My yearly thank to the seniors. Seniors 2014.

A thank-you to the seniors has become a tradition for me. I think the first time I did it was in 2009. I don't know if the players ever read it, but it makes me feel good to think they might see it.  This group of seniors has been through so much. Coaching changes,  losing seasons, a trip to the Rose Bowl, loss of teammates and the highs of award-winning performances.  There have been bumps along the way, but they have represented Auburn with class and dignity.  I did put the list in alphabetical order in case any of the players want to read about themselves; it would make it easier to find. A special dedication is at the bottom to Jakell.

To all of the seniors- please keep in touch with your Auburn family.  It means a lot to go to a game and see former players visiting the team- on the sidelines with the younger players. Thank you for everything you did for Auburn. All of you had significant contributions.

Niko Anthony: Players like you make a huge difference, even when you do not realize it.  The important thing is that you stuck it out and did not quit.  I just looked back at your major. I cannot imagine keeping to the practice and workout schedule with that kind of major. I know we are to expect great things from you in the future. Thank you for your dedication to Auburn.  Please keep in touch with the fans and the team/school.

Cameron Artis-Payne: From the A- day game on, you showed that you gave your best all of the time. You seemed to fit in immediately. You always spoke well in interviews. Thank you for coming to Auburn. It was an honor to cheer for you.  You seemed to take everything in stride.  It was a lot of fun to watch you run. You have a quiet leadership that truly shows. Thank you for your dedication to Auburn. I look forward to meeting you at the Senior Bowl. I also look forward to hearing great things about you in the future. War Eagle!

Angelo Blackson: I like your name. My mom noticed it right away when you first started at Auburn. She had a friend named Angelo. He was a legendary track coach and he died a few years ago. So she naturally paid extra attention to you.  It was a joy to watch you play. Thank you so much for coming to Auburn. Thanks for all of your hard work and dedication.  I look forward to hearing about you in the future. War Eagle!

Ben Bradley: I am so glad you decided to come to Auburn. You were a quieter player, but you still made plenty of contributions. Thank you for all you have done for Auburn. Your hard worked showed. My brother-in-law and I enjoyed watching you make some nice tackles.  We look forward to hearing  great things about you in the future. I hope you stay in touch with your Auburn family. War Eagle!

Quan Bray: You are the definition of an Auburn man. Your career at Auburn started with the worst possible thing happening, but you never let it stop you. You worked hard, never quit and put your focus on the positive things. Thank you. I was so happy to see you run that return all the way back for a touchdown! We are all so proud of you. It was an honor to have you on my prayer list this year.  Thank you for everything you did at Auburn. I know we are going to see great things from you in the future.  Proud to call you a member of the AU family. War Eagle!

Sammie Coates: It has been an absolute honor to watch you play. Since your time at Leroy, you have grown as an athlete and as a man. To see you support your coaches, teammates and friends is an amazing thing. I love to see you taking pictures with kids.  The relationship you developed with Kenzie is also something amazing to see. I have been so proud to root for you. I know there are great things in store for you. Your leadership on and off the field is something that cannot be easily replaced. Your work ethic will be something that has a lasting effect on your teammates. I am excited to see you at the Senior Bowl. Please make sure you keep in touch with your Auburn family and the team. Thank you for everything you have done at Auburn.

Reese Dismukes:  I have watched you play since high school. I am so very proud of the player, person, and leader that you have become. Auburn has rarely had a player that has been as dedicated. No, it wasn't perfect. So much has happened while you were  at Auburn but you didn't let that stop you. You kept at it and became one of the most prolific players Auburn has had. Congratulations on the Rimington Trophy. No one deserved it like you did. Thank you for your dedication to Auburn. I cannot wait to see you at the Senior Bowl. I hope you keep in touch with the Auburn family and program. Come back and visit when you can.  War Eagle!

Brandon Fulse:  There are some things that trip us up in life. I know you were close with Philip. He would have been proud of you this year. You made some great grabs and continued the line of tight ends at Auburn. Thanks for your dedication and time to Auburn. I look forward to seeing great things from you in the future. War Eagle.

