Texas A&M Aggies wide receiver KC Concepcion (7) taunts the UTSA Roadrunners bench after an altercation in the second half at Kyle Field. Sean Thomas-Imagn Images

Texas A&M's KC Concepcion Is the New Special Teams Sensation

Originally posted on Texas A&M Aggies on SI
By Diego Saenz | Last updated Sep 2, 2025 2:52 PM ET

“He doesn’t need much space. Concepcion crossed midfield, down the sideline, gets a block, one man to beat, and a house call and the Aggies have their first touchdown of the season.”

Those were the words of ESPN’s Anish Shroff as KC Concepcion electrified Kyle Field with a punt return touchdown in Texas A&M’s season opener against UTSA.

That spark ignited Collin Klein’s offense, which followed with five touchdowns in its next 10 drives to power a 42–24 win over a well-coached UTSA program.

During Tuesday’s media availability, Concepcion shared his perspective on his debut touchdown.

“I Stuck My Foot On The Ground And The Rest Is History”

Before Concepcion’s thrilling punt return, A&M’s offense had been dormant. In their two offensive drives to open the game, the unit had a combined seven plays for 11 yards gained and it seemed like A&M might be in for a dog fight. But Concepcion’s score flipped the script. From that point forward, A&M racked up 16 first downs, 35 points, and 390 total yards.

For a player with Concepcion’s explosiveness, all it took was the smallest crease to flip the game on its head.

“Honestly, as soon as I got through the little gap, I knew it was over with,” Concepcion said.

For fans, it’s hard to imagine the rush of adrenaline that comes with 100,000 voices behind you as you avoid tacklers for a touchdown. Concepcion’s retelling paints the picture.

“Me, Trooper Taylor and and the returners, we've been working on this literally the whole summer. Whenever I caught the ball, I saw an open space and Trooper [Taylor] always tells me to get vertical and then the rest is you. I saw a little gap, got vertical and then I peeped outside and saw that nobody was out there. I was a little tired, but you know, I just stuck my foot on the ground and then the rest is history.”

Concepcion’s burst wasn’t the only thing on display during the return, the blockers, often the unsung heroes of such plays, played a pivotal role. EJ Smith, in particular, drew heavy praise for his effort. Head coach Mike Elko highlighted him on Monday, and Concepcion echoed that sentiment on Tuesday.

“They mean so much [all the blocks] the effort that he showed on that play was just truly, amazing. I can't thank him enough for that, man. With EJ and all my guys turning the field and, and finding the block, I knew it was over with.

Patrick Dougherty’s special teams unit will look to build on that statement performance when Utah State comes to Kyle Field on Saturday for an 11 a.m. kickoff.

This article first appeared on Texas A&M Aggies on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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