It’s been a decade since the Gus Malzahn-Nick Marshall-led Auburn football program posted a 12-2 record, earning a trip to the BCS National Championship, where they fell to the Florida State Seminoles. Malzahn struggled to replicate the same success from 2014 to 2020, resulting in his firing after a six-win season. Auburn has failed to crack six wins in the post-Malzahn era, yet despite their recent struggles, they remain a storied SEC program with two titles, three Heisman Trophy Award winners, 27 bowl game victories, and eight conference championships.
On Saturday, the legendary Heisman Trophy winner Bo Jackson, one of the greatest two-sport athletes of all time, earned a spot in the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame, adding another chapter to the rich history of Auburn football.
Jackson, the 1985 Heisman winner with Auburn football, played for the Royals of Major League Baseball from 1986 to 1990, earning MVP votes during the 1989 campaign. Over the weekend, Jackson earned unwavering support from a longtime football coach of his alma mater, longtime Auburn frontman turned Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville. Tuberville coached Auburn more than ten years after Jackson’s departure. However, Tuberville’s public support of a former Auburn athlete comes just four years after several ex-Tigers players denounced the longtime frontman amid his run for senator and support for then-President Donald J. Trump.
Bo Jackson and Tommy Tuberville: Auburn Football Connection
From 1982 to 1985, running back Bo Jackson starred in the backfield for Auburn football. He rushed for 829 yards and nine touchdowns as a true freshman, earning first-team All-SEC honors. The following year, he became a consensus All-American, tallying 1,213 yards and 12 touchdowns on 158 attempts, including posting a 200-yard effort against rival Alabama. After an injury-shortened 1984 season, Jackson posted one of the best single seasons in SEC history. He rushed for 1,786 yards in 1985 en route to the program’s second-ever Heisman Trophy Award.
Congratulations to @BoJackson on being inducted into the @Royals Hall of Fame!
War Eagle https://t.co/8MKyDmlvHK
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) June 30, 2024
Auburn football retired his jersey number in 1992, seven years before the Tommy Tuberville era. Under Tuberville, Auburn regained their foothold on the SEC, winning nine or more games five times, including posting an incredible 13-0 record in 2004. Although Jackson and Tuberville never overlapped at Auburn, representation for the former actively disassociated themselves from Tuberville during his run for office in 2020. However, some former Auburn Tigers players did not mince words about Tuberville during his win for a seat on the United States Senate via Alabama.
Auburn Football Players: Disassociate From Tommy Tuberville
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One of the most decorated coaches of the early 2000s, Tommy Tuberville, coaches some of the best talent in Auburn football history. However, that doesn’t mean his transition to politics hasn’t alienated some, if not most, of his ex-players. Longtime Auburn standout Tommy Jackson publicly disapproved of Tuberville’s politics in an article by Kyle Dalton of Sports Casting circa 2020.
“He coached a team that had a majority of African American players. And President Trump has no interest in Black males. And so for Coach Tuberville to support someone like that—what does that say about somebody who has always thought this way to make millions of dollars off the same people the president intends to overlook or mistreat? It’s shameful. It’s downright shameful.”
Former Auburn corner Adlai Trone also said, “A lot of guys keep up with each other. There are a lot of different circles. It’s the majority that are disappointed. I think a lot of us would like to remain optimistic in saying that maybe if he gets in office, he’ll listen to what we have to say. I just hope he stands for something that represents the players that played hard for him.” Tuberville has primarily led a controversial first term in office, including putting a hold on military nominations in 2022.
Bo Jackson: Enters Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame
Despite his professional career being derailed by a gruesome hip injury, the two-sport superstar Bo Jackson entered the Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame late last week. The mythical and legendary Jackson, known for his jaw-dropping moves on the gridiron and towering home run shots on the diamond, spent five seasons in Kansas City while simultaneously playing running back for the Los Angeles Raiders. Jackson made his first MLB appearance in September of the 1986 season, playing 25 games while batting .207.
he Auburn product made the initial roster the following season, slugging 22 home runs in 116 games. However, the next three seasons, all with the Royals, solidified Jackson as one of the best five-tool players in the sport, a testament to his unique athletic ability.
From 1988 to 1990, Jackson showcased his versatility by averaging a 30-home run, 30-stolen base season per 162 games, slugging .496, and accumulating 7.9 WAR. He earned MVP votes in 1989 for registering a career-best 105 RBI. Conversely, Jackson rushed for 2,228 yards and 12 touchdowns during that span, highlighting his multi-talented skills and leaving a lasting impression on the sports world.
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