Star to student: Auburn baseball great Tim Hudson returns to school

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Cat Wofford/Auburn Athletics

Back to school: Tim Hudson walks to class during the spring semester

AUBURN, Ala. – When Auburn's baseball team departed for Omaha, Tim Hudson, the star of the Tigers' 1997 College World Series team, joined hundreds of fans for a Tiger Walk 22 years in the making.

"It just goes to show you the Auburn family and how much they support Butch [Thompson] and this baseball program," Hudson said. "I think Auburn athletics as of late has been something to really be proud of. The boys deserve it. I think the coaching staff and these Auburn baseball players really deserve this kind of send-off."

Tim Hudson, wearing blue shirt and orange Auburn cap, attended reverse Tiger Walk for Auburn's trip to Omaha 

Hudson is on a first-name basis with many of the current Tigers. Like them, he is an Auburn University student.

More than two decades after leaving Auburn to embark on a 17-year Major League Baseball career, the man teammates and friends call "Huddy" is back in school.

"When I left Auburn I was a few hours shy from getting it," said Hudson, who anticipates graduating in 2020. "I'm excited to get it under my belt, and get that paper on the wall and be a good example to my kids.

"It's been challenging. It's been fun. It's been really interesting, and I'm encouraged to get in there and get this thing wrapped up."

Tim Hudson prepares to throw out the first pitch during the 2019 season

Majoring in interdisciplinary studies, Hudson's focus on philanthropy studies and health promotion is a natural choice given Tim and his wife Kim's longstanding community service through their Hudson Family Foundation.

"I feel like I'm pretty familiar with those areas so maybe that'll make my classes a little easier," he said. "In this chapter of our lives, it's something we've been interested in for a while with our foundation and doing some of the things we've been a part of in the communities throughout Alabama and Georgia. It's just something that feels like it's in-line with where our lives have been going over the past 20 years."

Much has changed since Tim's first stint as an Auburn student.

"It was all old-fashioned. Pen, paper, listening to the professor," said Hudson, comparing student life then and now. "Getting on Canvas, looking at your assignments and checking out your grades, submitting stuff, uploading things and sending them to this file and that file. It's something that I wasn't used to 20 years ago."

Thankfully, with three teenagers at home, Tim has plenty of technology tutors.

"I've never had to do a PowerPoint presentation, so I had to reach out to my two daughters to help me, show me the ropes on how to do the PowerPoint presentation, and that was kind of embarrassing," he said. "They've been a big help."

Tim and Kim's oldest daughter, Kennedie, will be an Auburn University freshman this fall.

"It's been a running joke that I was going to milk this thing out so that she and I graduated together," Tim said.

Hudson returned to Omaha in June, this time as a fan. In his previous visit, Hudson displayed his remarkable two-way dominance in Auburn's 10-1 win over Rice in 1997, earning the victory on the mound while driving in six runs at the plate.

"The support that the university, the community and the student-body has given this baseball program over the last four years since Butch has been here, it's exciting," he said. "Butch has done a tremendous job. The coaching staff here has done an awesome job.

Tim Hudson with Auburn coach Butch Thompson during the 2019 season

"I'm proud to be an alumni of this program and I'm proud to come out and support these guys. Some great kids, and he goes out and gets some of the best players in the country. Once they get on campus and they meet the coaching staff and see everything that Auburn has to offer, I think it's something that's a pretty easy choice for a lot of players."

Five years removed from a World Series championship with San Francisco and four years since his last MLB game, the 222-game winner stays close to baseball, coaching his son, Kade, and cheering for the orange and blue.

When he's not taking tests and writing research papers.

"It was an easy transition for me back to civilian life, whatever you want to call it," Hudson said. "I played 17 years. I look back with no regrets. Having a chance to come here and be a part of this baseball program here with Auburn, and hang out with the guys, get your baseball fix, so to speak, hanging out in the locker room. My son is 14. He's knee deep in baseball and practice, and I'm helping out with his team. I definitely have my baseball fixes in place. It just doesn't have anything to do with me throwing or catching the ball."

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