race track wagering
In the United States, a form of football using a blown-up bladder was played in the colony of Virginia in 1609. In 1820 students at the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University) participated in a soccerlike game, called ballown, in which they advanced the ball by punching it with their fists. Intercollegiate competition began on November 6, 1869, with a game between Rutgers and Princeton. The game, however, resembled soccer more than modern-day American football. Columbia, Cornell, and other eastern U.S. colleges soon after sent representative teams into intercollegiate competition. Harvard, preferring to use its own rules, abstained from this competition. In 1874 Harvard met McGill University of Montréal, Canada, in a match played under the rugbylike rules of the Canadians. The Harvard players, impressed, altered their own rules accordingly. Harvard and Yale played a football game for the first time on November 13, 1875, using Harvard's rules.
The following year, representatives of Harvard, Yale, and Columbia answered an invitation from Princeton football representatives to attend a parley at Springfield, Massachusetts. The result of the convention included a new set of football rules and the formation of the Intercollegiate Football Association. Although the rugbylike rules of Harvard again prevailed, certain soccer rules were incorporated. The resulting combination of rugby and soccer became popular, and as time went on the rules were constantly changed until a new game evolved. The Intercollegiate Football Association was dissolved in 1894, and in the same year a rules committee, dominated by the Yale graduate and football pioneer Walter Chauncey Camp, was formed by the influential eastern schools. In 1905 an independent association of colleges also formed a rules committee; the two committees soon merged, and since that time American collegiate football has been governed by them. The first professional football game in the United States was played in 1895.
More than 1 million high school athletes play football in the United States. The majority of these athletes are boys; however, some girls also participate in the sport. The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), located in Indianapolis, Indiana, governs high school football. The NFHS does not crown a national champion. Instead, high school teams compete to win their state championship, with each state having its own guidelines for determining titles. Most states have several state champions, each in a category determined by school size. The most talented high school players may receive scholarships to attend and play football in college.
Football is one of the most popular college sports in the United States. The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), located in Indianapolis, is the most important organization governing major college competition. The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, oversees competition for smaller four-year schools. The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), located in Colorado Springs, Colorado, governs play for two-year and community colleges throughout the country. Under the jurisdiction of these national governing bodies are individual conferences and leagues based on school size and regional location. Well-known NCAA conferences include the Atlantic Coast, the Big Ten (northern Midwest), the Big 12 (Midwest), the Pacific-10 (Western states), the Southeastern Conference, and the Ivy League (Northeast). Many university stadiums hold more than 50,000 spectators; a few hold more than 100,000.
Some of the most accomplished players in college football history include Jim Thorpe of the Carlisle Indian School; George Gipp of the University of Notre Dame; Red Grange of the University of Illinois; Tom Harmon of the University of Michigan; Doak Walker of Southern Methodist University; Glenn Davis and Doc Blanchard, the so-called Touchdown Twins of Army (the U.S. Military Academy); Joe Namath of the University of Alabama; Walter Payton of Jackson State University; Tony Dorsett of the University of Pittsburgh; Joe Montana of the University of Notre Dame; Marcus Allen of the University of Southern California; Jerry Rice of Mississippi Valley State University; and Bo Jackson of Auburn UniversityThe first actual team was formed in 1894 with John C. Futrall as manager and coach. For the next 19 years Futrall served as chairman of the Athletic Committee or as manager of the team and much of the time as both. The first squad picked on Fort Smith High School twice and, as would be expected, earned easy victories. But a first-year matchup with Texas was not so easy. The Longhorns drilled Arkansas at Austin, 54-0, making the train ride home that much longer.
Gradually the schedule was expanded and the 1902 squad actually finished 6-3. Still, the only coach was a volunteer from the faculty. The first full time paid coach was Hugo Bezdek, who came aboard in 1908.
The Early Years
At that time Arkansas was called the Cardinals. The student body picked the bird as its mascot since the school colors were cardinal and white. Bezdek took the Cardinals to a 5-4 season in '08, but his team was shut out by Texas and thumped by LSU in the season finale. Undoubtedly the breakthrough season for Arkansas football was 1909. Without that campaign the school might be celebrating merely years and not success. Steve Creekmore was regarded as the top quarterback in the south and perhaps all of college football after he led Arkansas to a 7-0 campaign that included victories over LSU and Oklahoma. Arkansas scored 186 points during its seven triumphs and permitted only 18 points all year.