Corey Grant: I remember the first time I saw you run a longer run. I thought you must have a gear that other humans don't have. I was rooting for a TD in the Iron Bowl so much for you!  I am glad you came 'home' to Auburn to play for us. Thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn. I enjoyed rooting or you the last couple of years. Visit often! We will miss you. War Eagle!

Forrest Hill: I know you probably think your position is not noticed, but it is. You've been very steady. We seldom heard your name, so you know you did your job. We are DEFINIETLY going to miss that! I know it's been and up and down career, but you stuck it out.  Thank you for all of your hard work and dedication. It has been noticed and appreciated. Thank you so much for everything you did.  Please stay in touch and come back and visit Auburn often. War Eagle!

Brandon King:  Thank you for your dedication to Auburn.  I am glad you came to us. The 2013 season was something to be treasured.  You were a huge part of that  season. You showed talent and poise on and off the field. I look forward to hearing great things about you in the future. Please keep in touch with the Auburn family.  Thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn. War Eagle!

Nick Marshall: I know some people do not believe in second chances, but I am glad our coach does. Thank you, Nick. You gave us the most exciting season ever possible in 2013. You are a quiet leader, but still a leader. See, I love a good 'restart' story. You did it.  I am so glad you came to Auburn.  I cannot wait to see what happens for you in the future. I know it will be great. Keep in touch with Auburn as you go on. We'll be glad to have you home to visit any day.  Thank  you for all of your hard work and dedication.

Johnathan Mincy: You became one heck of an interception grabber this year. Things got tough for you, but you just worked yourself back to the top. I like that never-quit attitude. Your high work ethic is one of the things that will have a lasting effect on the younger teammates. Thank you for everything you did for Auburn.  Keep up your great work in life. You are going to do well. Thank you for your dedication to Auburn.

LaDarius Owens: When you came, we knew you would be someone we could count on because it is in your blood. Not only did you represent Auburn well, you represented your family well. Your faith helped guide you as a leader on the team. You were a rock for the team. Thanks for everything you did for Auburn. Maybe one day your son or nephew will don the uniform too. I look forward to it! I look forward to hearing about you in the future. War Eagle!

Trovon Reed: If it doesn't work out in one spot, try something else. You never seemed upset that WR did not work out for you. In fact, you used your skills as a WR to snatch some interceptions. That is the mark of a winner and an Auburn man.  Thank you for your time and dedication to Auburn.  Keep up the hard work in your future endeavors. War Eagle!

Chad Slade:  It's hard to believe you're a senior! I remember reading about Thomas. The parents would often reflect on how happy you made him. I know it had to be terribly hard to watch him grow sicker, but you did not run away.  Thank you. Those things mean more than anything you could do on the field. You were pretty darn good at that too. Thank you for all you have done for Auburn. Thank you for the time, dedication, and hard work. It will pay off many fold. I know there are great things for you in the future. I cannot wait to hear about those things. War Eagle!

Robenson Therezie: Thanks for all of your hard work at Auburn. You stood out from the beginning. You turned into quite the interception-grabber. I think my favorite was probably against Ole Miss in 2009. You showed poise on and off the field. Keep that up. It will be something in your life that will help you. Stay in touch with your Auburn family and come back anytime.  War Eagle!

CJ Uzomah: I have adored watching you play. My sister and I nicknamed you 'Oomie Zoomie'. We have an unusual last name as well. Philip would have been so proud of you this year. I know it wasn't easy for you. You were a LOT of fun to watch at media days. You know, you were like the start of the fight in 2013. When you caught that pass against MSU in 2013, it just got things rolling. You have been an amazing leader. It will be a loss for us without you. However, I know you invested in the younger fellas. Thank you for all of the laughs. Thanks for all of your time and dedication to Auburn.  Please keep in touch. You will be successful in whatever you do. War Eagle, CJ.

Jeff Whitaker:  What a trouper. Oh, the highs and lows you have been through. A national championship, bad seasons, coaching changes, loss of friends and teammates, and another trip to the national championship- plus multiple injuries. Only you could have made us laugh on the worst day as a member of the AU family. Your dedication to the team and university means more than you will ever know.  Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and leadership. Your investment in the team will last longer than your time at Auburn. We are all grateful of your hard work. Thank you for everything.  I know the future holds great things for you. I cannot wait to hear about it. War Eagle.

