One of the things that makes college football great is rivalries and there are few better in the game than that of Alabama and Auburn who meet at the end of each November in the Iron Bowl.
Since Nick Saban has gotten things really rolling with Alabama, the Tide have taken eight of the last 12 in the series but one of those four Auburn victories in that time resulted in perhaps as bizarre of college football fandom story as you’ll ever hear.
Harvey Updyke, a die-hard Alabama football fan was none-too-pleased when No. 9 Alabama blew a 24-0 lead to No. 2 Auburn in 2010, resulting in a 28-27 Tigers victory.
As the story goes, Updyke was so upset over the Crimson Tide loss to their rival that he drove the roughly 30 miles from his home to Auburn’s campus and poisoned a couple of the famed oak trees on Toomer’s Corner.
Updyke did it without anyone knowing but couldn’t keep to himself and let the world know of his actions when he called Paul Finebaum’s radio show in 2011 and described what he had done, under the alias Al from Dadeville.
“Let me tell you what I did,” Updyke told Finebaum on live radio. “The weekend after the Iron Bowl, I went to Auburn because I lived 30 miles away, and I poisoned the two Toomer’s trees. I put Spike 80DF in ‘em. They’re not dead yet, but they definitely will die.” – Harvey Updyke on Paul Finebaum Show in 2011
Hearing the call to this day still brings me discomfort. I like to think I really like college football compared to most people but when I think back to the Updyke story I realize that there is a difference between liking something a lot and truly being a fanatic.
I always think of Updyke whenever I hear the SEC motto “It Just Means More”.
Updyke was eventually ordered to pay $800,000 in court-ordered penalties and restitution after pleading guilty to the crime in 2013. He eventually offered a tearful apology for his actions.
Updyke died this past Thursday at 71 years of old from natural causes.