When the train from Baton Rouge returned to Fayetteville following the seventh victory of the campaign, Bezdek addressed the student population. He said his team had played "like a wild band of Razorback Hogs." The students loved the phrase so much they voted to change the nickname. In time for the 1910 season the "Razorbacks" were born.
Creekmore returned in '10 and led the Hogs to a 7-1 season. The Hogs outscored their foes 221-19 and closed with a smashing 51-0 triumph over LSU at Little Rock. Bezdek was 29-13-1 in five years but left following the 1912 campaign. Arkansas then went through four coaches in seven years before Francis Schmidt arrived from Nebraska in time for the 1922 season. Order was restored. The Hogs were 42-20-3 during Schmidt's seven years at the helm.
Schmidt's best year was 1927 when George Cole, Glen Rose and Schoonover, a sophomore, helped lead the Hogs to an 8-1 finish. After the '28 Razorbacks went 7-2 and Garland 'Bevo' Beavers was named most valuable player in the SWC, Schmidt left to become head coach at TCU. Fred Thomsen was the replacement and a new era was born.
The 1930s & 1940s
Thomsen was an innovator. He believed in the passing game long before it was popular in the rest of the country. Schoonover was the star of his first team and became an all-America. The early 30's were sluggish for the Razorbacks until 1933 when, out of the blue, they won what should have been their first SWC title. However, the use of an athlete who had played at Nebraska without telling Arkansas' coaching staff caused the Hogs to forfeit the title for using an ineligible player.
The arrival of Jack Robbins and Jim Benton in the mid-30's created an excitement beyond any Arkansas had experienced up to that time. Robbins could throw it and Benton could catch it. They threw and caught so proficiently that Robbins is still the sixth leading passer in school history and Benton ranks sixth on the UA career receiving list even though they completed their careers in the 1937 season. Robbins completed 53 percent of his passes while throwing for 2,582 yards and 19 touchdowns. Benton had 83 catches for 1,303 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those totals were astonishing for their time.
In '36 the Hogs finally won their first SWC title and no one could take it away from them. After a 2-3 start, the Razorbacks won their final five games, including a 6-0 victory over Texas in a rain-soaked season finale at Little Rock.
After Robbins and Benton graduated, it was nine years before the Hogs had another winning season. Not only did Arkansas win under first-year coach John Barnhill but the Razorbacks earned a spot in their first Cotton Bowl in 1946.
Barnhill had coached for General Bob Neyland at Tennessee and actually had been the Volunteers' head coach while Neyland served in World War II. Not only did Barnhill win, he united the state behind the Razorbacks. At his urging (actually threats to play big games elsewhere) a new stadium was built in Little Rock. Barnhill also was responsible for recruiting Smackover native Clyde Scott to Arkansas. Scott's incredible abilities fascinated Razorback fans. He was all-America in 1948, the same year he earned a silver medal at the Olympic games.
The 1950s
It was too much for Barnhill to rally the state, administrate the department and coach the football team, so he turned the coaching reigns over to Otis Douglas in 1950. His three-year tenure was among the most puzzling in school history.Blessed with future NFL stars Fred Williams, Dave 'Hawg' Hanner, Pat Summerall, Lamar McHan, Floyd Sagely and Lewis Carpenter, the Razorbacks won only nine games in three years. There was one unforgettable highlight, though. Summerall's field goal just before halftime proved critical as Arkansas upset fourth ranked Texas, 16-14. It was the first time the Hogs ever had defeated the Longhorns at Fayetteville.
Bowden Wyatt replaced Douglas before the 1953 season. In his second and final year he led the tough, rawboned '25 Little Pigs' to eight victories and the host spot in the Cotton Bowl. It was regarded by many as one of the greatest coaching jobs of all time.