Jermaine Whitehead: We talked once for a little while. I do not know if you remember. I told you I knew where Greenwood was since I used to live in Hattiesburg and work in Lucedale. I have been rooting for you since then. When you weren't grabbing interceptions, you were working your tail off. Thank you. It means more than you know. I look forward to hearing good things about you in the future. Please keep in touch.  Come back and visit Auburn when you can.

Gabe Wright: You were also fun to watch at media days. Through all the ups and downs over the last few years, you have grow steadily. I am so proud to call you Auburn family. You were a clear leader on and off the field.  When you weren't in the backfield, you were helping younger players find their way. Thank you for your dedication and time you have to Auburn. I am excited about meeting you at the Senior Bowl!   War Eagle! Keep in touch and please visit often.

Jakell Mitchell: We did not really get the chance to get to know you very well. At the first game this season, I sat up a few rows from your family. To see them all in their 'dad of' and 'family of' shirts told me that you were going to be something special. I heard you were a workout warrior. I am sure that your dedication in the weight room and with workouts will be a legacy. Your teammates will remember. You will be missed. Thank you for your dedication to the team and to Auburn. We are really going to miss seeing you develop and grow up. War Eagle forever.

Walking in Light

Last week, (Dec 13)  I was on a trip with a friend when I got some devastating news. The sister and father of one of my former students had been killed in a car accident. Ari was 18. She had just finished her freshman fall semester at Univ. of Louisiana-Lafayette.  She graduated from our school last year. Her father was a local beloved youth pastor. Her older brother is one of my former students. I was blessed to get to know the Wager family through a parent/family- teacher relationship at first. As time moved on, I was blessed to call them friends.

Where to start about Arianna? First of all, she was brilliant and creative. She was an excellent student. I remember her taking honors Alg. II as a freshman. She loved show choir and musical theater. She was fiercely protective of her older brother, yet she was firm with him at the same time. She was quirky. She was always smiling. The thing that stood out more than anything was that she absolutely radiated inner joy. Every time I spoke with her, she was happy. Her walk with Jesus was evident in everything she did.  She walked in grace every day of her life. A couple of summers ago, Ari went to Africa on a mission trip. I have heard many people telling me about her trip. Ari and her family told me Ari just fit there. I spoke with her on many occasions about her trip. Her heart ached to go back. There was just a oneness with her when she was in Africa. She was studying special education, but I think she might have considered full time missions in Africa.

Her father, Randy was a beloved youth minister in our small town. He moved his family to the area for the job. He was doing amazing things with this youth group. They were always doing something. He was caring and the kids were plugged in. He and his wife both frequently volunteered at the school, helping with the most mundane tasks such as helping with testing or bringing things to PTA meetings.  He was also quirky and different, but it made them a special family. It's going to be tough for his youth group. I cannot imagine that happening to my youth pastor when I was a teen.

This is an amazing family. When I went to the memorial service, my former student was the first in the family greeting people. He was standing by his sister's casket. His uncle was standing with him, but not really interacting since Uncle Dennis did not really know the people from Lucedale as well. Kegan was such a little man. He just took it. Person after person, he greeted, hugged and cried with them. His mother was positioned between the caskets with her other two daughters standing beside her. Because Kegan was so strong, his mom was able to stand between her husband and daughter. His dad would have been so proud of him.

                                             Photo property of Wager family. Used with permission. 

Ari was a light in the world. Her love for Jesus and others radiated from her heart. The world is truly short of some peacemakers without Ari and Randy. Jennifer, Kegan, Bri and Kara are going to need help in the coming days.  Please keep this family in your prayers.

Jennifer herself posted this two days after the accident.

I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD In the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.

Psalms 27:13-14

Take 2

Colossians 1:10-12

Then you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.

I still feel weird. I have been more upset than I feel I have any right to feel. I cannot imagine how his family, teammates, and close friends felt. I just listened to the playback of the Cole Cubelic show. A guy just called in and said, 'It's great to hear all these good stories in a time when you hear so many things about athletes.  I think that is the thing about Philip. There isn't really a negative thing to say about him. Oh, how we loved Philip.

