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"War Eagle Suprise"
Spirit the eagle, Auburn University’s mascot, took its traditional aerial tour around the bleachers of Jordan-Hare
Stadium before the kickoff of Auburn’s football game against Mississippi State on Saturday. He was looking quite majestic in flight as
the crowd of 85,000 cheered until … smack — Spirit crashed right into a glass-enclosed luxury box. To the bird’s credit, he was able to
recover from the full-body blow almost immediately, and continued his rounds like a pro.
Auburn University Tigers
Since Auburn's first football game in 1892, the Tigers have won one national championship
(1957) and six SEC titles (1957, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989 and 2004). And since 1980, the Tigers have averaged eight wins per season and
appeared in 17 bowl games. All totaled, Auburn has sent 198 players to the NFL, with 15 earning 30 All-Pro honors and 23 playing in
Super Bowls. Auburn football has had four players selected No. 1 overall in the NFL Draft. Quarterback Cam Newton was the most recent
Tiger to be the top overall pick, going to the Carolina Panthers in 2010. Auburn has had nine players selected in the first round of the
NFL Draft since 2002, including a pair of first round selections in 2010. Bo Jackson played football and baseball for the Tigers from
1982-1985 before playing professionally with the Los Angeles Raiders and Kansas City Royals. Jackson became the first professional
athlete to play in both the MLB All-Star game and NFL Pro Bowl. Auburn linebacker Mike Kolen was member of the 1972 "No Name Defense"
that led the Miami Dolphins to the only perfect season in NFL history. Auburn had five players picked in the 2005 NFL draft with four
going in the top 25. Ronnie Brown went second to the Miami Dolphins, while his running mate, Carnell Williams went fifth to the Tampa
Bay Buccaneers. Carlos Rogers went ninth and Jason Campbell went 25th. Both were picked by the Washington Redskins. Jay Ratliff was
picked in the seventh round by the Dallas Cowboys. All totaled, Auburn has sent more than 250 to the NFL, with 19 earning 35 All-Pro
honors and 31 playing in Super Bowls.
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