It was a fabulous year, and overflow crowds at Little Rock and Fayetteville responded to their team's success. Arkansas defeated Texas at Austin for the first time in 17 years and earned national respect with a stunning 6-0 upset of Ole Miss at Little Rock. Preston Carpenter scored the game's only touchdown on a 66-yard reception from Buddy Bob Benson on the famed 'Powder River Play.' The play became one of the most, if not the most, famous single play in school history. Wyatt left to become head coach at Tennessee, his alma mater, following the Cotton Bowl, and was replaced by Jack Mitchell. All three of Mitchell's teams won but never more than six times. When Mitchell left to become head coach at Kansas, Arkansas made a move that proved historic.
The Broyles Era Begins
When he was an assistant coach at Baylor, Frank Broyles became enamored with Arkansas. He could only imagine what could be done in a one-school state. He lobbied for the Razorback job when Mitchell was hired but was told by Barnhill he had to have head coaching experience first.
When the head coaching position became vacant following the 1957 season, Broyles had the experience Barnhill wanted, but barely. He had coached Missouri for one year but never hesitated when Barnhill called him. In fact, he wondered what had taken the Arkansas athletic director so long.
For 19 years Broyles patrolled the sidelines as Arkansas' head football coach. His Razorback career didn't start as if it would last, though. In 1958 the Hogs lost their first six games and Broyles and his staff wondered if the job had as much potential as they had thought. The turnaround came at Texas A&M, where Arkansas won 21-8. The Hogs won the next three, too, gaining momentum for the future.
The future came quickly. In 1959 Arkansas tied for the SWC title and finished 9-2 after ending Georgia Tech's six-game winning streak in bowls with a 14-7 triumph over the Yellow Jackets at the Gator Bowl. Halfback Jim Mooty became an all-America, and sophomore Lance Alworth emerged as perhaps the most exciting Razorback ever.
The 1960s
Alworth led the nation in punt returns in 1960 and '61 and the Razorbacks won the league title his junior year and shared it when he was a senior. Suddenly the Razorbacks were on the national map.
Billy Moore, a fabulous defensive back who also was an outstanding option quarterback, starred on both sides of the line in 1962 as the Razorbacks completed a 9-1 regular season. Ole Miss edged the Hogs in the Sugar Bowl.
Razorback fans had quickly grown accustomed to success and weren't expecting the 5-5 campaign of 1963. Neither were Broyles and his players. Little did anyone know the 27-20 victory over Texas Tech in the season finale would launch the longest winning streak in school history.
After struggling to victories over Oklahoma State and Tulsa in the first two games of the 1964 season, Arkansas was invincible the rest of the year. An 81-yard punt return for a touchdown by Ken Hatfield gave the Hogs the impetus for a 14-13 victory over defending national champion Texas at Austin. That was the fifth game of the season. Texas was the last regular season opponent to score against the Razorbacks.
After those five closing shutouts Arkansas was ranked second nationally and prepared to play Nebraska in the Cotton Bowl. The Huskers broke the Hogs' shutout string, but a fourth quarter touchdown by Bobby Burnett capped an 80-yard drive and allowed the Razorbacks to earn a 10-7 victory.At that time the Associated Press and United Press International national championships were awarded before the bowl games. Alabama finished 10-0 and earned both titles. But Texas trimmed the Crimson Tide in the Orange Bowl and Arkansas' 11-0 mark was the only perfect record in college football. The Football Writers of America had a long standing policy of waiting until after the bowl games to determine a national champ. Their award went to the Razorbacks. By today's voting standards Arkansas would have been the runaway winner in every poll.
While the '64 national title was the only one earned during the Broyles era, the Razorbacks came excruciatingly close in 1965 and 1969. The '65 Hogs had a 10-0 regular season that pushed their winning streak to 22 games. Included was an incredible victory over Texas at Fayetteville. The Razorbacks roared to a 20-0 lead, fell behind, 24-20, then scored late in the contest for a 27-24 triumph.
Again the Hogs went into the Cotton Bowl ranked number two nationally. This time, though, AP would wait until Jan. 2 to announce its national champion. The results in '64 had a direct bearing on the change in policy. Sure enough, number one lost again. Michigan State fell to UCLA at the Cotton Bowl. This time, however, the Hogs couldn't take advantage. Quarterback Jon Brittenum suffered a separated shoulder in the first half and played but was not as effective in the second half as LSU held on to stun Arkansas, 14-7.
