinegar-based sauce competition and earning a top 10 finish in ribs.

“You spend three days out there, spend the night out there, cooking and smoking all night long,” Price said. “So that kind of gave me a fever, and I’ve been hooked ever since.”

Shortly after the competition, Price purchased his first kettle grill to start smoking on his own. Price continued to cook with Dunn, who he coached with for a combined 14 years at Ole Miss and then Auburn from 1995 to 2008, under head coach Tommy Tuberville at both stops.

“We just started cooking on the weekends and gradually kept going, getting bigger smokers and cookers,” Dunn said. “Terry and I didn’t really play golf or anything, so that was really our hobby — cooking and barbecuing.”

“I learned everything I know about barbecue from him,” Price said of Dunn. “He’s one of my barbecue mentors.”

In the years since that trip to Memphis, Price has participated in other competitions, winning three cooking championships that are immortalized on that chef ’s jacket. Price said competition cooking requires more attention to detail.

“Everything’s got to be perfect,” Price said.

“Skin on the chicken’s got to be perfect. The ribs got to pull up a certain way. The sauce has to be perfect. Everything has to be perfect because you’re cooking for judges that are gonna judge everything, every single taste they get.”

The sight of that chef ’s jacket caused Texas A&M head football coach Jimbo Fisher to have some initial skepticism about Price’s accolades.

“I said, ‘Now listen, I don’t know if you just sewed those on there or if they were legit,’ you know what I mean? We gotta do some research,” Fisher said. “But all you’ve got to do is taste his barbecue one time and they’re legit. They were legit wins. He’s really good.

He’s excellent. And a ton of work … the amount of work he puts in the cooking — wow, it’s unbelievable.”

Continued on Page 14

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Photos courtesy of Terry Price

Above: Texas A&M players dig in at Terry Price’s house for the “D-Line Cookout.” Top left: Ribs get smoked on Price’s Big Green Egg. Below left: Steaks sizzle on Price’s open grill.

TERRY PRICE’S TEXAS BRISKET • Cover brisket with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

• Cook with post oak at around 250 degrees.

• Cook until it’s 165 degrees internal.

• Pull brisket off pit and wrap with butcher paper for a longer cook or foil for a shorter cook.

• Pull brisket off pit when it’s 195 to 200 degrees.

• Rest until serving.

Continued from Page 13

A professional setup

Price’s evolution as a cook has included an expanded arsenal of gear. He has two smokers, including a Big Green Egg, and a large open grill. He calls himself a “low-andslow guy,” and prefers cooking big pieces of meat like brisket and pork butt. With almost 25 years of experience under his belt, he said nothing is too difficult to cook.

“I try to master and get good at cooking every single meat out there, so when it’s time to cook it, I’m good at it,” Price said.

Brisket is the Plano native’s favorite piece of meat to cook. The simple, old-school mix of salt and pepper suffices for seasoning, he said, and he uses post oak wood — a Central Texas staple — at about 250 degrees. When cooking at home all day, Price said he wraps his brisket in butcher paper when the meat reaches 165 degrees. Price goes for foil when he needs to cook faster.

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

“If you’re in Texas, brisket’s the key,” he said. “I mean, that is the number one meat in Texas, and if you can cook it right, you can cook anything. It took me probably a couple of years to get it right. You know the temperature, your bark, when to wrap. There’s some certain things you got to do to get really good at it.”

Though he’s open to sharing his brisket recipe, he’s more reserved on sharing the ingredients and spices that go into his pork rub.

“If I tell you, I’ve got to assassinate you,” Price said. “I don’t want to do that right now, so the secret stays in my head.”

When the Aggies’ spring 2020 game was canceled near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Price hosted a cooking challenge for A&M fans on social media. He posted a video showing his grilling setup, including the championship-winning sauce, and interacted with fans as they shared pictures of their meals. Even Dunn tweeted photos of

a brisket he made, along with their Memphis in May trophies. At the end of the day, Price picked a winner, praising the champ’s brisket for its bark, moisture and smoke ring.

“That’s great looking brisket!” Price said in a tweet. He encouraged others with commentary including “That’s some great smoke!” and “Pulled pork looks really good!”

