Captain Aggie remembered by USU community

Captain Aggie remembered by USU community By Shawn Harrison sports editor

Written in the Herald Journal July 14, 2017

Utah State lost one of its most passionate fans Thursday evening.

Andy Pedersen — better known as Captain Aggie — succumbed to Parkinson’s Disease at his home in Smithfield. He had dealt with Parkinson’s for more than 20 years.

The disease, however, did not stop him for continuing to cheer on his college team. The Aggies meant everything to him. As it became harder for him to get around, the more it seemed he showed up to support USU athletics.

His loyalty goes way back to before the Dee Glen Smith Spectrum opened. Pedersen mainly cheered for the USU men’s basketball and football teams. He expanded his love to soccer, women’s basketball, softball, gymnastics, volleyball and even tennis.

With his wife, Judy, helping him — along with others over the years — Pedersen made it to athletic events and cheered from his wheelchair. He liked leading USU students in his chants of: “A-G-G-I-E-S, what does it spell? Aggies, Aggies, Aggies.”

He posed for photos with fans, athletes and coaches. They paid their respects and continue to do so on social media, especially Twitter, after the announcement of his death showed up in a tweet Thursday.

“Bad news @captainaggie1 fans. Captain Aggie passed away peacefully today. Thank you for being so good to him. Give him an A-G-G-I-E cheer,” states a tweet from his account, most likely from his wife.

Some other tweets include:

“Today we celebrate the life of @captainaggie1 Andy Peterson. An amazing man and fan who (heart emoji) the Aggies always! #AggiesAllTheWay RIP Capt Aggie” —Steve Johnson @USUSBCoach

“Heroes get remembered but legends never die! @captainaggie1” —J Webby @JaxsonWebb3

“Retire a seat in the Spectrum for @captainaggie1!” — Chase Anderson @chaserson

“Sad news tonight on the passing of @captainaggie1 #AggieFamily lost a true blue Aggie. So Loyal & supportive #RIPCaptainAggie #legend” —Matt Wells @CoachWellsUSUFB

“Rest in peace my friend. You were a great A-G-G-I-E! You will be missed.” —USUStats @usustats

“Loved this man! Gave him my piece of net I cut down after winning conference tournament my senior year! He was a die hard Aggie!” —Tyler Newbold @TylerNewbold

“A huge thank you from everyone he’s cheered for Never antagonized or criticized Nothing but love and support Thank you! You’ll be missed!” —Chuckie Keeton @CoachKOSU

“There are very few people in this world who make u smile every time u see them. Capt Aggie was one of em. Will miss seeing u, Andy.” —Tim Duryea @DuryeaTim

“We are going to miss this man! @captainaggie1 was as passionate an Aggie fan as there ever was!! #godbless RIP” —USU Volleyball @USUVolleyball

“Man sad day for Utah State Athletics! Never met a more loyal fan. #RIPCaptainAggie (prayer hands emoji)” —Jessica Brooksby @JayBeeBroosky23

“We love you Captain Aggie. Rest In Peace!” —Sam Merrill @iluvgordy5

“Our Captain. Gone But Never Forgotten. #AggiesAllTheWay” —Utah State Athletics @USUAthletics

Was there a sport he liked more than others?

“I like the Aggies, whatever they play,” Pedersen told The Herald Journal several years ago. “Football is fun, because there is a little bit of nastiness to it.”

Fourteen years ago he was given seven years to live. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease 24 years ago. He credited taking on his persona for lived longer.

“That’s what Captain Aggie is all about,” Pedersen said. “I was told to go out and do what I wanted. … When I can come play Captain Aggie, that tells me I can move. … This is what I want to live for.”

He used to run Valley Recycling and was part of parades and game-ball presentations for years. He had been running Andy Pedersen Investments in Smithfield, where he bought, sold, traded and repaired electric trains. He had a passion for trains, but had started selling off his collection recently.

Captain Aggie also recently tweeted he had 6,000 Aggie-related items he was going to let people come view.

The helmet/hat he wore was often mistaken for a Pope’s headgear. He made sure to point out that wasn’t the case. It’s the bottom end of an ash can, he explained.

“A lot of the kids call me the pope, but I’m Captain Aggie,” said Pedersen, who also wore a cape and pom poms as hair. “I don’t know a lot of stuff, but I do know how to be an Aggie and cheer.”

In April of 2016, more than 100 Aggie football players went to Smithfield to do some yard and house maintenance for Captain Aggie. It was co-sponsored by Habitat for Humanity. A sign at his house read: “I am an Aggie and that’s all I will ever be.”

As he became less mobile, he took to Twitter. Twice his tweets were chosen as Tweets of the Week by the HJ.

“Good old Smithfield, Utah was named the safest city in Utah. Its a great place to live, to Freeze ice Cream and raise those little ones.” — andy k pedersen @captainaggie1

“Looking for transportation to Las Vegas for my Wheel Chair. If you or some you know could get it to Vegas it would be a big help.” — andy k pedersen @captainaggie1

He loved going to the basketball conference tournament at the end of the season and cheering for the Aggie men and women.

Despite dealing with physical aliments, Captain Aggie was not about to throw in the towel on his team. On July 12 he tweeted: “@trueblueaggies did you know that @captainaggie yes blue the cap is back for all 2017-18- mens & ladies UTAH STATE GAME, MATCHES, MEETS.”

Sadly, that will not be the case.

USU announced Captain Aggie will be recognized during the upcoming season.