The first thing I remember about him was the 2009 Mississippi State game. I wasn't supposed to go but my dad got sick and I went with my mom at the last minute. Tommy Trott wasn't playing that game and Philip made what would become his signature touchdown in the corner of the end zone. I am not sure why he stood out so much.

Later, I believe it was 2010 fan day- we went to Auburn. I did not get to "meet" him that day but we were near him in another line. He pointed to his sign which read 'Phillip Lutzenkirchen' and he cried out, (in fun Philip fashion) " They spelled Luztenkirchen right but got Philip wrong!" I think that was the moment that cemented it for me because I have an unusual last name myself. Of course, it isn't as long as Lutzenkirchen but it is still a name people stammer over.

Of course, there were many moments in 2010 that were incredible  that included Philip. My sister and brother-in-law and I were at the UGA game in 2010. I remember there was so much controversy in the build up to that game. As we were at Tiger Walk waiting for the buses, I had checked twitter. Philip had sent out the funniest tweet defending Cam. It was later deleted, but it was along the lines of  'I wouldn't want to be playing across from an angry Cammy Cam today!'  If I remember correctly, Philip had a pretty awesome game. Most of us remember how Philip wrote Evan's name on his game shoes after the little boy passed away. There are so many moments to cherish and remember. I love how he embraced the Auburn family. For those that got the chance to meet him, even briefly, he gave his undivided attention. It never seemed a bother to him.

There are so many things that we could all go on and on. Everyone who encountered him was a better person. He was an ardent defender of his friends. He stood up for what he believed was right all the time.

I am not an easy cry-er. However, last Monday, when I took the twins to the library special activity, the Mobile Excelsior Band played. They played, 'I'll Fly Away' and I had to leave the room.  I am comforted knowing Philip is in Heaven, rejoicing in glory. No doubt in my mind that Philip was greeted with a well done, my true and faithful servant. We are all sad because we feel he was destined for great things. Philip did his great things in such a short period of time. I still feel it is unfair. However, God had a different plan for Philip.  Philip touched many lives. He walked the walk. Oh yes, he talked about his love for God but his words weren't needed. Philip's actions showed it.

Here is a link to the Excelsior Band, if you are interested  http://excelsior1883.com/

I cannot say anything better than those who have already said it. Jay Jacobs, Coach Malzahn, Gene Chizik have all said amazing, true things about him. I am crushed and heartbroken  for his parents, sisters, teammates and friends. Philip had a reach that was truly amazing. Please join me in continuing to pray for his mom and dad, sisters, and friends.  They will need some prayer support for quite some time.

This is something I wrote about Philip after the 2012 season. I always write a thank you to the seniors.  I can only hope he saw it.

Philip Lutzenkirchen:  I've got an unusual last name, so I always felt sort of connected to you. You've been a shining light at Auburn, both on and off the field. you have demonstrated leadership beyond measure. I was sick when I heard you were out for the rest of the season! I hope you heal quickly and are able to move on to the things you want to do. There are so many favorite plays of yours, but what I appreciate most from you is the class and leadership and Christian walk you demonstrated at Auburn. (OK, maybe I remember the touchdown at Alabama and the little dance!)  I hope that WONDERFUL things happen for you. I can't wait to hear about you in the future.

Well Done

An amazing person was taken from us early Sunday morning. I have starting trying to write a tribute several times, but keep erasing and starting over. One thing I keep thinking is that Philip never really belonged here. He was a child of our King who had the faith that God asks- the faith of a child.

There are a million good things to say about him.  I first knew that he would be a funny fella when I heard him refer to himself as 'Old Phil Phil'. He turned into one of my favorite Auburn football players of all time. I loved that he let us feel like we knew him well. We were blessed to have him play in the orange and blue. We were blessed to have him here on earth with us, even if it was for just a little while. I know that in that split second when he left this world, he was greeted at the gates of Heaven with a "Well, done, my faithful servant. Well done."

