How the Aggies plan to honor Andre Seldon this season

Every time Gabriel Iniguez Jr. takes the field for Utah State this fall, he wants people to think about Andre Seldon Jr.

Every time he blows up a double team by opposing offensive linemen. Every time he gets into the backfield to take down an opposing running back or quarterback.

Any and every time he does anything of note on the field, really.

The defensive tackle — a transfer from New Mexico State like Seldon — will be wearing No. 0 this year and that number was supposed to be Seldon’s this season, because of Iniguez.

The former NMSU teammates both transferred to Utah State this year, following interim head coach Nate Dreiling to Logan, but Iniguez was among the first to make the move.

Upon his arrival at Utah State he settled on wearing No. 0. That is until Seldon decided he was also transferring to USU.

You see, Seldon’s nickname was Donut, making No. 0 particularly apropos for him.

So when Seldon approached Iniguez about the number, the defensive tackle was happy to give it up.

“He asked me what number I was going to be wearing and I said, ‘It is supposed to be No. 1, but ima bout to wear No. 0 this year,’” Iniguez recalled. “And he (Seldon) said, ‘Let me have No. 0.’ And I said, ‘Of course, anything for you man. Anything for you.’ For him to come here was a blessing.”

After Seldon’s passing in a cliff-diving accident in July, Chris Dunlap — the director of equipment operations for USU football — asked Iniguez if he wanted No. 0 again and he jumped at the chance.

“That was the plan in the beginning, you know, but it means more after Dre got into it,” Iniguez said. “And him getting remembered as Donut. That is how I’m going to be remembering him. Rocking that jersey every Saturday and playing my heart out for him ‘cause I know he would too.”

Iniguez is just one of many Aggies who want to remember Seldon this season.

The defensive back was supposed to be a major piece for Utah State this season, but more importantly he was a major piece in many of his teammates’ and coaches’ lives — one they will not forget any time soon.

“This kid,” USU interim head coach Nate Dreiling said, reflecting on Seldon. “I wish you guys would’ve been around him. He is one of my favorite people ever. I’m not even going to talk about what type of player he was.

“He was just a kid that is always smiling, always loving. ... Every single conversation that started between Andre and me started with one of us making fun of each other. And every single conversation ended with a hug, right? That is the kind of relationship I had with him. That is the type of relationship we hope to have with every one of these kids in the building. He has meant so much to me.”

Jordan Vincent is another Aggie turned Aggie with a history with Seldon, and he told the Deseret News that “Dre” is on his mind day in and day out. And remembered in every action he takes.

“I think it comes down to an everyday thing,” Vincent said. “The way I take notes in my meetings. The way I show up and prepare my body for warmups. The way I practice day in and day out. The way I show up in the games. Being an everyday person, because that is the kind of person Andre was.

“He showed up and did all the right things all the time. He was somebody who was a great character off the field. As good as a player as he was, he was an even better person off the field,” he continued. “And I just want to live to where I feel like he would, where he would want his standard to be. I feel like that is the best way to honor him.”

Both Iniguez and Seldon agree that the best way to honor and remember him is through hard work. They believe Seldon was as hard a worker as you’ll find in college football and the best way to honor him is to mimic his effort as best they can.

“Oh man, with every day, the work,” Iniguez said. “After his passing we went through our final week of summer workouts and it was brutal conditioning. I had him on my mind the entire time. I’m going to have him on my mind all year.”

And he hopes on the mind of everyone who watches USU this fall too, especially when No. 0 makes a big play.