War Eagle, Evan

The enemy strikes again. This story has really touched my heart this week. I wish I had known Evan personally, and I am proud to call him Family.

About the author: The Never to Yield Foundation is one of the best things to come out of the Auburn Family since Bo Jackson. They (whoever they are) are acutely tuned into the hearts of Auburn people, and I am amazed and thankful that they consistently produce a "voice" that speaks for all of us who can't seem to find the right words.

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War Eagle, Evan
Posted in NtY articles
September 23, 2011

If you exit I-65 at Valleydale Road and turn right, you can’t help but notice civilization start to shrink back. Smaller neighborhoods. Less hustle and bustle. Fewer worries and concerns.

Eventually, the road loses its name and turns into HWY 261. Just before a lone redlight, you see the small, weathered sign that says “Pelham High School Next Left.” To your right is nothing but grass, brush, and some distant ranch style homes with a large farmhouse anchored amidst a vast farm.

Further on, you weave through gaping quarries while the speed limit unnecessarily slows to 35mph.

You hit a bridge that is up to Madison County, IA standards, and to your right are old buildings worthy of the wild west.

Welcome to Helena, Alabama – home to a beloved young man who never played a down at Auburn, but left an indelible mark on the Tiger football team.

Evan Thomason was just like any other ten-year old boy from your neighborhood. But unlike most, Thomason was diagnosed with and battled valiantly against a rare form of cancer known as neuroblastoma.

His prognosis was always bleak but Evan maintained a positive demeanor and found strength and joy in the Auburn Tigers.

Sadly, Evan passed away on Thursday, September 22.

While tragedy has struck this young man and his family, the amount of joy he has brought to his community is unmatched.

And his community is much larger than the small, quaint town of Helena.

To say that Evan Thomason was one of Auburn’s greatest fans would be an understatement. Evan was part of the Auburn family. Evan’s community stretched 150 miles west into the center of Lee County.

Evan’s love for Auburn was by no means one sided. It was reciprocated by Auburn fans, players, coaches, and even mascots.

Over the past few years, numerous players including Neil Caudle, Tommy Trott, Andrew McCain, Barrett Trotter, Michael Dyer and Phillip Lutzenkirchen shared time with Evan. Coaches such as Trooper Taylor and Gene Chizik embraced him as a member of their team. And even Aubie made a special visit to spend time with the ten-year old fan.

While we may be discouraged by the recent loss to Clemson and while concerns over defensive woes are still on our minds, it’s important to remember that there are much greater battles being waged every day.

In difficult times, families rely on each other. This Auburn team, this coaching staff and all of us as fans strive to be a family. Luckily for us and especially Evan and others like him, this team truly understands what family means.

A football team is an entertainment product. A family is an inclusive, loving, nurturing, all-encompassing, unshakable bond.

Auburn lost a family member Thursday morning. We lost a family member long before he could take his first steps as an Auburn student; a family member who resided in a small town that sits aside the Cahaba River. A family member who may be distant to many of us, but whose impact cannot be overstated.

Please keep Evan Thomason and his family in your thoughts and prayers tonight and tomorrow.

Quite a few young men will still be thinking of him when they take the field under the lights of Jordan-Hare on Saturday night.

War Eagle, Evan and God Bless.

For more information about Evan, visit his website at CaringBridge.org.

- Never to Yield Foundation

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End Alzheimer's!

On Saturday, October 8th, I will be participating in Atlanta's Walk to End Alzheimer's. The end of Alzheimer's disease starts here. I'm walking to celebrate the life of Mary Smith, her family, and so many others who have been affected by Alzheimer's.

Mary's daughter, Stephanie, is one of my dearest friends (and my Phi Mu pledge sister) and she has been by her mother's side every step of the way. Through my friendship with Stephanie and Mary, I have watched a vibrant and loving woman, who was like a second mother to her daughters' friends, become barely able to comprehend the joy of being Mother of the Bride. I have watched my friend struggle to take care of her own young family while also having the responsibility of taking care of her mother who was diagnosed with this disease at such a young age. I am walking side by side with Stephanie and my friends so that another family will not have to watch the life fade from their loved one's eyes.

I’m walking to help reclaim the future for millions. By participating in the 2011 Alzheimer's Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s™, I’m committed to raising awareness and funds for Alzheimer research, care and support.

