Championship special for Auburn fans

Monday was an exciting day for many people in Franklin County and the reason didn’t have anything to do with the snow.

Monday was a day that some Auburn football fans have waited a lifetime to see: the chance for their team to play for a national championship.

The hype surrounding the Auburn Tigers football program this year has been filled with negativity: allegations of cheating, lying and scandal seemed to dominate every sportscaster’s commentary where Auburn was concerned.

Star quarterback Cam Newton’s alleged payment to play for the school was the source of controversy for most of the season.

Fans of the undefeated team would ride a high from a win and fall to a low after the scandal was brought up once again.

For one Franklin County family, their love for Auburn took them on a roller coaster of emotions throughout this football season, but the ride paid off Monday night when their team sealed their perfect season with a national championship trophy.

Russellville graduate Ashley Hester is also a 2010 graduate of Auburn University where she received her degree in communication disorders. She said that going to Auburn was a lifelong dream.

“When it came to where I would go to college, there was never a decision to be made,” she said. “I always knew I would graduate from Auburn.”

Growing up, Ashley’s love for the school was instilled in her at an early age. Her grandfather, former Revenue Commissioner Don Garrard, is as big of an Auburn fan as they come. She also has four other family members who are Auburn alumni.

“I grew up traveling to Auburn with Mama Ann and Papa to every game that I possibly could,” Ashley said. “They have been tailgating and supporting Auburn for as long as I can remember but this year they were unable to make the long drive due to health issues, so they gave up their season tickets.

“But God has been so good to all of us and even though they have not been to a game all year, they were able to make it to the one that mattered most.”

Don, his wife Ann, and several other family members made the trip to Arizona for the big game. They didn’t have tickets but knew they didn’t want to miss the excitement in Glendale.

“It means a lot to be with the Auburn family out here,” Don said in an interview with WAAY on Saturday at the airport in Phoenix.

“I wanted to be here whether we got tickets or not because I wanted to be here for the activities before the game and after the game.”

Those activities included a game day tailgate party and an Auburn pep rally.

Since the Garrards couldn’t get tickets, they rented a private room with a big screen TV at “The Tuscan Over,” a restaurant just outside the stadium where their team was playing for the title.

“We watched the game with several people from Russellville and Phil Campbell and we had a great time,” Garrard said. “I bleed orange and blue and always have. I know I won’t live another 57 years to see another championship game so I knew I had to make the most of this experience.”

“We knew this was a once in a lifetime chance for us and we had a wonderful trip,” Ann added. “Stadium seating was not even large enough to accommodate all of the Auburn fans that wanted to attend.

“Even without tickets we had a wonderful time with family and friends.”

While the Garrards watched the game in Arizona, Ashley watched the game in Russellville with her mom, Michelle James; her stepdad, Ricky James; her sister, Katie Hester; and her brother, Will Hester.

“While watching the game, I was excited and nervous all at the same time,” Michelle said. “It was overwhelming to know that my parents were in Glendale getting to live this dream with the Auburn family after every obstacle my daddy has had to overcome with his health.

“Growing up in a family where two things were required: to wear Lee brand jeans and to yell, ‘War Eagle,’ I know this has been a long time coming for him and for all of us.”

Ashley’s younger sister, Katie, agreed that the game got tense from time to time, but she always believe the Tigers would pull through.

“The game was a nail biter until the very end,” Katie said. “I was receiving status update after status update from Facebook during each and every play. I never thought the Auburn Tigers couldn’t pull it out though. I am so happy to be part of the Auburn family.”

Due to the snowy conditions, Ashley’s aunt, Melanie Calvert, who is also an Auburn alumna, watched the game with her family in Muscle Shoals.

“It feels great to finally see us win a national championship because we have been so close so many times,” Calvert said. “My first year at Auburn was in 1993 when we had the perfect season. It was tough to see us win every game but not be able to be part of any post-season play.”

Auburn has had several good seasons in her lifetime, but Ashley had never gotten to experience the feeling of having her team claim the title of national champions – until Monday night.

“I wasn’t nervous when the game started. It just felt natural to me that we were playing in this game after all we have conquered this year,” Ashley said. “I recently graduated from Auburn University in May, which has allowed me to have a firsthand experience of our road to victory.

“After we won and all of the excitement hit me I began to cry. It was so emotional to watch those boys that I had seen across campus for the past two years and know that they had just achieved their ultimate goal and won the National Championship.”

When the game was over, Ashley and Katie went to celebrate the way she has celebrated an Auburn victory for the past several years: by rolling a tree.

“After the Tigers claimed victory we all – in our Cam jerseys – ran outside in the deep snow to roll the huge tree in our front yard, just like it was Toomer’s Corner,” Ashley said. “We then built an Auburn snowman under the tree complete with an Auburn jersey, hat and shakers.

“Every time Toomer’s Corner is rolled in Auburn, it always appears as if there has been an ‘Alabama Blizzard,’ so really, this year I guess you could say we Auburn fans were already used to all of that snow.”

She concluded with a phrase every Auburn fan is proud to hear, especially now: “War Eagle.”