As sophomores, Bill Montgomery and Chuck Dicus kept the glory years alive at Arkansas in 1968. The Razorbacks finished 10-1 and Dicus was the most valuable player in the Sugar Bowl as Arkansas upset undefeated SEC champion Georgia, 16-2.
The '69 Hogs were as tough on defense as they were explosive on offense and they buried their first nine opponents. The closest call was a 28-15 victory over SMU at Dallas. ABC-TV, sensing that Arkansas and Texas could be the top two teams in the country, had asked the schools to move their shootout to Dec. 6 and the Hogs and Horns agreed.Ohio State had been ranked number one all season long and Sports Illustrated even suggested the Buckeyes might be the best team of all time. But Michigan upset Ohio State on the last weekend in November and suddenly ABC had its one-two shootout. Texas was ranked number one and Arkansas number two. Both were 9-0.
On a cloudy, cold day at Razorback Stadium, Arkansas suffered its all time heartbreak. In fact, it's a defeat that still saddens those who were alive at the time. The Hogs blunted the Texas wishbone for three quarters and had a 14-0 lead with 15 minutes to play. However, two improbable long distance plays and a two-point conversion allowed Texas to earn a 15-14 triumph. Even Longhorn coach Darrell Royal admitted the Razorbacks thoroughly outplayed his team except for the two plays. Texas won the national title that could have belonged to Arkansas.
The Early 1970s
The Razorbacks won nine games again in 1970 and eight in 1971 behind the rifle arm of Joe Ferguson but then suffered through a three-year recession. In 1975 the Hogs returned to the top.Scott Bull became the starting quarterback in midseason and led Arkansas to one of its greatest triumphs. In another change made for television, Arkansas and second ranked Texas A&M, 10-0 at the time, met at Little Rock on Dec. 6 with a spot in the Cotton Bowl on the line. It was scoreless until nearly halftime when Teddy Barnes made an incredible catch of a Bull pass deep in the end zone for a 7-0 Hog lead. The second half was an avalanche as Arkansas earned a 31-6 victory. Momentum carried all the way to the Cotton Bowl where Arkansas thumped Georgia, 31-10.
The Holtz Years
Broyles announced his retirement as coach following the 1976 season and handpicked Lou Holtz as his successor. The next three seasons proved exhilarating.
Arkansas was picked no higher than fifth in the SWC in any of the 1977 pre-season polls, but no one had counted on the magic of Holtz. With Ron Calcagni at quarterback and Ben Cowins running for over 1,000 yards, the Razorback offense averaged 33 points a game. Tackles Dan Hampton and Jimmy Walker led a stingy defense that permitted less than nine points per contest.The Razorbacks finished 10-1 but were second in the SWC. So, they earned a first-ever spot in the Orange Bowl opposite number two Oklahoma. Earlier in the day top ranked Texas was defeated by Notre Dame in the Cotton Bowl, so the entire Orange Bowl focus was on the Sooners' chance to win the national championship. Most figured it was a foregone conclusion since Holtz had suspended his top two running backs and leading receiver for disciplinary reasons. Holtz became a national hero when the suspensions didn't matter and the Razorbacks stunned the Sooners, 31-6. Sophomore Roland Sales shocked OU by gaining 205 yards, an Orange Bowl record, mostly between the tackles. It ranks among the most memorable, if not the most memorable, triumph in Razorback history.
Sports Illustrated ranked Arkansas number one before the 1978 season but the Hogs suffered two midseason defeats and finished 9-2-1. Holtz had his best recruiting year before 1979, and a brilliant cast of newcomers that included Gary Anderson and Billy Ray Smith, among others bonded with an outstanding senior class. The Razorbacks shared the SWC title, won 10 games and drew an invitation to play Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
Alabama trimmed the Hogs and earned a national championship. The Razorbacks didn't recover from that defeat until 1981 when they scored their most lopsided triumph ever over Texas. The Longhorns were ranked first nationally while Arkansas was 4-1 after suffering a stunning defeat at TCU. Smith recovered a fumble on the game's first play and Anderson scored soon after that. The steamroller was started, and didn't end until Arkansas completed a 42-11 route. Razorback fans tore down the goalposts for the first time since the '51 triumph over the 'Horns.
