COLLEGE STATION -- Ross Bjork’s knowledge of Texas A&M’s culture was tested before he ever officially arrived on campus.
During a session at last week’s SEC spring meetings in Florida, junior swimmer Jake Gibbons addressed the room filled with non-Aggies with a “Howdy.” Bjork, who was recently named A&M’s next athletic director, didn’t echo the traditional greeting in College Station.
“I said, ‘Ross, that was your first test and you failed,’ said Gibbons, the chair of the SEC’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. ‘But I expect you to learn that in the next week.’”
Bjork did. When he received his maroon blazer on Monday and was formally introduced to a crowd at Kyle Field, he looked at Gibbons to make sure he got the greeting correct.