And he offered advice to some who asked for pointers, including A&M tight end Max Wright: “Just need a little more knee bend and keep your grilling elbow tighter to your body for more power.”

Camaraderie from cookouts

A&M players have come to enjoy what has become a staple for Price’s position group — the “D-Line Cookout” — a tradition that started while Price was at Ole Miss.

Dunn said he and Price would have the team’s defensive linemen over to his house for a barbecue dinner every Thursday after practice during the season. Dunn noted he

would usually cook ribs and chicken, while Price handled brisket and sometimes fish.

Most meals during their time at Auburn included Conecuh Sausage, a pork sausage company located in central Alabama.

Since then, NCAA rules changed limits on providing meals to players. A&M players now come over to Price’s house for an occasional all-you-can-eat barbecue buffet, and pictures are often shared on social media for Aggie fans to envy. Price even fired up the pits this summer for a large pool party recruiting event.

“It gives the players a chance to see the coaches away from the field, from the office,” Dunn said. “Most of those kids are from out of state or out of town, so it gives them the chance to get a home-cooked meal.”

Menu items vary at the cookouts, but quantities are always in bulk. Price said he cooks as much as he can fit on his grills.

Price’s wife, Kenya, prepares sides, including signature dishes mac and cheese and baked beans.

A&M junior defensive end DeMarvin Leal said it’s tough to choose a favorite, before declaring a tie between Price’s ribs and steak.

“Honestly, I’d say Coach Price is probably the best barbecue cook in town,” the preseason All-American said. “That’s the best barbecue I’ve had since I’ve been here in College Station. He can really get down in the kitchen, and really cook anything you want. It doesn’t matter if it’s barbecue, desserts, he can do it all, honestly.”

Dunn recalled that at their Ole Miss/ Auburn cookouts, leftovers were hard to find.

“They would bring their Tupperware and bring home all kinds of stuff,” Dunn said.

“We didn’t have anything to eat after they left, believe me.”

Cookout conversations stay away from discussing the game, Price said. The goal is to create a home environment for players.

“All these kids grew up going to family reunions,” he said. “When they grew up, they went to get-togethers in the summertime. …

They’re away from home, and I want to make sure it feels like home. That’s why we do so many cookouts for the guys, and when we do, we don’t talk any football. We talk about our families. How your family’s doing, how your mom and dad are doing. And on top of that, enjoy some really good smoked food. It works out well on both ends.”

Leal said the meals provide an opportunity for the defensive linemen to come together.

“It’s good to have time with your teammates outside of football,” he said, “and just be able to sit down, eat some barbecue, have a good time and just chop it up and get to know each other more.”

Associated Press

Former Texas A&M football coach Jackie Sherrill is carried by players Leon Cole and Terry Price after defeating Notre Dame, 35-10, in the 1988 Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

An even-keel leader

Former A&M head coach Jackie Sherrill recruited Price and coached him for two seasons. He said Price was an excellent high school player, but he was more impressed by the respect and relationship Price had with his parents.

The Aggies won three Southwest Conference championships during Price’s time at A&M, and Sherrill said Price served as an even-keel leader on those teams. Price’s favorite memory from his playing days was winning four straight games against rival Texas.

“An awful lot of players gravitated [toward him], but also enjoyed his presence,” Sherrill said. “Terry came in at a time and was on very good football teams. A lot of his teammates had the opportunity to go on, and quite frankly, won three championships in a row. So they were not an average group of players.”

After A&M won the 1988 Cotton Bowl over Notre Dame and Heisman Trophy winner Tim Brown, Price carried Sherrill off the field alongside Leon Cole. Sherrill said with a laugh, “They were strong enough to hold me,” and added it was one of A&M’s greatest moments in football.

“For so many years … there were only four major bowls — the Orange, the Sugar, the Cotton and the Rose,” Sherrill said. “And for so many years, it was either Texas most of the

time or Arkansas. And the most important thing to the Aggies was not only getting to the Cotton Bowl, which meant you won the Southwest Conference, but winning the Cotton Bowl.”

Price was drafted by the Chicago Bears in the 10th round of the 1990 NFL draft, and played two seasons in the pros. He elected to return to A&M to finish his degree in sociology and begin his coaching career under then-head coach R.C. Slocum.

