Rebuilding Together: Auburn, Alabama unite to 'rebuild our community' after tornadoes

Rebuilding Together: Auburn, Alabama unite to 'rebuild our community' after tornadoesRebuilding Together: Auburn, Alabama unite to 'rebuild our community' after tornadoes

Student-athletes from Auburn and Alabama unite to help tornado victims Saturday in Beauregard

BEAUREGARD, Ala. – Just like they do during Auburn football practices, defensive lineman Derrick Brown and offensive lineman Jack Driscoll lined up face-to-face, ready for impact.

This time, however, there was no clashing of shoulder pads, only the hammering of nails into lumber.

The senior leaders joined fellow Auburn Tigers and student-athletes from the University of Alabama Saturday to pre-build walls for three homes that will be constructed next week for families that lost theirs when tornadoes hit Lee County on March 3.

"Today is about helping rebuild our community," said Auburn Director of Athletics Allen Greene, flanked by Alabama AD Greg Byrne. "Our student-athletes are leading this charge. We're just happy to be able to contribute."

"We're all part of the state of Alabama," Byrne said. "We have the rivalry and that's an important part of what helps define the state. But when you have challenging times collectively in the state of Alabama, both Alabama and Auburn have done always a really good of coming together."

On the eight-year anniversary of a deadly tornado outbreak that devastated Tuscaloosa, student-athletes wearing crimson and white helped rebuild a community near Auburn's campus, just as Auburn Tigers did in Tuscaloosa in 2011.

"We don't get to do it often. At first it was a little weird," said Auburn senior tennis player Caroline Turner. "When we can come together to help and come together to help, we're enjoying it. We're putting the rivalry aside for sure. We're really enjoying being out here and giving back."

The student-athletes began working Saturday morning, stopping only for lunch provided by a volunteer fire department from Hot Coffee, Mississippi.

"We're one big family down here," said Brown, a campus and community leader throughout his Auburn career. "For us to say that, we've got to preach it. Being able to come out here and give back to people who give us so much every day, day in and day out. All of these people are working people, and then on Saturday, they come out and cheer us on.

"That shows how dedicated we are to helping each other on and off the field. As the SEC, we always say the brand is better. It's one of those things we live and preach."

Cornerstone of East Alabama Medical Center partnered with the Chattahoochee Fuller Center for Housing to lead the project, building homes next week for three families connected to EAMC.

The camaraderie between the schools won't be as congenial when the Tigers host their rivals at Jordan-Hare Stadium on Nov. 30. But on this day, both teams were winners because they helped hurting families start over.

"We've been fortunate to come out here as a team a couple times," Auburn football coach Gus Malzahn said. "To get a chance to come back out again for such a great cause. Honored and blessed to be a part and be able to help any way we can."

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer