This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2014, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Asked to speak about his senior class shortly after the Aggies beat UTEP 21-6 in the New Mexico Bowl, coach Matt Wells teared up.
For Wells, the 2014 season was one of his most satisfying as a coach. Much of what made it special had to do with the senior class.
Guys like Zach Vigil, B.J. Larsen, Kevin Whimpey, Brian Suite, Frankie Sutera and others leave the Aggies (10-4) as one of the winningest classes in school history.
They played in four bowl games, winning three and finished with a school record 36 wins, with just 17 losses.
The 2014 season, capped off by their gutsy win over the Miners Saturday, was significant in the way they battled through losing nine starters to injury to become just the second team in the program's history to win 10 or more games.
"They've meant everything," Wells said of his senior class. "The coolest thing about them to me was something that I've tried to stress in our captain's meeting, leading by production. I think your leadership platform is increased when you produce."
Produce they did. Whether it was Vigil earning the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year award or Whimpey anchoring the offensive line or Sutera and Suite leading the Aggies' turnover prowess, the seniors delivered.
Perhaps the most memorable senior moment on Saturday came at the end of the first half, when senior receiver Ronald Butler stepped in for quarterback Kent Myers and nearly pulled off a dramatic scoring drive.
Butler ripped off a 61-yard run then an 8-yarder to put the Aggies in UTEP territory. Unfortunately the drive ended in a missed field goal as time expired, but it showed the will and ability the Aggies had to play well in less than ideal circumstances.
Moments such as that is what made the season special, Vigil said.
"To be able to play with the guys we did and be resilient through everything, I'm very proud and honored to be a part of that," he said. "I can't wait to come back next year and watch my little brother (Nick) keep playing."
What made the success in the senior class particularly interesting was many were walk-ons, yet went on to enjoy a high level of success.
Larsen, Vigil, Sutera and senior punter Jaron Bentrude were all walk-ons who earned all-Mountain West honors this season.
Wells said the fact that those players had to first fight for spots on the roster may have made them want to succeed just a little bit more.
The seniors set the winning tone from the beginning with off-season workouts.
"It didn't start in August, it started in January," Wells said. "It's something as a head coach I am very, very proud of, the culture of that locker room."
Wells hopes and believes the seniors' legacy will be not only what they accomplished this year, but the influence they have had on future teams.
"It continues to get passed down to each class," he said. "That's what is important. When you create this culture, you have to sustain a culture, which I think is harder. You have to continue to teach young kids when they come in, freshmen or transfers, what it is and how we do it the Aggie way. These guys have done a tremendous job teaching. But besides teaching, they've showed it. They're all about show and their production."
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