Legendary NFL running back Eric Dickerson famously spurned Texas A&M to attend SMU during his recruitment process as a senior in high school. We never knew exactly why he turned down the Aggies in favor of the Mustangs— until now.
The 64-year-old Hall of Famer finally revealed the two simple reasons for his decision during an appearance at the Little Rock Touchdown Club.
Dickerson, a blue-chip recruit from Sealy, Texas, initially committed to play in College Station. He quickly became the subject of controversy during his senior year when he started driving a brand-new Pontiac Trans Am Firebird to school. It was gold.
The first ever picture of myself and “The” Trans Am in 1979.
— Eric Dickerson (@EricDickerson) February 23, 2022
This was 43 years ago, wow 🤯 pic.twitter.com/MDWDZSqIWz
As the story goes — one that has been confirmed — Dickerson’s grandmother legally purchased the vehicle outright. The NCAA could not prove otherwise when it later began an investigation into her grandson’s recruitment because she wasn’t broke. She did have the money in her own bank account for the car! However, there was a lot more going on behind the scenes.
Dickerson’s grandma was quietly reimbursed in full by a booster who was hoping that the star running back would play for the Aggies. He was also offered $50,000 in cash, livestock and a lifetime supply of beef.
Ultimately, Dickerson flipped his recruitment from Texas A&M to SMU but kept the gold, paid-for Trans Am. At the time, if the booster was to complain that he took the car and played elsewhere, it would have implicated the Aggies’ program for using the Trans Am as an inducement.
Their hands were tied and there was nothing they could do!
Why did Eric Dickerson reject Texas A&M?
As we know from the 30-for-30 film ‘Pony Excess,’ the Mustangs made Dickerson a rather lucrative offer. Exact financial numbers are unknown, but the running joke (which might not be a joke) is that he took a pay cut as a rookie in the NFL. The $100 handshakes definitely helped him pick SMU over A&M.
Dickerson finally revealed the primary reasons for the decision at the Little Rock Touchdown Club!
His visit to College Station turned him off from the Aggies for two reasons. First and foremost, he was baffled by the lack of female cheerleaders. He was also unimpressed by the “ugly a–” uniforms.
There were two major reasons @ericdickerson couldn't bring himself to play for @AggieFootball. pic.twitter.com/CW3Q3yRvPd
— LR Touchdown Club (@LRTouchdownClub) September 10, 2024
That was it! Eric Dickerson did not go to Texas A&M — despite receiving a free Trans Am — because the university lacked women and wore/wears ugly uniforms.
His mother also prevented him from going to Oklahoma, which might’ve actually been his first choice.
There was NO WAY @ericdickerson’s mom was letting him go to @OU_Football. pic.twitter.com/8aYRGHTLm2
— LR Touchdown Club (@LRTouchdownClub) September 10, 2024
The rest is history. Dickerson was a two-time Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Year and unanimous All-American. His jersey was retired by SMU. He became the No. 2 overall pick and led the NFL in rushing in four different seasons.
Texas A&M missed out on one of the greatest running backs of all-time because of cheerleaders and uniforms.