Sweat-soaked and exhausted, Texas A&M senior cornerback Jason Webster pulled up a chair outside the dejected Aggies' locker room following the Alamo Bowl and shook his head disappointedly.

The game - a 24-0 loss to Penn State - had been a major disappointment. For the most part, so had the season, which began with national title aspirations and ended with another lopsided loss and the Aggies' third consecutive bowl defeat.

Even the perpetually optimistic Webster had a difficult time finding a silver lining in A&M's first bowl shutout loss since 1975 - two years before Webster was born.

"(Penn State) was just the better team (on Dec. 28)," Webster said. "We knew we were going to have to come out and play our best game to contend with them, and that wasn't the case. We didn't play as well as we could, and we made some costly mistakes. I just hate to end my A&M career on this kind of game. It certainly wasn't the greatest way to go out for us seniors."

It most certainly was not. But in hindsight, it was a great run it was for the Aggie seniors of 1999.

Most of the current seniors began their Texas A&M playing careers in 1996, when the Aggies stumbled to a 6-6 record. It was the worst season at A&M since 1983, and it produced an array of questions about the health of the program.

The answers: No, no and no way.

Thanks in large part to the seniors of 1999, A&M bounced back from the disappointments of '96 to win the Big 12 South title the following year and claim the overall league championship in '98. The seniors of '99 helped the Aggies to three consecutive bowl games, a 19-game home winning streak and four of the most memorable victories in school history.

It was 1999 senior Chris Cole who caught the touchdown pass that led to the tying two-point conversion against Oklahoma State in 1997, sending the game into the first overtime in A&M history. And it was '99 senior Tiki Hardeman who scored the winning touchdown in what was then the Aggies' most dramatic comeback win in at least a decade.

A year later, it was '99 senior Randy McCown scrambling the Aggies to a 28-21 win over Nebraska and '99 senior Sedrick Curry sealing the win with a late interception. Never before had the Aggies beaten a team ranked as highly as the No. 2 Huskers.

Until later that year. In the 1998 Big 12 championship game against No. 1 Kansas State, it was '99 senior Leroy Hodge whose touchdown catch in the fourth quarter put A&M within striking distance. Later in the quarter, it was '99 senior Matt Bumgardner making one of the most magnificent, leaping catches in school history to help push the game into overtime.

And although this past season was filled with some disappointing big games, 1999 will always be remembered for the dramatic victory over then-No. 5 Texas on Nov. 26. Just eight days after the tragic collapse of Bonfire, the Aggies produced perhaps the most emotionally-meaningful victory in school history.

Once again, it was the seniors of '99 leading the way. Senior punter Shane Lechler was singled out by Texas coach Mack Brown as being the difference in the game. Cole probably had his best day of the season, catching four passes for 84 yards, while Webster, Hardeman, Brandon Jennings, Chad Frantzen and other seniors all made outstanding plays. And finally, a 14-yard pass from McCown to his best friend and roommate, Bumgardner, with just over five minutes left in the fourth put the game away.

"All of us seniors have had so many memorable moments," said senior offensive lineman Semisi Heimuli, who tied Dat Nguyen's record for most career starts with his 51st in the Alamo Bowl. "Whether I play in the NFL or not, I'll always look back at Texas A&M as the place where I had the most fun. I love this place, and it's been very special to me. To be able to have played and started as many games I have at a place like Texas A&M, it's been a dream come true. I'm really going to miss this place and these guys.

"I feel real good about where we seniors are leaving this program, though. These younger guys have a lot of talent and ability. I'll be watching in the years to come for these guys to do some special things."

Indeed, the Aggie seniors of 1999 are leaving the program in much better shape than when they first began their playing careers.

Undeniably, the 8-4 season of 1999 was a disappointment. But the legacy the seniors of '99 leave behind will have a lasting impact, say those who will return in 2000.

"I learned a lot from these seniors," junior defensive back Michael Jameson said. "They have leadership, class and character. The season didn't go as expected, but those seniors made sure we didn't get down and that nobody ever gave up."

At times in '99, it would have been easy for the Aggies to give up. Following the 37-0 loss at Nebraska, A&M dropped completely out of the AP Top 25 and was eliminated from the Big 12 South race.

Instead of folding, though, the Aggies posted their first conference road win of the season the following week at Missouri and upended the Longhorns nearly two weeks later.

"Looking back, I think this team showed a lot of character," junior receiver Chris Taylor said. "After the Nebraska game, we could have gone in the tank. But we showed a lot of resolve in finishing strong. We had some seniors who took it upon themselves to make sure that we finished strong. We beat up on Missouri, beat Texas and came here (to San Antonio) with high aspirations. Things didn't work out (in the Alamo Bowl), but I think the seniors left a great example for all of us. I'm about to be a senior, and I think I'll be a better leader because I was around these guys.

"I think the juniors on this team will be better prepared to respond to some difficult situations and assert themselves because of this senior class and the example they showed. They left a great thing for this program. They will be missed."

They most certainly will. Bumgardner's clutch catches, Webster's open-field tackles, Lechler's booming punts, McCown's heart, Cole's big plays, Curry's composure, Hardeman's tenacious blocking, Heimuli's dependability, Jennings' savvy, Andy Vincent's toughness, and so much more will be difficult to replace in 2000.

While the 1999 senior class had some deficiencies and took some falls, it should forever be remembered in a most favorable light. There have been A&M senior classes with more talent, more vocal leaders, more wins and far more pro prospects.

But few classes have ever had more gritty, good guys than the class of 1999. It would have been nice to see them go out on top or at least with a victory in their final game. But in many ways, the impact of the seniors of '99 may be best judged by future A&M teams.

"This program will be just fine in the future," Webster said. "I learned a whole lot from being at Texas A&M, and hopefully, I passed on some things to some of the younger guys. If I could go back and do it all over again, I'd choose A&M again. This place is special, and there will be special players here next year and in the years to come. We would have loved to go out with a win (in the Alamo Bowl), but this team has something to build on. I think the best is yet to come for Texas A&M, and I'll be watching and giving my support every step of the way."

You'd expect nothing less from this class of classy individuals.