Rivals Unite for Recovery
Community Giving
Thousands turned out at Spain Park High School in Hoover in August to watch their favorite gridiron greats from Alabama and Auburn match wits on the field in the first of what is hoped to become an annual Rivals Unite for Recovery alumni flag football game. The Alabama Power sponsored event was established to benefit those impacted by the April 27th tornadoes.
“While the world has moved on, we still have much work to do,” said University of Alabama Athletics Director Mal Moore. Auburn Athletics Director, Jay Jacobs added, “We learn the most about each other in difficult times, and what we have learned about Alabamians since the devastating tornados is that what binds us together is much bigger than what sets us apart.”
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re Alabama or Auburn. We’re all Alabamians,” echoed Governor Robert Bentley, on-hand for the pre-game coin toss.
This sentiment rang true as fans from both sides filed into the stadium getting autographs from their favorite players. They were there to root for their favorite team and players, but in a greater sense, they turned out to help and raise funds for tornado relief.
The legendary Bo Jackson coached and had fun ribbing players and refs from the Auburn sideline. While many of the 150 alumni athletes hadn’t suited up in years, notables such as David Smith, Patrick Hape, Siran Stacy, Adlai Trone and Shannon Brown showed they still had all the right moves.
In the end, Matt Miller caught a 13-yard Andrew Zow pass to bring the game within one with 54 seconds left. With a successful two-point conversion, Alabama pulled it out – 42-41.
The score didn’t really matter as everyone was a winner. The day was all about two storied programs and long-time rivals uniting for a common cause.
