Tag: Auburn Alumni

Derek Jeter to replace Frank Thomas on Fox Sports MLB pregame crew

Thomas was a staple of FOX’s Major League Baseball coverage for a decade.

After a decade as an on-air personality for Fox Sports MLB pregame shows, Auburn baseball and Chicago White Sox legend [autotag]Frank Thomas[/autotag] is being replaced by Derek Jeter. A New York Post article written by Andrew Marchand told the story.

“Frank has been an integral member of the FOX MLB studio team for nearly a decade and has helped raise the bar on our coverage while continuously growing the game of baseball,” a Fox Sports spokesman said in a statement to The New York Post on Saturday. “Although he is not a part of our coverage this season, ‘The Big Hurt’ will always be a member of our Fox Sports family and we wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Thomas has been a part of a team that has included MLB Hall of Famers such as David Ortiz and Alex Rodriguez and long-time MLB analyst Kevin Burkhardt.

Jeter will make his debut in June for the MLB London Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs.

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Florida Atlantic wins Conference USA title with former Tiger on staff

KT Harrell, a former Auburn player and coach, is celebrating a conference title with his current program.

[autotag]KT Harrell[/autotag] was quite the force for Auburn during his two seasons on the Plains.

Following his playing career, Harrell spent two seasons as a graduate assistant at his alma mater under [autotag]Bruce Pearl[/autotag] and took over as the director of basketball operations at Florida Atlantic last summer.

He has had a wonderful first season in Boca Raton, as he is part of a staff that just led the Owls to the Conference USA regular season championship. On Saturday, FAU defeated Texas-El Paso, 75-49 to clinch a share of the conference championship with two games remaining in the regular season.

The win moved FAU to 26-3 overall, and 16-2 in C-USA play. The Owls’ lone losses in conference play have been to UAB and Middle Tennessee State. In non-conference play, FAU upset in-state rival Florida in November, 76-74 in Gainesville for their most impressive win of the season.

Harrell started in all 65 games that he played at Auburn from 2013-15, where he averaged 18.4 points per game and would post a free throw percentage of .839.

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Charles Barkley reveals Super Bowl plans, which team he’s betting on

Not sure which team to root for on Sunday? Here’s who Sir Charles is betting on.

One of Auburn’s most famous alumni has placed his bet for Sunday’s Super Bowl 57 in Glendale, Arizona.

In a recent episode of the Steam Room podcast with Ernie Johnson, former Auburn basketball star [autotag]Charles Barkley[/autotag] revealed that he is placing a hefty bet of $100,000 on the Philadelphia Eagles to defeat the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday.

What sparks his interest in choosing the Eagles? He won big the last time he bet on Philadelphia to win a Super Bowl. It is not certain how much he bet, but he made a relatable comparison during a taping of Jimmy Kimmel Live! in 2018.

“In Alabama, it’d buy a big condo. In L.A., a small guest house,” Barkley said soon after the Eagles defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl 52.

Barkley also says that he plans to pull an all-nighter in Las Vegas following the Super Bowl. He and 12 friends will be playing golf this weekend before watching the game.

“By the time the game ends, I’ll probably gamble all night Sunday and go straight to the airport,” Barkley said.

Auburn will have two representatives on the Eagles roster for Super Bowl 57 as former offensive lineman [autotag]Jack Driscoll[/autotag] and former punter [autotag]Arryn Sipposs[/autotag] are active members of the Eagles. Former lineman [autotag]Prince Tega Wanogho[/autotag] will represent Auburn on the Kansas City Chiefs roster.

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Karlos Dansby named to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s 2023 class

Dansby joins seven other members who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame in May.

[autotag]Karlos Dansby[/autotag] had a great career as an Auburn Tiger in the early 2000s.

Dansby began his career as a wide receiver, before moving to safety, then ultimately to linebacker, which would lead to a stellar career in the NFL. Due to his success at both Auburn and during his 14-year NFL career, Dansby has been voted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame’s 2023 class.

In three full seasons at Auburn, Dansby recorded 225 tackles, which included 32.5 behind the line of scrimmage, and 10.5 sacks. His senior season was his most productive. Moving to linebacker, Dansby made 84 stops with 13 going for a loss. He also forced four fumbles during his senior campaign.

Dansby then went on to be drafted 33rd overall by the Arizona Cardinals in the 2004 NFL Draft, where he would spend eight professional seasons. While in Arizona, he had 776 tackles, with 77 being for loss and 33 sacks.

Dansby also played for the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, and Cincinnati Bengals.

Joining Dansby is former Alabama and New Orleans Saints linebacker Roman Harper, former UAB and Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White, and Gerald Wallace, who is known for his 18-year stint in the NBA, most notably playing small forward for the Charlotte Bobcats.

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Takeo Spikes inducted into Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame

The Auburn legend earned a high honor over the weekend by joining a decorated Hall of Fame class.

An Auburn legend has earned his place in history.

[autotag]Takeo Spikes[/autotag], who played linebacker for Auburn from 1996-97, was inducted into the Georgia High School Football Hall of Fame on Sunday. He, along with 44 other members, was included in the inaugural class.

Spikes joins College Football legends Herschel Walker and Buck Belue from Georgia, Eric Berry from Tennessee, and Charlie Ward from Florida State, as well as NFL Hall of Famers Calvin Johnson, Champ Bailey, Shannon Sharpe, and Frank Tarkenton as those inducted on the first ballot.

