COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Terry Price, Texas A&M’s longtime defensive line coach and a former player for the Aggies, died Friday, the university announced. He was 55.
No cause of death was given, ESPN reported.
A 28-year veteran as an assistant coach in the Southeastern Conference, Price came to Texas A&M in 2012, KBTX-TV reported. He previously coached at SEC schools Ole Miss for seven seasons and at Auburn for 10 years, according to ESPN.
“Terry was not only a great Aggie, football coach and recruiter, he was an even better husband, father and man,” Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher said in a statement. “The impact he had on this program and his players is immeasurable. Our football family has suffered an incredible loss. We will continue to hold Kenya and the boys in our thoughts and prayers.”
Born in Atlanta on April 5, 1968, Price starred as a high school football player in Plano, Texas, according to a Texas A&M news release.
Price was a four-year letterman at Texas A&M from 1986 to 1989, according to The Athletic. He was a member of the Aggies’ “Wrecking Crew” defense and led the defensive line in tackles in 1988 and 1989, according to the publication.
He earned All-Southwest Conference honors as a senior and helped the Aggies to a pair of Southwest Conference titles, ESPN reported.
Price was drafted in the 10th round of the 1990 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. He played two games at defensive end for the Bears that season.
Price returned to his alma mater in 1992 to earn his bachelor’s degree and began working for coach R.C. Slocum as a volunteer, KBTX reported.
“Terry was a great man,” Slocum told ESPN on Friday. “I have known him since he was a senior at Plano High School. He was a special player and coach and will be missed by all that knew him.”
Price played a part in recruiting nine future NFL draft picks, Sports Illustrated reported. All of them were chosen in the first four rounds, including Myles Garrett, who would be the No. 1 pick in the 2017 NFL draft. Garrett was chosen by the Cleveland Browns that year, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com.
In addition to his honors on the football field, Price was also known for being the Aggies’ “grill master,” KBTX reported. He regularly hosted a defensive lineman cookout that was a favorite among Texas A&M players, according to the television station.