“The most important thing for a defensive lineman is getting rid of a block,” Sherrill said, “and that’s done by having the technique to do it. And Terry is a very excellent technique coach. His players use their hands extremely well.”

Sherrill said that he would bet Price’s first brisket didn’t turn out all that well — which is the likely result for most beginners — but he wasn’t surprised at Price developing his expertise.

“Knowing Terry and how determined he is, he made himself into a good cook,” he said.

Developing talent

After a second stint at Ole Miss from 2009 to 2011, Price joined Tommy Tuberville’s staff for a third go-round, this time at Texas Tech.

Price was an assistant in Lubbock for all of two months when he was hired by Kevin

Continued on Page 16

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Continued from Page 15

Sumlin to coach defensive linemen at A&M in February 2012. Price has been on the Aggies’ coaching staff ever since, and was among the few held over by head coach Jimbo Fisher after Sumlin’s dismissal in 2017.

Coaching at A&M was a dream come true, Price said.

“You work your whole life to have a chance to coach where you played, so it worked out well for me,” Price said. “I got my degree from here, so this is an extremely special place. Good Lord blessed me and gave me a chance to stay on with Coach Fisher. … I’ve been blessed to be around some great people and to have a chance to continue to coach here.”

Fisher said he’s known Price for a long time, dating back to when the two coached against each other as assistants at SEC West schools in the late ’90s. Fisher said he’s had eyes on coaches he’s faced, like Price, who he would like to add to his staff one day. Fisher did so when he retained Price in December 2017.

“He’s a great recruiter and he’s a very knowledgeable coach,” Fisher said. “He has coached guys that have been first picks in the draft. He has coached multiple guys that weren’t even highly recruited guys that end

up getting drafted and do big things. He’s done it here and at other schools, everywhere he has been. And he has done it himself as a player. He was a great player here himself, he played pro ball, he’s been part of great defenses. He also knows A&M. You can see his love for A&M.” During Price’s nine seasons at A&M, the Aggies have had seven defensive linemen drafted. Leading that list is Myles Garrett, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL draft, the only player in A&M history to be taken first overall.

“If you go back in Terry’s history as a coach and look at all of his all-conference, AllAmerican and pro players, you’re going to find a bunch, and that’s the mark of a good coach,” Sherrill said. “But as a recruiter, if you’ll go back and look at the recruits that he has recruited at all of his stops as a coach, you’re going to have some of the best recruits at D-line that’s out there.”

One of the highest-rated recruits Price helped bring to A&M is Leal, who is already being projected as a first-round pick in next year’s draft. Leal said he wanted a coach that demanded excellence.

“Coach Price, he really just loves the game and he really wants you to know every single detail,” Leal said. “Everything down to the crumb. He’s just so passionate about coaching

Restaurant ROW

and he coaches you to the highest extent. He doesn’t care how you feel. He’s going to tell you to get after it and there’s no excuses.”

A future business?

Price’s reputation behind the grill has grown in recent years. Fisher even calls him “the best barbecue guy I know.” And so he’s frequently asked if he would open a barbecue restaurant once he’s done coaching.

Dunn, who retired from coaching three years ago and is now a pit boss at Country’s Barbecue in Auburn, has ideas of reuniting with Price.

“What I’d love to do with Terry is for us to buy a food truck and just serve barbecue,” he said.

Count Leal in as someone who would be first in line.

“I would definitely be a regular customer,” Leal said. “Every single day, I can’t [lie], even though I might gain a lot of weight doing that. But that barbecue is something else, so I would have to get some every now and then, of course.”

For now, Price is content with coaching, and said he likes where the team is headed.

“I’ve had a lot of people ask me to,” he said about opening a restaurant. “But I enjoy coaching right now too much to think about what’s gonna happen.”

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TRENDY • DESIGNER • VINTAGE • AGGIE GEAR

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

What is Atrial Fibrillation?

