The 1939 Texas A&M Aggies football team represented the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas—now known as Texas A&M University—as a member of the Southwest Conference (SWC) during the 1939 college football season. In their sixth year under head coach Homer Norton, the Aggies compiled a perfect 11-0 record for their first (and to date, only) consensus national championship, shut out six of eleven opponents, won the Southwest Conference championship, and outscored all opponents by a total of 212 to 31.
In the final AP Poll released on December 12, the Aggies were ranked No 1 with 1,091 points, edging out Tennessee (970 points), USC (891 points), and Cornell (889 points). They went on to defeat No. 5 Tulane, 14–13, in the 1940 Sugar Bowl.
Fullback John Kimbrough was a consensus pick on the 1939 All-America college football team. Kimbrough was inducted in 1954 into the College Football Hall of Fame.
Tackle Joe Boyd was the team captain. He was also chosen as a first-team All-American by, among others, Grantland Rice for Collier's Weekly and the Sporting News.
Four Texas A&M players were selected by the United Press as first-team players on the 1939 All-Southwest Conference football team: Kimbrough; Boyd; end Herbert Smith; and guard Marshall Robnett.
Schedule
Rankings
Starting lineup NameNumberPositionSterling, James67RELBoyd, Joe64RTLHenke, Charles38RGLVaughn, Tommie60CRobnett, Marshal Foch "Foxey"43LGRPannell, Ernest54LTRSmith, Herbert29LERMoser, Derace "Mose"42LHRThomason, James47RHLPrice, Walemon45QKimbrough, John "Jarrin"39F
References
Further reading
Mickey Hershkowitz, The 1939 Texas Aggies: The Greatest Generation's Greatest Team. Houston, TX: Halcyon Press, 2006.