The Dye Log from ITAT

[JR4AU]

The Dye-Log:

An Appreciation of Auburn
By Pat Dye
Inside the Auburn Tigers Columnist
Posted Feb 29, 2012

College Football Hall of Fame Coach Pat Dye writes about Auburn in this
edition of the Dye-Log.

I have lived in Auburn since January of 1981 when I took the job as head
coach of the football team and I have come to truly appreciate how special
a place Auburn University is.

The first thing I had to do when I took the job was learn more about the
university because I had to sell Auburn as an institution for football
prospects to come here for an education that they were going to use as a
foundation to build the rest of their lives on.

Everywhere I went I talked to Auburn people and asked them questions about
their backgrounds and what they thought about the university. It was
interesting to listen to the wide range of responses I got on the subject,
but there was a common theme.

The thing that was soon apparent to me is that Auburn really is different
and that Auburn is a special place to Auburn people. Those who are
outsiders don’t really understand it, but I certainly figured out.
I think the students and others who love Auburn have something those other
folks would like to have but don’t have. That is an undying loyalty to the
school regardless of what is going on whether it be the administration of
the university, academics, athletics or whatever.

When discussing Auburn with outsiders, you seldom hear Auburn people
talking bad about their university. Auburn people are certainly passionate
about expressing their opinions when they are disappointed in how the
university is performing in some areas, but it is my observation that the
true Auburn people never waiver from having real loyalty to their school,
which is what everybody would like to have in their university families and
their own families.

In addition to talking to people about Auburn when I took the coaching
position, I read everything I could find on Auburn and it didn’t take me
long to figure out that it is a special place where students can come and
be the best they can be academically, athletically or in whatever area they
wanted to have success in.

Auburn people have had tremendous success in so many areas. You can just go
on, and on and on naming the examples. When I was coaching at Auburn we
were fortunate to have lots of great athletes in the program, guys like Bo
Jackson, who was exceptional in football and baseball, and Rowdy Gaines,
who was the best swimmer in the world.

It has been 31 years since I moved here and began learning about Auburn.
Fortunately, what makes Auburn special is still here and I can say that I
have a real love for it.

I know a lot of people have had a love affair with Auburn all of their
lives. They grew up with that as part of the family’s culture and that is a
great thing. Then there are others, like me, who came here later in life
after having a lot of experiences in different places. We understand how
special it is and that gives us an interesting perspective. It is why some
of the most passionate Auburn supporters are people who discovered it later
in their lives and I am one of them.

[The Prowler]

#106

Dear Al,

Did you read that Auburn article "The Dye-Log"? All of that stuff he talks about, that's how it is here in Tuscaloosa...only gooder.

XOXO,
Nick