These are some of my favorite things about him-

After the 2010 National Championship game, he did a Q & A on twitter. I asked him if his name fit on his Pee Wee jersey. (Having a peculiar last name myself, I can relate) His answer:  I didn't have a Pee Wee jersey. Mine had to be special ordered.

He quoted the Sandlot AND Mean Girls. (You go, Glen CoCo)

The Woody costume.

His hands were magnets for the football in the endzone.

He stood up for what he thought was right at all times.

Every time a fan asked for a picture, he took it, he smiled and made them feel welcome.

He wrote Evan's name on his shoes.

He let his faith show to everyone. Maybe he didn't say it all the time, (although he did often)but his life and his actions did.

The best thing I know to do for him is to pay it forward. If everyone did something for someone else in his honor, I think he would love it. We don't have to make a list of  the things that we've done- but in our heart, we would know that we had done something to honor him. There are so many ideas- pay for the person behind you in a drive thru, pick up some trash, etc.  I hope you all will join me. Make every day count. 

  

Hearts of Champions!

Last weekend, the little Tee-Ball team I help coach participated in a charity tournament to benefit the Wounded Warriors Project in town. We didn't quite have our whole team, and since it was a rec league tournament, we were allowed to 'pick up' two players. There are two girls who we played all-stars with last yr who played with us. They are amazing ball players and sweet girls.

Since we were the only visiting team, we were given a bye for the Friday night game. On Saturday morning, we won our first game. If you know anything with double elim tourneys, this can put you waiting for a LONG time. Our next game was a couple of hours away (maybe more, time got kind of mixed up)
As double elim tourneys go, we didn't play our next game for SEVERAL hours.We lost the next game (in several extra innings) which sent us to losers bracket.  We were able to keep the kids hydrated and had them eat lunch. We played about 6:30 or so, but the game before ours was in MANY extra innings so the kids didn't really get to eat dinner because we didn't know how much longer it would be.

At any rate, we played and won pretty quickly.We immediately had to play the same team we had lost to earlier. Right away it started off titchy when our girls ran on a pop fly which resulted in the other team getting a triple play. The umpire couldn't make up his mind on whether the 3rd out was out. Now we knew she was out...but the ump put her on, took her off, put her on, took her off. (Naturally the little catcher was the next batter. I put on and took off her chest protector THREE times!) This made the game extremely tense. It was getting REALLY late. We were in extra innings. I think it was 9:30. Now keep in mind, we knew that if we won, we'd have to play again. Our girls- ages 4-7- gave the day EVERYTHING they had. No tears, no dinner, (til about 10:00) but they played tough as nails! It was very much a 'Facing the Giants' kind of moment when we had to play another inning! We finally lost when our sweet little GiGi (not her real name) fell down on her way to first base.

Did our girls care that they had the 2nd place trophy and medal? Heck no. We had a ton of fun, the girls learned a lot, and it was raising money for a good cause. I would not have been any prouder if they had brought home first place. Love these girlies. Looking forward to All-Stars!

More than an Injury

When I was in the 7th or 8th grade, my friend was in a terrible accident. She was riding on the back of a three wheeler and another guy was driving it. I was standing on the side of the road when they whizzed by and turned the corner. As they turned the corner the whole three wheeler flipped over and they both flew off. Now this was more than 25 years ago but I can still see it clearly in my head. My friend flew right into a fire hydrant and the other guy flew in a different direction. I was looking right at my friend's leg when I saw the bone pop out of the leg. I didn't know the term 'compound fracture' at the time. I stood there for what seemed like forever with my mouth wide open. A guy driving by stopped to help. He yelled for me to go call 911 (which was new!) but I continued to stare. Finally I ran back home to the phone- and called. Took me two times to get anyone on the phone...all I could tell them was that the bone was out of the leg. I completely forgot about the other kid on the ATV. As it turned out, he was actually more injured than she was because he had a a head injury. (He was ok though) I remember when the ambulance got there, they put a contraption on her leg that was this type of stabilizer that blew up with a machine. It also had warm fluids in it. The EMTs knew I was scared so they let me watch everything.  She had surgery, spent some time in traction, and was discharged from the hospital several days later. I remember her cast had this little window cutout from the cast so the wound could be treated. I think I remember that little cutout from the cast more than anything. It took a while, but my friend soon got back to normal.

