Reggie

Chron.com | McNeal to leave legacy of mixed reviews at A&M

Good bit of news here on my favorite Aggie since Bucky Richardson:

To this point, Texas A&M quarterback Reggie McNeal hasn't invested a lot of energy in taking stock of his career.

But McNeal knows others have. He also realizes his career will be linked to the Aggies' 16-18 record during his three years as a full-time starter.

Fair or unfair. Right or wrong.

However it's judged, the record will always come up come short when measured against expectations for the quarterback many thought would deliver the Aggies the glory of a Big 12 championship.

"I don't think it should be looked at that hard, but people will," McNeal said of the Aggies' record. "It's the obvious thing people want to look at on the quar-terback, so you can't change that.

"People know it's more than wins and losses, but that's just one of those things."

McNeal will never question the change that has seemed to define the program since his arrival in 2002. He will not question how his talents as a dual-threat quarterback have been utilized during that time.

And you will never hear him question the talent that has been around him.

Others will, however.

I remember Reggie from his High School days because of a very Joe Montana-esque comeback in the rain to defeat my high school in the fourth quarter of a playoff game. He'd go on to win a state championship and I've long since thought he had the talent to play on Sundays someday. Apparently, I'm still right on that one:

McNeal, despite the struggles of his team, is projected as a first-day selection in the NFL draft by most analysts.

I hope that's the case. Reggie's quality and there's still ample talent to work with. Put him in the right situation and great things can happen. Put him at Quarterback Curse A&M, and ... well ... he goes 16-18 over his career.