'Exhilarating' - Allen Greene takes in first Auburn home game

'Exhilarating' - Allen Greene takes in first Auburn home game'Exhilarating' - Allen Greene takes in first Auburn home game

AUBURN, Ala. – Allen Greene walked up to a tailgate Saturday as if he were just another fan. Other than the cameras following him around, you wouldn't have known any differently. He started talking to the family who was gathered there in anticipation of the Alabama State game that evening and asked one of the college students about their first test of the semester.
 
"I made a 94," she said.
 
"Congratulations," responded Greene.
 
It was as if he had been at Auburn for years, and he was simply having a conversation among friends. At another tailgate, he sang the fight song with a group of people. When passing through the campus green, he threw a football to a swarm of kids.
 
At every stop along the way, Greene would walk up and introduce himself. "I'm Allen."
 
"We know who you are," one fan replied.
 
That's because Greene isn't just another fan. He's the new Director of Athletics at Auburn, and Saturday was his first home game, the first time he had ever experienced what a game day looks and feels like on the Plains. From the tailgating to Tiger Walk to the eagle flight to rolling Toomer's Corner after a victory, he now knows the passion and the love that Auburn fans bring with them to every home game in the fall.  
 
"There is so much to take in," Greene said the next day. "Being able to interact with our fans and donors. I really enjoyed taking in all the sights and sounds and experiencing the traditions that I have heard so much about.
 
"I have been an Auburn Man my whole life. I just didn't know it until I got here."


 
Tiger Walk
 
It was 4:15 p.m., and Greene was sitting in the athletic complex waiting on head football coach Gus Malzahn and the team to arrive outside for Tiger Walk. For Greene, it was really the first time all day that he'd had a chance to catch his breath.
 
But there was an excitement there, too. He wasn't nervous as much as he was eager to take part in this tradition that he had heard so much about. He'd already seen the fans lining up on either side of Donahue Street earlier in the day, and in a matter of moments, he was going to walk through the crowd to the stadium.
 
When the buses pulled up, Greene greeted Malzahn and defensive coordinator Kevin Steele as they stepped off. He waited with the coaches while all of the players exited. You could already hear the Marching Band playing next to them.


Then it was time. Malzahn went first, followed by Greene. Fans on both sides stuck their hands out for high-fives or took pictures and videos on their phones. Greene high-fived and said "War Eagle" to as many as he could along the way.
 
"Look, it's Allen," some would say as he walked by.
 
"I didn't anticipate that level of excitement during Tiger Walk," Greene said. "That really caught me off guard. It was exhilarating."
 
Eagle flight (pre-game)
 
Less than 60 minutes before kickoff, Greene joined his family down on the field. It was an opportunity to spend some time with them while also meeting and greeting with various Auburn coaches, student-athletes and former student-athletes.
 
At 6:21 p.m., it was time for the eagle flight, one of the more renowned traditions in college football. Spirit took off from the southwest corner of Jordan-Hare Stadium where Greene saw her and pointed her out to his kids. They all watched together as Spirt flew around the stadium before landing at midfield.
 


"It's going to take me another time or two to really be able to just focus on the eagle fight and the rarity of that experience," Greene said. 
 
Later, after the Marching Band performed their pre-game show and this year's tunnel hype video played on the scoreboard, Greene and his family went over by the goal post and waited for the team to run out of the tunnel. All of a sudden, they and everybody else around them were engulfed in smoke as Malzahn and the players ran out. The atmosphere in the stadium was electric.
 
Among those who ran out of the tunnel was Auburn legend Bo Jackson. Greene saw Jackson and introduced him to his son, Samuel, who still a little curious about the smoke.
 
Then it was up to his box to watch the game with his family.


 
Locker room (post-game)
 
The game itself went about as well as expected for Auburn, who jumped out early and never looked back. The Tigers won in dominating fashion, 63-9.
 
Afterwards, Greene went down to the locker room to celebrate with the coaches and players. Not only was it the first home win in Greene's tenure as athletic director but it was also the first win in the new locker room.
 
Initially, Greene stood back to take it all in, but then after Malzahn gave his post-game speech, the Auburn coach awarded the game ball to Greene, commemorating his first home victory as the athletic director. The players loved it as they cheered and created an aisle for Greene to walk through and join Malzahn in the center of the room.
 
"Gus, as a very thoughtful person, gave me the game ball, which was really gracious and unexpected," Greene said. "I had an opportunity to lead the fight song afterwards with the team. That was a great experience."
 
Toomer's Corner
 
No game day at Auburn is complete without a trip to Toomer's Corner. By the time Greene got over there Saturday, the trees were already covered in toilet paper. Per tradition, Greene took his roll of toilet paper, and the former collegiate baseball player hurled it over the tree.
 
It was the perfect end to the perfect day.
 
But it's also just the beginning for Greene. There will be plenty more opportunities to see the eagle fly or to roll Toomer's Corner after a win. The common message from fans all day, both in person and on his Twitter mentions, was "Wait until next week."
 
Next week, the atmosphere is expected to jump to an 11 as Auburn hosts SEC-West rival LSU. Greene knows it will be different and is looking forward to it.
 
There's nothing like your first game day at Auburn, though, and Saturday will be a day that Greene and his family will never forget. From his first interview to when he was hired to the eight months that he's been on the job, he's said time and again that Auburn has felt like home. His first home football game was no different. He felt right at home.  
 


Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf