I grew up in a mixed family…Auburn fans, Alabama fans, and even some Tennessee fans. It took me a while to figure out which team was my team, but once I did, it was as if I’d been an Auburn Tiger my whole life. My grandmother is for Auburn, my mother is for Auburn, and so I was proud to say I was for Auburn too. My grandfather, however, grew up as an Alabama fan. He always cheered in the opposite colors (and on the opposite side of the room during the Iron Bowl!) No matter how many “War Eagle!”’s we yelled, he never failed to quickly respond with a loud “Roll Tide!” This past Father’s Day, I called him to wish him well and see how he was doing. When we were saying our goodbyes, he said to me, “War Eagle, I’m proud of you.” Those two words had never come out of his mouth in all of his years, and probably never will again, but to hear him say that to me meant more than almost anything he could have said. That’s my War Eagle Moment.
Tara