How to Do the Aggie Hand Sign: the Exact Form, Meaning, and Meaning Behind 'Gig 'Em'
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When Downs raised his fist in 1930, no American university possessed an official hand sign. The Aggies created an entirely new medium of collegiate expression, kicking off an arms race across the Southwest Conference that lasted for four decades.
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| Institution & Signal | Year Created | Physical Form | Historical Catalyst |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas A&M (Gig 'em) | 1930 | Rigid vertical thumb atop closed fist | Hunting spear metaphor targeting TCU Horned Frogs |
| Texas (Hook 'em Horns) | 1955 | Index and pinky fingers extended upward | Created by head cheerleader HK Pitts to mimic Longhorn horns |
| Baylor (Sic 'em Bears) | 1960 | Cupped claw hand pulled downward | Yell leader Bobby Schrade seeking an Aggie alternative |
| Texas Tech (Guns Up) | 1971 | Thumb and index finger shaped as a pistol | Devised by L. Glenn Dippel honoring the masked Raider motif |
| TCU (Rif' Ram Horned Frog) | 1980 | Bent knuckles forming two reptile horns | Response to five decades of being the target of Gig 'em |
For twenty-five years, Texas A&M remained the sole university in the country with an iconic hand sign. When the University of Texas introduced "Hook 'em Horns" in 1955, the gesture war intensified. Rivalries inside the old Southwest Conference ceased to be purely about touchdowns and field goals; they became visual battles broadcast across national television.
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