Jan. 2, 2017
By Jack Smith
Will Herring will never forget what Coach Tommy Tuberville told the team moments after Auburn finished a perfect season with a hard-fought win over Virginia Tech in the 2005 Sugar Bowl.
Tuberville told them not to worry about what could've been during that magical season.
"I'll never forget what Coach Tubs told us," Herring said. "We were in the locker room after that game and he told us to just stop and embrace the moment. He reminded us it was the last time we would ever be in that locker room together as a team at the same time. That really hits home, especially as the years go by."
Sweet memories flooded Herring's mind as he drove his family from Auburn to the Big Easy for the 2017 Sugar Bowl this weekend.
He remembered his time as an Auburn Tiger and as a member of the New Orleans Saints.
"I had a lot of emotions just pulling into the city," Herring said. "To me, it's a special place."
The trip down memory lane led Herring and several dozen other Tigers to a festive reunion at Jax Brewery on the edge of Jackson Square in New Orleans on Sunday evening, as rain poured on the Crescent City.
Happy memories came flooding with it for Herring and other members of past Sugar Bowl teams spanning three decades.
There were stars like Carnell Williams, Ronnie Brown and Carlos Rogers from the 2004 team, and legends like Bill Newton, who played in the 1971 Sugar Bowl team that built a foundation for one of the greatest wins in Iron Bowl history the following year against Alabama, when Newton blocked a pair of punts to forever etch his name in Auburn lore.
There were unsung heroes and walk-ons, too, those who were just as much a part of building a program into a national power.
Athletics Director Jay Jacobs, a member of the 1983 team that defeated Michigan to secure the Tigers' first Sugar Bowl victory, said the reunion party was a chance to recognize all the teams who helped turn Auburn into a household name.
"The 1971 team made history by earning a Sugar Bowl berth," Jacobs said. "In 1983, we put Auburn back on the map. The 2004 team solidified Auburn as contender. Since then, we've been able to play for two national championships. All of the teams we are celebrating here tonight, including the 1988 and 1989 teams, helped make that possible."
Jacobs said Auburn people hold a special place in their hearts for the 2004 team because it did all it could on the field. While some remember the team for being left out of the National Championship game, Jacobs most remembers how it changed college football. Forever.
"The 2004 team started the college football playoff," Jacobs said. "After we got left out of the national championship picture is when former SEC Commissioner Mike Slive said we would never let that happen again. With that, two things happened. The plus-one model was born, and Auburn became a prominent program that would always be part of the conversation."
Yann Cowart, who played center at 235 pounds in the 1983 game, echoed the same thoughts Herring had in the Superdome locker room 12 years ago as he visited with former teammates at the venerable New Orleans bar, where a large crowd of Auburn supporters gathered to listen to Tiger Talk and tales from years gone by.
"This has just been great," Cowart said, "It's always great to gather everybody together. I really appreciate Jay and athletics gathering everybody together. I guess we are 34 years removed from that game, and there are not going to be that many times we are all going to be together again. It's special."