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trial Fibrillation (Afib) is a heart condition where the upper chambers of the heart (atrium) beat too fast and with irregular rhythm (fibrillation). AF is the most common cardiac arrhythmia, currently affecting more than five million Americans. Twenty percent of all strokes occur in patients with AF, and AF related strokes are more frequently fatal and disabling. The most common treatment to reduce stroke risk in patients with AF is blood-thinning warfarin medication. Despite its proven efficacy, long-term warfarin medication is not welltolerated by some patients and carries a significant risk for bleeding complications. Nearly half of AF patients eligible for warfarin are currently untreated due to tolerance and adherence issues An estimated six million Americans are affected

by Afib – an irregular heartbeat that feels like a quivering heart. People with Afib have a five times greater risk of stroke than those with normal heart rhythms. The WATCHMAN FLX device closes off an area of the heart called the left atrial appendage (LAA) to keep harmful blood clots that can form in the LAA from entering the bloodstream and potentially causing a stroke. By

closing off the LAA, the risk of stroke may be reduced and, over time, patients may be able to stop taking blood thinners. The next-generation technology has a new design to help treat more patients safely and effectively to ensure the best long-term outcomes.

Thomas Meade, MD, Electrophysiologist at St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital performed the hospital’s first implant of the next-generation WATCHMAN FLX™ Left Atrial Appendage Closure (LAAC) Device on a patient with atrial fibrillation (Afib) on Wednesday, July 14, 2021. St. Joseph Health is the only hospital in the Brazos Valley to offer the WATCHMAN FLX™ device, built upon the most studied and implanted LAAC device in the world, as an alternative to the lifelong use of blood thinners for people with Afib not caused by a heart valve problem (also known as non-valvular Afib).

“The WATCHMAN FLX device is a new alternative for patients with non-valvular Afib who are at risk for a stroke, especially those with a compelling reason not to be on blood thinners,” said Thomas Meade, MD, electrophysiologist at St. Joseph Health Regional Hospital. “I’m proud to

have performed the first of many implants of this device at St. Joseph, as it offers patients potentially life-changing stroke risk treatment.”

The WATCHMAN device has been implanted in more than 150,000 patients worldwide and is done in a one-time procedure. It’s a permanent device that doesn’t have to be replaced and can’t be seen outside the body. The procedure is done under general anesthesia and takes about an hour.

Patients commonly stay in the hospital overnight and leave the next day. In addition to Dr. Meade performing this new procedure, Dr. Rodney Horton will also perform this procedure at St. Joseph.

To learn more, visit St-Joseph.org or please visit: www.watchman.com Benjamin EJ, Muntner P, Alonso A, et al.

Heart disease and stroke statistics—2019 update: a report from the American Heart Association.

Circulation. 2019;137:e1-e473. 2. National Stroke Association. Making the Afib-Stroke Connection. https://www.stroke.org/sites/default/files/resources/ AfibConnection%20for%20hcp.pdf. Published 2012.

Accessed September 1, 2016

Discover WATCHMAN for atrial fibrillation.

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FALL FASHION PREVIEW Brazos 360’s seasonal guide to a more stylish you!

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

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Worship Services Sundays at 10am at the Hilton Garden Inn 3081 University Drive East, Bryan TX 77802 mercyhillbcs.org THE EAGLE | BRAZOS360.COM

21

KEEP BRAZOS BEAUTIFUL AWARDS BANQUET COLLEGE STATION HILTON • AUG. 25, 2021

K

eep Brazos Beautiful held its annual awards luncheon on Aug. 25 at the College Station Hilton. The event recognized residents and organizations that are making a difference in keeping the community clean, green and beautiful.

Photos by Michael Miller

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

TOP LEFT: (Top) Ed Bull, Ross Ford, (bottom) Irene Jett, Nancy Berry, Bobby Gutierrez and Kimberly Roach. LEFT BOTTOM: (Top) Bruce Erratt, Lisa Aldrich, Steve Aldrich, (bottom) Colton Greer, Spencer Clements, Sharon Clements and Andrew Nelson. BELOW: Lillie and Ben Downs.

BELOW MIDDLE: Heather and Chris Willis. BOTTOM RIGHT: Jacque Flagg and Scott DeLucia.

TOP LEFT: Barbara Stavinoha, Dennis Maloney and Bobby Mirza. TOP RIGHT: Juan Espinoza, Samantha Best, Bryan Griesbach, Ronnie Craig and AJ Taylor. 2ND LEFT: Royce Hickman, Kathy Brewer and Allison Batte. 2ND RIGHT: Adrienne DeMoss, Michael Oder and Kathleen Ninke. 3RD LEFT: Ryan Young, Natalie Kidd, Nora Thompson, (bottom) Melanie Motley, Miranda Henderson, Linda Edge and Douglas Edge. ABOVE: Douglas Walker, Karl Mooney and Jeff Capps. BOTTOM LEFT: Flynn Adcock, Eric Zaragoza, Tom Tilton, Prentiss Madison and Jayson Barfknecht.