During his Auburn career, Spikes recorded 268 total tackles, 13 for loss. He would go on to play 15 years in the NFL for five different franchises, most notably as a member of the Cincinnati Bengals, where he spent five seasons. He also played for the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, and the San Diego Chargers.

He would also go on to play in two Pro Bowls and was a member of the All-Rookie team in 1998.

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Former Tiger included in “rising star coaching” list

Do not be surprised to see Travis Williams’ name linked to future head coaching vacancies.

During the mid-2000s, Auburn linebacker [autotag]Travis Williams[/autotag] was considered to be one of the best at his position.

Now, he is considered to be one of the best assistant coaches in the nation.

Williams was recently included in a list titled “25 assistants deserving strong head coach consideration” from On3 for his success in leading UCF’s defense as well as recruiting efforts.

Following a successful playing career at Auburn, Williams began his coaching career on the Plains, serving as an analyst from 2009-11. He spent time away from Auburn during the 2012 and 2013 seasons, gaining experience in on-the-field roles. He returned to Auburn, re-uniting with coach Gus Malzahn in 2014, where he would serve a variety of roles until 2020, when Malzahn was relieved of his coaching duties.

Williams was not retained on the staff once current head coach Bryan Harsin was hired, which allowed Williams to follow Malzahn to UCF, which is where he resides today.

One of Williams’ strong suits is recruiting. While at Auburn, he was responsible for bringing players such as [autotag]KJ Britt[/autotag], [autotag]Smoke Monday[/autotag], and [autotag]Zakoby McClain[/autotag], as well as players that are still on Auburn’s roster including [autotag]Owen Pappoe[/autotag] and [autotag]Wesley Steiner[/autotag] to the Plains.

During his career on the Plains from 2002-05,  Williams recorded 214 tackles, 22.5 of those were for a loss. His best season came during Auburn’s undefeated season in 2004, Williams made 80 stops with 9.5 tackles for loss and four interceptions.

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Former Auburn baseball player hired as head coach of high school softball team in Alabama

Former Auburn baseball player Damon Haecker was hired as the head softball coach at T.R. Miller High School (AL) on Monday.

On Monday, former Auburn baseball player Damon Haecker was hired as the new head softball coach at T.R. Miller High School in Brewton, Alabama. The news was reported by South Alabama Sports via Twitter.

Haecker played for the Tigers from 2014-2017. Over the span of four years, he started in 177 of the 188 games that he played on the Plains. He hit a combined .258 batting average with an impressive on-base percentage of .399. Although he wasn’t known for his power, Haecker still managed to have 70 runs batted in over the four years.

Since he graduated from Auburn, the Florida native has been quite a busy man. He began instructional training for the youth at Sports Academy in Opelika, Alabama in 2017. Soon after, he became the general manager for Diamond Impact Baseball (a travel baseball team in the East Alabama area). Along with that role, he was also a varsity assistant football and baseball coach at Lee-Scott Academy in Auburn, Alabama.

In the summer of that year, he spent time coaching a collegiate summer ball team in Ohio called the Grand Lake Mariners. Most recently, he served as an assistant coach at Ole Miss in 2020 where he helped out with the catchers on the team. I think it is safe to say that Haecker has a passion for being around the game as well as coaching.

Now, Haecker will do his best to bring the Tigers softball program to where it needs to be. While doing so, he will also have assistance from his wife, Danielle Haecker. Danielle played softball at Central Florida in college and also has some coaching experience at both Shorter University (D2) and Auburn University as well. The two will look to build off of a 28-17 season last year for the Tigers. It will be interesting to see how Haecker does in his new role as head coach for a different group of Tigers.

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Auburn legend set to hold autograph signing on May 7th

Former Auburn legend set to host autograph signing for fans on May 7th in Madison, Alabama.

It seems like yesterday when the famous kick six occurred. The call was made by the beloved Rod Bramblett. Many remember Bramblett vividly saying, “Auburn’s going to win the football game.”

That game still resonates in the minds of many Auburn fans. The Iron Bowl in 2013 will always remember the heroic antiques that occurred that day from Auburn defensive back and specialist Chris Davis.

Now, on May 7th, Auburn fans will have the opportunity to meet Davis and get his autograph while doing so. The autograph signing will be held in Madison, Alabama at Madison Mercantile. Fans will have the chance to meet with Davis from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. CT. Photographs, helmet replicas, and many other items will be available for purchase. By attending the autograph signing, the fans can say that they came in close proximity to an Auburn legend so to speak.

After Davis went undrafted in 2014, he signed as an undrafted free agent with the San Diego Chargers. He would spend just one season there before he joined the San Fransisco 49ers from 2015 to 2016. After two years of not playing football, he returned to the gridiron in 2019 to play for the Birmingham Stallions who were a part of the Alliance Football League. Currently, Davis coaches as a cornerback at Pinson Valley High School in Pinson, Alabama.

If you are looking for something to do, this is a great opportunity to meet one of the more prolific figures in Auburn’s history.

Taking a look at how former Tigers performed in the CFL last season

A look at how some of the former Tigers performed in the CFL this past season

Some may ask where some of Auburn’s more heroic players went after leaving Auburn. A number of those have since gone to the NFL.

However, some have been selected to play in the Canadian Football League. The CFL is another option for players who either aren’t quite ready for the NFL or need an opportunity to prove their game is ready for the highest level of football competition.

The league is very competitive and several Auburn players have made positive contributions to several of the league’s teams. We look back at how former Auburn Tigers players performed throughout the course of this past season.