Before he bled maroon, 10-year-old Kyle Richter first traveled to Aggieland in support of an opposing football team—the University of Nebraska Cornhuskers. Richter and his family were avid Nebraska fans, frequently traveling from their small town of Bertram, Texas, to attend away games. Excited for the matchup, they approached Kyle Field, decked out in Nebraska gear.
“I was wearing the iconic Corn Head as we walked to the stadium, expecting to be harassed like at other schools, but Aggies were different,” Richter testified. “Some students approached and curiously, but respectfully, asked to touch my hat and take a picture. Not a harsh word was spoken. To this day, I treasure that first Aggie experience.”
The Cornhuskers may have lost the game, but Richter had found something special that would bring him back to College Station years later.
When he returned for a college tour in high school, he was pleased to find the unique, welcoming atmosphere was as strong as ever. “Being from a rural area, the friendly calls of ‘Howdy’ and the beautiful campus lined with oak trees and green space spoke to me,” Richter remembered. “It felt like home, and I just knew, ‘This is it. I don’t need to look any further.’”