Last night when I watched the Louisville/Duke game, I SAW the play and saw Kevin Ware's leg twist, but I never saw the bone out. I saw severe reactions from players from both teams. I've seen several terrible sports injuries in my life. I saw one which is never mention- a Samford player in a game against Southern Miss. It didn't even seem like that big of a deal. He was paralyzed though, and he died later. Southern Miss player Derrick Nix was injured it what seemed like a run of the mill injury. It turned out he had an underlying kidney issue and he was never ever the same. Deandre Brown broke his leg in a bowl game (you can youtube that one) and it was REALLY gross. You could see his leg snap while he was running, and then he holds it up in the air and it flops it a section that should not flop. A player from the other team is trying to help him, but he kept holding his leg up. It was almost like he was afraid to let it touch the ground. He turned out ok though, and he played the next year. The scariest of all in my lifetime of course, was Zac Etheridge. It didn't look like a big deal at first, as we all know. Then he just didn't get up. I think the scene where his friend tugs at his jersey and Zac is just flopped over the other player.  Never dreamed he would return to the field; never underestimate God's hand.

All that being said, first of all I think CBS did the right thing. They didn't reshow the injury over and over again. I know the Louisville players were upset, but what got me was the visible reaction of the Duke players as well. Even stoic Coach K was upset. I saw a picture today that showed Ware up on crutches today. That just showed how far medicine has come. I know it was difficult for the players to try to play basketball again after that. Their minds were with their teammate. I love seeing the team bonding and the all for one TEAM. Our girls softball team at the high school has a team member who was burned badly in an accident right before the season started. Her teammates made up the phrase 'Strive for Five' to win it all for their teammate. (Five obviously being her jersey number) They are doing REALLY well, too! Five is back at school part of the day but she isn't able to sit out at any ball games yet.

I said all that to say, one reason I love team sports is that you are doing in for more than just yourself. There is the TEAM!! Playing team sports was one of the best things my parents ever did for me.  Being a part of something that is bigger than yourself is just something that can't be explained. While I've never been a fan of Louisville hoops- I hope the win it all. Go get it Cards. Do it for your team.

A Final 'Roll'

Auburn University has announced that the annual A-Day game will take place April 20th. On that day, there will be a final celebration of Toomers Corner. Soon after that, the trees will be removed. That truly breaks my heart. Even though the officials told us the trees weren't likely to make it, I kept holding out hope that a miracle would happen. Auburn posted a website and asked folks to share memories, but I can't do that in a few words on someone else's page, so I thought I'd do it here. There are more memories than I can write down.

Toomer's Corner has always been iconic for all of us. It represents us as much as Samford Tower or Jordan-Hare Stadium. When I was a kid, we would meet my grandparents and my aunt and uncle at the games. We would walk over to Anders, always stopping to look at the trees. Later after my grandparents died and my uncle wasn't really able to go to games anymore, I starting going to games with friends. I shared the traditions with them as well. Later, my family started to go to games together again. This time, passing the love and traditions down to my wonderful little nieces.

So for me, the memories of Toomers is my childhood. It holds memories of family. The memories are of my friends, who I still consider my family. Soon after the trees were poisoned, we took the girls to see them.

I fully believe that Auburn will replace the trees and will come to love the new icon as well. It does bother me that this is something I feel was stolen from us, but as an 'AU Family', we will move forward. We will still hold onto the glorious memories of winning, making new friends, passing traditions down to family, and showing old friends the beautiful traditions of Auburn. However, we will hold together and move forward to something new because that is who we are- a family.  My memories-they can't be taken away!

Sweet Auburn, loveliest village of the plain,
Where health and plenty cheered the labouring swain,
Where smiling spring its earliest visit paid,
And parting summer's lingering blooms delayed,
Dear lovely bowers of innocence and ease,
Seats of my youth, when every sport could please,
How often have I loitered o'er the green,
Where humble happiness endeared each scene.
-Oliver Goldsmith