Currently, more than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's and that number is expected to grow to as many as 16 million by 2050. Our future is at risk unless we can find a way to change the course of this disease.

I need your support to do my part! Please make a donation to help the Alzheimer's Association advance research into prevention, treatments and a cure for Alzheimer’s. For the millions already affected by the disease, the Association offers care, education, support and resources in communities nationwide.

Thank you for joining our movement! The end of Alzheimer’s disease starts here.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Not So Surprising

I love feel-gooder stories that boost my faith in humanity, so here's one for you on this fine Friday.

I take you to last Saturday. A lovely day on The Plains, and a great day for a win against Starkpatch. My Uncle Mark (no immediate nickname came to mind, so we'll go with the real thing), came to Auburn to enjoy the game (as usual) and was also bringing with him 4 tickets for this Saturday's game against/at Clemson. He had the tickets in tow, because my brother was buying two of them from him, and they were to make the exchange at halftime.

When Mark arrived in Auburn, he checked to make sure he had the tickets (he did), and started his walk from the car to the stadium. When he got to the stadium - horror. He discovered he no longer had the Clemson tickets on his person. Figuring they were lost for good, he recounted the story to us at halftime at our standard family meet-up on the ramp outside of one of the scholarship sections where BG (my dad) sits. We were all saddened to hear this tale and felt bad for Mark and baby bro who were planning on using the tickets the following (this) weekend. But wait....

Uncle Mark

Behold! The happy ending...

I don't have the full details of the story, but I'll give you the general jist. As it turns out, a faithful, wonderful, and TYPICAL Auburn Man found Uncle Mark's tickets and contacted the Auburn Ticket Office with hopes of finding the rightful owner and returning them to him/her. As luck would have it, Mark did indeed buy his tickets through Auburn, so they were able to track them back to him. This wonderful Auburn Man gave Uncle Mark a call and said he would overnight the tickets to him, so he would have them in time for Saturday. Mark, eternally grateful, offered/insisted to reimburse the gentleman for the shipping expense, but he wouldn't hear of it. "Just do a kind deed for someone else in the future," the Auburn Man said. And that was that. All was right with the world (well, that might be overstating, but that's what I do).

So let this little story roll around in your soul a little bit today. It's so simple and something you would hope any decent person would do, but, when you hear it, it's a little surprising in the best possible way. Surprising, that is, if you don't really know Auburn people. Was I suprised? Delighted. Grateful. Inspired. Yes. But, surprised? Not really.

That's just the Auburn Family, and it is real.

Here we go again!

♫ It's the most wonderful time of the year! ♫

The sights. The sounds. The smells. FOOTBALL SEASON is upon us!

Kickoff cannot come soon enough, I tell you.

Defending National Champions has a lovely and entirely unfamiliar ring to it, but, trust me, I am under no delusions about what this season could look like for my beloved Auburn Tigers. Unlike some of our peers  (**clears throat**), it is not the Auburn way to spout off lofty preseason predictions, because really... WHO KNOWS what will happen?! That's the beauty of this time of year. ANYTHING is possible.

On this eve of the first college football Saturday of 2011,

• I hope that our boys have their heads right and are focused on what matters.
• I hope our coaches can see the possibilities and will find ways to inspire excellence.
• I hope Auburn students and alumni are ready to represent the place that we love so much with the honor and pride that we've always had.
• I hope Cam Newton and Nick Fairly are proud of where they came from and will remember that they are Auburn men forever.
• I hope Mr. Penny is adequately conditioned for A LOT of pushups.
• I hope to prove all of the critics wrong.
• I hope that Danny Sheridan will eventually realize that no one is listening anymore.
• I hope that Finebaum will take the high road for once.
• I hope that SBS, Evans, Schad, and the rest of them will actually get the facts (if there are any) on a story before reporting it.
• I hope that Jesse Palmer will consider buying shirts that are one size larger.
• I hope ESPN will incorporate subtitles for Dr. Lou.
• I hope Texas A&M knows what they are getting themselves into.
• I hope I never see the "look at my wrestling belt" move after a big play.
• I hope the next 4 months are filled with amazing highs, minimal lows, and just enough surprises.
• I hope I can get some sleep tonight...but it's not likely.

LET'S PLAY BALL!!!

WAR EAGLE!!!
ONE MORE DAY!

THIS.

2 Days.

WAR EAGLE!