Texas A&M defensive end coach Terry Price has died at the age of 55, the school announced Friday.
“Terry was not just a great Aggie, football coach and recruiter, he was an even better husband, father and man,” Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher said in a statement. “The impact he has had on this program and its 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.”
Price, a former Texas A&M player, has been an assistant staff coach for the Aggies since 2012. He has spent most of his coaching career coaching SEC defensive linemen. He coached defensive lines at Auburn (1999-2008) and Ole Miss (1995-98, 2009-11) before returning to his alma mater to fill the same position under coach Kevin Sumlin.
Price focused exclusively on defense in 2015. Following Sumlin’s departure following the 2017 season, Price was retained by Fisher and remained a key part of the defensive team, both as a coach on the field and recruiter.
Throughout his tenure at Texas A&M, he played a key role in helping the Aggies land talented defensive linemen. Price was instrumental in recruiting Myles Garrett, who was the No. 1 defensive end for the Class of 2014 and became the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Rivals and 247Sports named Price the one of the best recruiters in the country in 2014.
As a player, Price was a four-year man of letters for the Aggies from 1986 to 1989, and a vaunted defensive member of the Aggies’ “Wrecking Crew”. Price led the Texas A&M defensive line in tackles the past two years and earned All-Southwest Conference honors as a senior. He was a 10th round pick of the Chicago Bears in the 1990 NFL Draft and played two seasons in the NFL with the Bears and Miami Dolphins. He earned his bachelor’s degree in sociology from Texas A&M in 1992, before joining the staff as a volunteer coach in 1992-93.
Known affectionately in A&M circles by his initials, “TP”, Price has also been acclaimed for his grilling prowess. The Plano, Texas native became fascinated with barbecuing in the late 1990s and even won several cooking championships. He had four distinctions embroidered on his chef’s jacket.
During his tenure as A&M coach, Price began the “D-Line Cookout,” in which he gathered all of the team’s defensive linemen at his home, usually during the offseason or training camp. , to eat countless pounds of barbecue. It has become an annual tradition.
Fisher joked in 2021 that he was skeptical of Price’s skills until he tasted barbecue.
“When I first met him and saw he had these awards and this (chef’s) hat, I said, ‘Look, I don’t know if you just sewed these ( rewards) on it or if they are legit. We have to do some research,” Fisher said with a laugh. “But all you had to do was taste the barbecue once to know these were legitimate wins.”
On Friday, former Texas A&M players shared their condolences on social media.
“This one hurts!” tweeted former Texas A&M defensive end Daeshon Hall, a 2017 NFL third-round draft pick. “You haven’t just helped change my life, but so many other young men! The real definition of what it is to be a real MAN! I could never give you back what you did for me!
Former Texas A&M defensive lineman Reggie Chevis tweeted: “One of the greatest to ever do it man. This guy taught me the attitude of an SEC DLineman.
Price is survived by his wife Kenya and sons Alexander and Devin. Devin spent the past three years playing catcher at Texas A&M and sharing the grill with his father before transferring to Florida Atlantic earlier this year.
(Photo: John Rivera/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)