Why Pat Dye Will Always Be My Hero

I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a sports nut. My very patient husband re-explains the rules of football to me every time I try to watch a game with him. Every time I watch Auburn play, I fondly remember our dear family friend Bub Kidd, who once asked his daughter Sheila, "Does Valerie REALLY not know ANYTHING about football?" [Looking heavenward, I am saying to sweet Bub: "I really didn't. I just cheered whenever Sheila and Sandra did."]

As an Auburn freshman, one of my first purchases from the University Bookstore was a football jersey with the number 12—which I wore to class, in what I considered a bold act of sartorial rebellion against "the preppies," who were all the rage back then. A classmate asked, "Oh, so you're a fan of . . . [whoever wore that number, which I didn't know then and am ashamed to say I can't remember now]."  I gave her what must've been the world's blankest stare, blinked a couple of times and said, "I just like the number 12." Yep. I was that kind of football fan. English major. Bookworm. Nonathletic, uncoordinated geek who liked to hang out at the music school and was occasionally known to diagram sentences for fun.

But then along came Pat, who became the head coach my sophomore year, following some less-than-stellar seasons that had left the campus relatively uninterested in game days. He rode into town and fired up not just the football team, but the whole student body. He said we were winners, and we believed him—especially after he started winning. Coach Dye and the Tigers made Auburn such a fun place to be. There was genuine excitement in the air. I know the word "entitlement" has been bandied about in some of the more heated discussions surrounding the bowl games—and I guess it's easy to feel that way when you've celebrated an incredible number of winning seasons and championships. But it's actually great fun to experience the opposite, which is why Auburn was so wonderful back in the early 80s. We were stunned and amazed and thrilled to pieces when we won. It was great to be an Auburn Tiger—still is. [That's me in my Auburn garb at EPCOT with Mama, circa 1980s. Mickey, meet Aubie. Aubie, Mickey.]

Thanks, Coach Dye, from a clueless bookworm who cheered her heart out in that student section back in the day. She wasn't entirely sure what was going on. But she sure had a big time. Here's wishing lifelong AU memories for the current students, courtesy of Coach Gus and the boys.

 

 

Comments

[Cindy]

Too Good!

[Valerie]

xo!!