Holtz thought his 1982 team would finally take him to the Cotton Bowl but it didn't happen. A tie with SMU on a controversial pass interference call dashed Arkansas' hopes. Anderson, Smith, Jessie Clark, Steve Korte and the rest of the seniors concluded their careers with a victory over Florida in the Bluebonnet Bowl.
The Hatfield 80s
Following the 1983 season Holtz departed and a Razorback hero from the 1960's, Ken Hatfield, returned as head coach. When his first team won four games in the fourth quarter and surprised with seven victories, interest in the program was rekindled. In '85 the Hogs went 10-2 and edged Arizona State in the Holiday Bowl. In 1986 Hatfield directed the Razorbacks to their first victory over Texas at Austin in 20 years and a 14-10 triumph over Texas A& M led to an Orange Bowl invitation.
The '87 Razorbacks were SWC favorites but a last-play defeat against Texas at Little Rock led to an empty finish. The Hogs won nine games but ended the campaign with a disappointing Liberty Bowl loss to Georgia. It has been 13 years since Arkansas has been to the Cotton Bowl when Hatfield took the Razorbacks back. Utilizing the option skills of quarterback Quinn Grovey and the punishing running of James Rouse and Barry Foster and a stingy defense led by Wayne Martin and Steve Atwater, Arkansas opened 10-0 and had Miami on the ropes before suffering an 18-16 defeat at Miami in the regular season finale. Troy Aikman led UCLA past the Hogs in the Cotton Bowl.
Grovey out dueled Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware in the greatest shootout of the 1989 season, and a 45-39 victory over Houston at Little Rock not only was the most talked about game in recent years, it also catapulted the Hogs into position to return to the Cotton Bowl. A late season triumph at Texas A&M secured the host spot.
In Hatfield's final game, Arkansas set all kinds of Cotton Bowl offensive records but turned the ball over inside the Tennessee 10 yardline three times in falling to the Volunteers, 31-27.
In August of 1990 Arkansas launched a geographic revolution in college football when it left the Southwest Conference for the Southeastern Confer-ence. The Razorbacks became the first addition to the SEC since the league was founded in 1933.
The SEC Years
Oddly, the Hogs' first major victory as an SEC member came against Tennessee, the same school that defeated Arkansas in its final Cotton Bowl appearance as SWC champ. In 1992 the Razorbacks stunned the unbeaten and fourth ranked Volunteers, 25-24, at Knoxville on a Todd Wright field goal in the final seconds.
In 1992 the Razorbacks also defeated South Carolina, the league's other newcomer, and LSU. The victory over LSU was the first for Arkansas since 1929. The Hogs downed the Tigers again in 1993 and also won at Georgia and at home against South Carolina, ranked 20th at the time.
Arkansas' first significant accomplishments as an SEC member came in 1995. Madre Hill scored six touchdowns in a victory over South Carolina and the following week Barry Lunney hit J. J. Meadors with a fourth down pass with six seconds left to lift the Hogs past Alabama at Tuscaloosa. An exhilarating 30-28 triumph over Auburn at Little Rock, followed by a victory over Mississippi State, handed the Razorbacks their first ever championship in the SEC, a Western Division title.The Hogs weren't able to upset Florida in the SEC championship game but an eight-victory season capped by a spot in the Carquest Bowl allowed Arkansas to look forward to a promising future...(ends in 1996)Jimmy “Red” Phillips made 11 All-America teams in 1957 before becoming an All-Pro with the Los Angeles Rams and Minnesota Vikings and leading the NFL in receiving in 1961.
Aubie
Auburn’s award-winning mascot is a fan favorite for Tiger fans, both young and old. On the job since 1979, Aubie’s existence began as a cartoon character drawn by Birmingham Post-Herald artist Phil Neel in 1959 for a football game program.