THE EAGLE | BRAZOS360.COM

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FOUNDERS NIGHT

T

THE STELLA HOTEL • JULY 16, 2021

he Bryan-College Station Chamber of Commerce hosted its annual Founders Night event on July 16 at The Stella Hotel in Bryan. The event, designed to celebrate the establishment of the cities of Bryan and College Station, included food and drinks, casino games and a raffle.

Photos by Christina Emmett

TOP LEFT: Penny Dunn, Eloise Anne Palkpar, Raquel and Daniel Webb. ABOVE: Danny and Lindsey Guindi, Jack and Shelley Valerius. BELOW: Lauren Hovde, Kevin Kvolczyk, Brandi Lampo and Cliff Dorn. BOTTOM LEFT: Oscar Cardenas, Steve Daykin, Jessica Daykin, Hannah Miller and Trey Scott

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

MIDDLE TOP: Cheryl and Thomas Hall.

2ND MIDDLE: Linda Edge and Alajandra Rice.

3RD MIDDLE: Garret Bond and Amanda Coffee.

4TH MIDDLE: Rebecca Cooper and Matt Kriger. TOP RIGHT: Charlie and Whitney Coats, Mark Browning.

2ND TOP: Jay Rudinger, Baylor Lyon, Jami Rudinger and Candice Lyon. 3RD TOP: Don Fazzino, Mike and Sheila Connor. 4TH TOP: Chris Reyes, Steve Fullhart, Jason and Janell Cornelius.

BELOW: Flynn Adcock, State Sen. Charles and Belinda Schwertner and Donna Adcock

TOP LEFT: Nick Wilson, Jenjer Freeman, Marcus Mata and Manny Muniz.

TOP RIGHT: Ryan Ullmann, Megan Ullmann, Foster Ullmann, Marcy Ullmann, Rachel Ullmann, Michele and Demond Oliver. 2ND LEFT: Betsy Segers, David Segers and Cory Davis. ABOVE RIGHT: Greg Phelps, Lisa Bowden, Stacy and Terrance Dill. LEFT: Shannon Turner, Blaine Decker, Ginny Ford and Carrie Archer. 4TH FAR LEFT: Skylar and Evan Eike. LEFT MIDDLE TOP: Kory and Sandy Ashcraft. LEFT MIDDLE BOTTOM: Alexis Lovett, Shaun Brown, Jeremy and Sierra Cunningham. BOTTOM LEFT: Buppy Simank, Jennifer Simank, Lillie Downs and Royce Hickman. BELOW RIGHT: Amelia McCracken, Josh McCracken, Carolyn Gentry and Mike Gentry. BOTTOM RIGHT: Laura Brewer, Kerrie Hughers and Joanna Salton.

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KYLE FIELD TAILGATING

F

SEPT. 4, 2021

ans enjoyed gathering around Kyle Field for the Texas A&M football team’s first game of the year, a 41-10 victory over Kent State. More

than 97,000 people attended the game, which also featured a Red, White and Blue Out coordinated T-shirt effort, in honor of the original show of patriotism in 2001 after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Photos by Cassie Stricker, Michael Miller

TOP LEFT: Scott Heller, Dale Hall, Maria Hall, Caitlin Jones, Teri Jones.

BOTTOM LEFT: Brittany Birdsong, Gordon Wilson, Isabel Briscoe and Callie Bedrich. TOP RIGHT: Abby Andrews, Julianna Judge, Summer Sledge, Matthew Common, Jackson Steinle and Carter Ford. 2ND RIGHT: L.B. Presmy and Rene Marquez. 3RD RIGHT: Liam, Tracy, Wyatt, Scott and Eleanor Merrill. ABOVE RIGHT: Holly Rabb, Caden Pew, James Fine.

