AUBURN, Ala. – The selection of Justus Perry as the 2020 recipient of the Virgil Starks III Passion Award comes as no surprise to those who have attended Auburn softball games the past four seasons.
"I never was the best athlete," said Perry, a senior from Prior Lake, Minnesota. "I never was the person who got picked first in gym class, but I always worked hard and I always was taught by my parents to give my best."
Named for the late director of Auburn's Student-Athlete Support Services, the Starks Passion Award honors a student-athlete who demonstrates exceptional spirit by encouraging, playing hard and maintaining a winning attitude on and off the field.
"It means everything," said Perry, a member of the Academic All-SEC Team since her freshman year who has been involved in community service and served as a CONNECT leader for incoming freshman. "Growing up I was always told if you have passion, if you do everything you can with hard work, with ambition, with everything you have, then people are going to notice you. People can't look away from someone who's giving everything they have.
"It's a really big deal to me to know that other people recognize that I'm passionate about Auburn and my sport. Being an Auburn woman and being everything that that encompasses, it really means a lot, and you can see how much I really love this place."
After graduating from Auburn University's College of Liberal Arts this spring with degrees in law and justice, and Spanish, Perry planned to attend law school. Then came the coronavirus pandemic, which ended her senior season just as the Tigers were about to begin SEC play.
With the NCAA granting eligibility relief to spring sport student-athletes, Perry now intends to remain at Auburn to pursue a master's degree in Hispanic studies while playing for the Tigers as a super senior in 2021.
"I wouldn't want it any other way," the first baseman said. "Ending a season like that, I wouldn't wish that upon anyone. I think everyone should have the opportunity to fulfill their dream that they've had since they were a little kid."
While finishing her last undergraduate semester remotely, Perry kept her batting eye sharp and her swing in midseason form, thanks to backyard BP.
"I've got a whole setup in my backyard," she said. "That's an everyday thing. I haven't really missed out on anything. I feel like I'm at practice."
The 10th annual AUSPY Awards have a different feel than in previous years. Instead of dressing up and receiving the Virgil Starks III Passion Award onstage at the Gogue Performing Arts Center, Auburn presented the award online.
Whether in person or on social media, the recognition meant the same to Justus Perry, knowing her name will forever be connected to a revered Auburn figure whose daughters annually attend the AUSPYs to present an award named for their father.
"If you're going to be a part of Auburn, you're going to be a part of it forever," Perry said. "His legacy is always going to be here. When I attended the AUSPY and they gave out this award last year, it was such a special moment. You could tell by observing his daughters this his passion was there, That's something that's extremely special."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer