Independence Day: A Dive into Auburn's All-Americans
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The All-American holiday, Independence Day, is upon us again. Time for some barbecue and fireworks with family and friends. The Fourth of July is also a perfect time to look back and celebrate the Auburn Family's Football All-Americans.
Auburn Football has produced 81 first-team All-Americans. Jimmy Hitchcock was the first one selected from Auburn in 1932 and one of 31 consensus choices. He along with fellow All-Americans Walter Gilbert, Monk Gafford, Tex Warrington, and Travis Tidwell not only wore the orange and blue of Auburn, but also wore the red, white and blue for America during World War II. After the war all went on to play professional football.
Jimmy "Red" Phillips became Auburn's first unanimous All-American choice as co-captain of Coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan's 1957 National Championship team. Unanimous choices are reserved for truly special talents and Phillips was that. He played wide receiver and defensive end for the Tigers and was taken in the first round of the 1958 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams.
The Tigers would not have another unanimous choice until 1971 when Pat Sullivan and Terry Beasley received the honor. Sullivan and Beasley are firmly etched in Auburn lore having led the Tigers to a 26-7 record in their three years on the plains. In 1971 Sullivan threw for 2,012 yards and 20 touchdowns on his way to becoming Auburn's first Heisman Trophy recipient. Beasley was on the receiving end of 12 of those touchdowns and was 37 yards shy of a 1,000-yard season. Both were selected in the 1972 NFL Draft, Beasley in the first round by the San Francisco 49ers and Sullivan in the second round by the Atlanta Falcons. Both had their numbers retired at Auburn.
Only six players since 1971 have been unanimous picks and all but one of them were from the Pat Dye Era. Vincent "Bo" Jackson, like Sullivan and Beasley, is deeply ingrained in Auburn's rich, football history. He followed in their footsteps as a unanimous All-American choice in 1985 and like Sullivan would win the Heisman Trophy that year. Bo was an unstoppable machine on the field, so much so, that the only thing that held him back during his Auburn career were injuries. During the 1985 season Bo averaged 6.4 yards per carry as he rushed for 1,786 yards and 17 touchdowns. Bowas not only the greatest running back ever to carry the ball on the plains, he is arguably the greatest athlete of the 20th century. His number 34 was retired in 1992, but fans have continued wearing it for decades.
Pat Dye's Auburn teams produced two more unanimous All-American selections in 1986, Ben Tamburello and Brent Fullwood. Tamburello was one of the key recruits in 1983 that helped bring balance back to the Alabama rivalry, a Birmingham native that shunned the Tide in favor of the Tigers. He was a team captain and was also named SEC Lineman of the year. He anchored the offensive line that paved the way for Brent Fullwood. Fullwood was a quick and deceptive runner that would not quit as he rushed for 1,391 yards and scored 10 touchdowns with an average of 8.3 yards per carry, which led the nation and the SEC. He was selected by the Green Bay Packers as the fourth overall pick of the 1987 NFL Draft. Tamburello was chosen in the third round of the same draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Auburn was named the team of the decade in the SEC during the 1980s closing out the decade as conference champions in 1987, 1988, and 1989. All those teams were defined by a tenacious defense that gave up an average of 9.8 points per game over that three-year span. The heart of the defense in 1987 was one Aundray Bruce, Auburn's fourth unanimous All-American of the 80s. Bruce was a wild man on the filed and off, and is perhaps most remembered for a 10 tackle, three interception game against Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The last interception he returned for a TD and ran straight into the locker room as time expired. Bruce was selected as the number one pick of the 1987 NFL Draft.
Auburn's 1988 defense led the nation in total defense, scoring defense, and rushing defense. Defensive tackle Tracy Rocker was its leader. Rocker was a wrecking machine during his time on the Plains racking up 354 career tackles, 21 sacks and 48 tackles for loss. He was named a unanimous All-American after the '88 season and also won the OutlandTrophy and Lombardi Award as the top lineman in the country. He was selected in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft by Washington.
As the 1990s began, Auburn continued its dominance on the interior lines. Offensive Lineman Ed King paved the way for Auburn's rushing attack of James Joseph and Stacy Danley. King standing 6'4" and weighing 284lbs was a mountain of a man in the days before 300+ pound lineman. He garnered first-team All-SEC honors, as well as being named Pat Dye's last unanimous All-American. He was a second-round pick of the Cleveland Browns in the 1991 draft. He would be the last unanimous All-American from Auburn for the next 29 years.
Auburn landed Derrick Brown the third-ranked defensive lineman of the 2016 class. He would become the most dominant tackle on the Plains since Tracy Rocker. A three-year starter and team captain, he was named first-team All-SEC and became Auburn's most recent unanimous All-American in 2019. Brown recorded 170 tackles in his career, 88 solo, 82 assisted, and 33.5 for loss. He was the seventh 2020 NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers.
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