Bacardi Bowl
Auburn’s first bowl trip and the only bowl game to ever be played outside the United States. Auburn and Villanova battled to a 7-7 tie in Havana, Cuba on New Year’s day in 1937. Billy Hitchcock scored the Tigers’ only touchdown of the game on a 40-yard run.
Beard, Jeff
Garland Washington “Jeff” Beard could generally be considered the father of modern Auburn athletics. Serving as athletic director from 1951 through 1972, Beard hired legendary coach Ralph “Shug” Jordan, increased the capacity of what is now Jordan-Hare Stadium from 21,500 to 61,500 seats and is responsible for bringing Auburn home football games with Georgia Tech, Georgia and Tennessee to campus. His tenure also produced the basketball arena now named in his honor, the Wilbur Hutsell Track and Field complex and Sewell Hall. Beard is one of only five Auburn athletic directors who also didn’t serve as head football coach.
Bo over the top
The climax to a 23-22 Auburn victory over Alabama in 1982 which broke a nine-year losing skid to the Crimson Tide. Bo Jackson’s 1-yard leap over the Alabama goal line capped a 66-yard drive and set the stage for what Auburn people consider the Tigers’ “coming out” party in the 1980s.
December 2, 1989
Alabama came to Auburn’s Jordan-Hare Stadium for the first time in the history of the rivalry. Prior to that, all games in the series had been played at Birmingham’s Legion Field since the series was resumed in 1948. A 30-20 Auburn victory settled the score in 1989, but the cross-state journey for the Tide settled a score which had brewed for nearly a century in the hearts of Auburn people. Alabama coach Ray Perkins once said “it won’t happen”. On Dec. 2, 1989, it did.
The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry
Auburn and Georgia. It began in Feb. 20, 1892 at Piedmont Park in Atlanta and has been played virtually every year since. The Tigers and the Bulldogs have played every year since 1898, 105 meetings, with the exception of 1943, when Auburn didn’t field a team due to World War II.
Donahue, Mike
“Iron” Mike Donahue won 99 games in two different stints as Auburn’s head coach, tying him with Pat Dye for second on the all-time Auburn victories list. Donahue’s 1913 SIAC championship team not only went undefeated at 8-0, but did not allow a single point to be scored on them. On the flip side, his 1920 team averaged 42.5 points per game, despite being shut out twice. During his tenure, 38 players were named as All-Southern Conference.
Don’t Make us go there
For years some of Auburn’s chief rivals — Georgia, Tennessee, Georgia Tech and Alabama — never made it to The Plains. Auburn’s “home” games with those schools were played in Montgomery, Mobile, Columbus and Birmingham. Athletic Director Jeff Beard changed all that starting in 1960. The Auburn-Georgia game was played in Columbus, Athens, Atlanta, Macon or Savannah from 1892 through 1959. In 1960 the Bulldogs finally came to Auburn and lost, 9-6. From 1906 until 1970 Auburn and Georgia Tech played in either Atlanta or Birmingham — 53 straight times in Atlanta — before the Yellow Jackets finally gave in and came to Auburn to lose 31-7. In a series that began in 1900, Tennessee finally played at Auburn in 1974, losing 21-0. In 1989, cross-state rival Alabama made the trip and left with a 30-20 defeat and dreams of an undefeated season ended.
Dye, Pat
Patrick Fain Dye won 99 games and four Southeastern Conference championships in 12 years as Auburn’s head coach, but perhaps he will be remembered most for bringing Auburn’s “home” game with Alabama to the Auburn campus on Dec. 2, 1989, a 30-20 Tiger victory. Under his leadership as athletic director, Auburn football facilities were elevated to some of the finest in the nation with additions to Jordan-Hare Stadium increasing the seating capacity to 85,214 and 70 luxury suites.
Eleven and Ohhhhh!!!!!
In 1993, first-year coach Terry Bowden directed Auburn to its first undefeated, 11-win season while the Tigers suffered through the first year of NCAA imposed sanctions which kept AU off television and out of the bowl scene. The 11 wins in 1993 were the opening act of a 20-game winning streak which would set the Auburn record for consecutive victories.