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

TOP LEFT: Mary Grace Hearnsberger, Phil Hearnsberger. TOP CENTER: Brandon English, Luke Jenkins, Megan Fedor, Katelyn Rose. TOP RIGHT: Hannah Hinson and Wyatt Hampton. 2ND LEFT: Perry Shepard, Meggie Nop, Myka Serwatka and Grant Richardson. 2ND RIGHT: Elizabeth Lenz, Trae Veiga, Preston Church, Stephen Raley and Julianna Judge. 3RD LEFT: Sue Hardaway, Mekenzie Hardaway and Emma Elliott. 3RD RIGHT: Paul Foster, Dana Foster, David DeSosa, Dylan DeSosa, Joan DeSosa. BOTTOM LEFT: Brooke McBride, Claire Girard and Braeden Hickey. ABOVE LEFT: Jameson, Jude, Jordan, Johanna, Payton and Pamela Powell. ABOVE RIGHT: Trinity Blum and Joe Kinkade.

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What’s in your

OFFICE? STEVE HUFF College Station High School football coach

C

ollege Station head football coach Steve Huff has a simple description for his office.

“I’d say it’s probably me,” Huff said.

Huff, a Missouri native, came from Midwest City, Oklahoma, to College Station High School in 2012 when the school opened, and has built the Cougars’ program from scratch. He coached the Cougars to the 2017 Class 5A Division II state championship.

Huff notes he doesn’t hang many things on the walls of his office inside the school’s field house. He said he takes the most enjoyment from the things that adorn the hallways, which include photos of past Cougar teams and trophies from playoff wins, with the state title trophy standing taller than the others.

“That’s what kind of describes us,” Huff said.

Inside Huff ’s office is an assortment of photos, many of his family and others of teams he’s previously coached. There’s also his state championship medal and other football keepsakes.

Story ALEX MILLER | Photos CASSIE STRICKER

That is what you put the footballs on and buff them. You take the wheel on the left, you buff the ball off, and then you put some leather conditioner and you go to the right. It’s like a bar of soap, and you hold the wheel on the right and you put it on the ball and it makes the ball extremely tacky, and then you buff the ball back off and it’s not tacky. …

That’s a good pastime on usually Thursday. I’ll take and do like a dozen balls, because kids don’t like them when they’re fresh.

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

We’re thick as thieves. Those pictures are great. That’s our kids here and I never have hung them up. It’s junky, but I like the stuff being here. These, my wife keeps changing out all the time. She’ll bring new ones in.

The mule [the mascot of Huff’s alma mater, the University of Central Missouri] definitely plays a special part of my life. … You sit it on a piece of wood and it’s a light. … It’s actually pretty cool. You put two shower blocks back-to-back. It’s one of those things somebody did at a craft fair and my wife picked it up somewhere.

This is [former Kansas City running back] Jamaal Charles. [My son] Jett made it in one of his art classes. … The Chiefs were so bad when I was young. The St. Louis Cardinals — before they went to Arizona — were really good, so I kind of followed both, and then when the Cardinals pulled out and went to Arizona, I was like, ‘Forget it.’ So, I took over the Chiefs. … Now Jett’s a Chiefs fan, too, so it helps. We have a lot of fun. … I cried like a baby [when the Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV in 2020].

We’d been waiting a long time for that to happen.

This [2018 state 7-on-7 tournament championship belt] is like major league. I’ve been trying to figure out how to hang it up, but I’ve just never got it done. … Here’s the thing about that group that won that. I don’t think anybody knows how many kids we didn’t have. … It was the craziest thing. … Going into the tournament, we were like, ‘I hope we make it into the championship side,’ just because a number of our kids were gone. And not the number of kids gone, but the number of good kids that were gone, like starters.

Those kids played well. Played good enough defense to not get hurt and we moved the ball around. … They ended up persevering and winning it.

That [Vince Lombardi] picture came from a guy named Bruce Ratchford. I was a coach at Kennewick High School in Kennewick, Washington, and Bruce Ratchford was what you call an adjunct coach in Texas. But Bruce was a millionaire. He owned his own business.

They built bridges and stuff like that. He got that for me … 16, 17 years ago. Good dude, coached.

[His] son played for us.”

That was the ball that was given to us [by the UIL] after we won the state championship and then I had the kids sign it.

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

TOPSY-TURVY

A roller coaster experience to remember, or perhaps forget

S

igns of getting older make for no one would be upset if she skipped it. She than I am. But the feeling lingered. uncomfortable moments. Whether decided, through her tears, that she was going It’s good to know I’m not the only one. it’s a physical activity you’re no to do it.

A June Tampa Bay Times story had this longer equipped to handle, or hearing of an She sat down in the seat next to me, and I headline: “Universal’s newest thriller inconceivable anniversary (“Stop it, ‘Manic gave her my best Ted Lasso pep talk.

VelociCoaster has just a lap bar. How safe is Monday’ cannot possibly be 35 years old”), Then the ride began. Son of a brachiosaurus, that?” aging isn’t all that enjoyable. this was crazy fast right from the start. That It’s safe, the story explains. It just didn’t feel Such a moment occurred over the summer didn’t bother me, but something felt off that way to me. during a family trip almost instantly. I quickly realized it was the Meanwhile, my daughter screamed. Not to Universal Studios lack of a shoulder harness. The mechanics excited, hands-up, “woo!” screaming, but in Orlando. Roller of a ride had never perplexed me, but an sheer-terror screaming. I shook off my coasters have never over-the-shoulder harness locks you down bewilderment to offer encouragement fazed me. Years ago, at in a way that helps you feel secure no matter — “You’re OK. I’m right here. I’ve got a corporate outing at how many twists and turns a coaster brings. you.”— while in my head, I was bellowing, Six Flags Over Texas VelociCoaster just has a lap bar.

“WHO FORGOT THE SHOULDER in Arlington, I rode Th at may not seem like a big deal.

But it HARNESSES?!?!”

ROB CLARK Batman: The Ride felt flimsy by comparison. And during an My worry for her outweighed my rob.clark@ seven times in a row. upside-down moment — of which there are discomfort with the physics involved, but the theeagle.com Would’ve been more if several — your rump lifts off the seat and two combined to make me eager for it to all my friend hadn’t insisted on stopping at seven. your weight pushes against the bar. be over.

At Universal, there was enormous It felt like a slow motion Looney Tunes scene, At the ride’s merciful end, my daughter, anticipation for the new VelociCoaster ride, where Wile E. Coyote mistakenly dashes off with tear streaks down her cheeks, and I met which was in soft-opening mode. With a cliff and then looks down. “Oh dear, now up with the rest of our family members, who Jurassic World theming, a cool design, a high we’re upside down. Did the bar just shift? were gleefully bouncing and squealing about speed of 70 mph and a ton of hype from What … how … um … wait!” And then you the ride.

YouTube vloggers, we were amped. zoom off again.

“Good for you,” I thought. “I’m getting too (Side note, and it must be said: Velociraptors It was a completely unnatural feeling. I old for this.” dominate far too much of the Jurassic Park/ knew it was safe, and that it was designed, Weeks later, my coaster companion Jurassic World universe. Yes, they’re smart, tested and approved by people much smarter approached my wife with a sad face. “I’m they can open doors, they work afraid I ruined the VelociCoaster together. And sure, they teamed for Dad,” she said sweetly. I up for a sneak attack on the sat down with her about it and game warden in the original explained that my job is to take film, leading to his “clever girl” care of her, that I don’t care at remark right before he was all about the ride and that she devoured. But there are tons shouldn’t dwell on it. of other dinosaurs we don’t Later that month, we get to see. In that same movie, reminisced about our favorite my childhood favorite, the moments from the trip. I asked triceratops, was reduced to a my partner-in-worry if she tummy ache while it lay next would ever ride VelociCoaster to its enormous pile of waste. again — maybe the second time C’mon.) would be better — and was We approached the swiftly rejected. But everyone VelociCoaster with appropriate has a price. excitement, but as we snaked our “What if I gave you a dollar? way through the queue, nerves Would you ride it then?” set in. My 9-year-old daughter’s “No!” anxiety rose as we got closer. By “Five dollars?” the time we were near the front, “No.” she was sobbing.

“Ten dollars?”

We assured her that she did “OK.” AP photo not have to get on the ride, and The VelociCoaster at Universal Studios in Orlando reaches a height of 155 feet.

Clever girl.

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BRAZOS 360 | FALL 2021

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