The Entrance
The Auburn team began a new tradition in 2000, entering the field from the middle of the south end zone through a cloud of smoke.
Flight of Tiger
For the first time in 2000, Auburn’s golden eagle, Tiger, took to the air. The flight, which occurs during the pregame routine, quickly became a fan favorite. Approximately 10 minutes prior to the start of the game, Tiger flies from the upper deck, circles the field and lands in the middle of the field. The routine is a result of training with Joe Shelnutt of the Southeastern Raptor Center.
Hare, Cliff
Cliff Hare was a member of Auburn’s first football team who went on to serve as chair of the Auburn Faculty Athletic Committee. Auburn’s football stadium is named for the longtime professor and dean of the School of Chemistry. He served as president of the Southern Conference before the formation of the Southeastern Conference.
Heisman, John
The legendary coach for which college football’s top honor is named coached at Auburn from 1895-99, posting a 12-4-2 record. Auburn is the only school where John Heisman coached to have a Heisman Trophy winner. Heisman left Auburn for Clemson and then Georgia Tech, where he lost 10 of 15 meetings with Auburn.
Heisman Trophy
Auburn has two. Pat Sullivan won the coveted award in 1971. Bo Jackson did the same in 1985.
Jordan, Ralph
Over the years no name has been more synonymous with Auburn football than Ralph “Shug” Jordan. The all-time winningest football coach at Auburn, Jordan won 176 games over a 25-year career on The Plains. A four-time Southeastern Conference coach of the year, he was also named national coach of the year in 1957 after leading Auburn to its only current football national championship.
Jordan-Hare Stadium
Auburn’s showcase football stadium which seats 86,063 with 70 luxury suites located between the lower level and upper deck on the East side of the stadium. The stadium was dedicated Nov. 30, 1939 with 7,500 seats that are now incorporated into the West stands. Ten years later 14,000 more seats were added and the stadium was named Cliff Hare Stadium, although only 12 home games were played there over that 10-year span. Additional seats were added in 1955, 1960 and 1970. The West upper deck was completed in 1980 and the East upper deck and suites were finished for the 1987 season. The facility was renamed Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1973.
Lovelace Museum
Auburn’s showcase of a rich athletic history is located off the lobby area of the Auburn Athletic Complex. Opened in April 1996, the John B. Lovelace Museum and Hall of Honor features displays and interactive exhibits which takes visitors from the training table to the Olympic games with Auburn athletes past and present. The museum is open during regular business hours, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and during most campus Auburn athletic events. Admission is free.
Lupton, Frank
Frank Lupton, a halfback and captain of the 1892 football squad, scored the first touchdown and kicked the first conversion in Auburn football history in a 10-0 Auburn victory over Georgia on Feb. 20, 1892.
Nicknames
There is only one ... Tigers. The is no such thing as an Auburn War Eagle, an Auburn Plainsman or Plainsmen or an Auburn Lady Tiger. It is simply Tigers. “War Eagle” is a battle cry.
Nix-to-Sanders
With starting quarterback Stan White lying in pain on the turf of Jordan-Hare Stadium and Auburn’s undefeated season hanging in the balance against Alabama in 1993, sophomore quarterback Patrick Nix was summoned to the huddle to face a 4th-and-15 at the Alabama 35-yard line with Auburn trailing 14-5 and 6:09 left on the third quarter clock. Offensive coordinator Tommy Bowden relayed the call to the sidelines and “278Z Takeoff” would become a part of Auburn football lore. Nix, without a chance to loosen up, hung the ball up and receiver Frank Sanders pulled it down for a touchdown. Auburn went on to win 22-14.
Outland Trophy
Auburn players have won two. Zeke Smith won the first in 1958, Tracy Rocker the second in 1988. Rocker made it a clean sweep in 1988 by also winning the Lombardi Award.
“Phantom of Union Springs”
Jimmy Hitchcock was Auburn’s first football All-American. The “Phantom of Union Springs” was also a baseball All-American who later returned to coach and hold a position on the Auburn University Board of Trustees. Auburn’s baseball facility, Hitchcock Field at Plainsman Park, is named in honor of Jimmy and Billy Hitchcock, brothers who made a lasting impact on Auburn.
Picked off
Those who witnessed Auburn’s 30-26 victory over LSU in 1994 saw one of the most bizarre finishes ever to a college football game. With LSU leading 23-9 going into the fourth quarter, Auburn safety Ken Alvis picked off an LSU pass and rambled 42 yards for a touchdown. Before the final horn had sounded Fred Smith followed suit for 32 yards and a score, then Brian Robinson returned yet another pickoff for a 41-yard TD. In all, the Tigers intercepted five LSU passes in the fourth quarter to keep a 14-game winning streak alive.
Piedmont Park
The site of the first Auburn football game on Feb. 20, 1892 in Atlanta. Auburn defeated Georgia, 10-0, in that game, kicking off the oldest rivalry in the South. The Auburn and Georgia athletic departments held a joint ceremony at Piedmont Park on February 20, 1992 to kick off the 100-year anniversary of football at both universities.
Petrie, Dr. George
Dr. George Petrie, a faculty member in the Agricultural and Mechanical College in 1892, organized and was the coach of Auburn’s first football team.
“Punt Bama Punt”
Maybe the most famous and easily the most talked about Auburn-Alabama football game. Trailing 16-0 heading into the fourth quarter in the 1972 contest, Auburn got a field goal from Gardner Jett. Then lightning struck — twice. Bill Newton blocked an Alabama punt and David Langner returned it 25 yards for an Auburn touchdown. Three minutes later Newton blocked another punt and Langner ran 20 yards for the score.
Retired Jerseys
There are only three at Auburn; Pat Sullivan’s 7, Terry Beasley’s 88 and Bo Jackson’s 34. Sullivan and Beasley’s jerseys were retired following Sullivan’s 1971 Heisman Trophy season and Jackson’s jersey was retired as part of Auburn’s football centennial celebration in 1992.
Sullivan-to-Beasley
Auburn’s most prolific passing combination. From 1969 to 1971 Pat Sullivan and Terry Beasley connected for more than 2,500 passing yards and nearly 30 touchdowns. Thirty-one years after the end of their careers, both Sullivan and Beasley still hold Auburn’s career passing and receiving records, respectively.
Tiger
The name of Auburn’s golden eagle mascot. Not to be confused with “Tigers”, which is the correct and only nickname for Auburn athletic teams.
Tiger Walk
An Auburn tradition which began in the early 1960s when Auburn players would walk from Sewell Hall to the football stadium and fans would line Donahue Drive to wish them well. Over the years the Tiger Walk has grown into a major part of game day at Auburn, so much so that it is listed on the players’ game weekend itinerary. The largest Tiger Walk is believed to have taken place prior to the 1989 Alabama game when more than 20,000 well wishers lined the street. Every Tiger Walk prior to home games draws thousands and over the last couple of years the Tiger Walk has become a standard as Auburn football players enter stadiums on the road. Tiger Walk is two hours before kickoff for every game.
Toomer’s Corner
The center of town, where the Auburn University campus meets the City of Auburn. Toomer’s Corner, where College Street intersects Magnolia Avenue, has long been the gathering place for Auburn athletic celebrations. After any football win, and significant victories in other sports, Auburn students and citizens alike join forces to “roll” the trees (and anything else that doesn’t move) at Toomer’s Corner with toilet tissue. Celebrations after significant football victories can go on for hours and leave the heart of town looking like a blizzard passed through.
Toomer’s Drug Store
An Auburn landmark at the corner of College and Magnolia reputed to serve the best lemonade in the country. It is Auburn legend that John Heisman used to frequent Toomer’s Drugs for a taste of the now famous lemonade.
Walkons
Auburn has a long and storied past of football walkons who have gone on to very successful football careers. One success story belongs to former All-Pro defensive end Kevin Greene. After being cut once, Greene walked on at Auburn a second time and made the team. He went on to play 15 seasons in the NFL.
“War Eagle”
Auburn’s battle cry, not Auburn’s nickname. There are several legends concerning the origin of the War Eagle battle cry, dating back to 1864 and the Civil War at the Battle of the Wilderness in Virginia.
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