AUBURN, Ala. – Senior linebacker Barrett Tindall wasn't always the fastest or the strongest, but he has definitely always had perseverance and grit.
Tindall always had his eyes set on playing at Auburn. His father Craig is an Auburn University marketing alum, so Barrett's family has long-time ties to the school. Barrett had opportunities for scholarships through academics elsewhere, but his mind was made up.
"I never wanted to go anywhere else," Tindall said. "Auburn was the only school I applied to.
"'War Eagle' is a two-word phrase that embodies the values and beliefs that Auburn men and women live out daily. While my time at Auburn as a student has been the best years of my life so far, I've been a part of the Auburn Family my whole life."
In the spring of his senior year at Briarwood Christian School in Birmingham, he had begun to think about walking on to the Auburn football team. He knew it would be a tall task, but he was up for the challenge.
Tindall's high school coaches remained in contact with the Auburn coaches, but entering his freshman year, the Tigers didn't hold walk-on tryouts because the roster was full.
Later, after some injuries, a few roster spots opened up, and Tindall was asked if he was still interested. "It was something I couldn't pass up," he recalled. "It really is a dream come true."
While his playing time has been limited, he vividly remembers the 2018 game against Liberty when he saw his first game action, especially looking up and seeing his family in the stands.
"That was a moment that fulfilled a dream," said Tindall, who says he still gets chills just thinking of running out of the tunnel for that game.
Tindall embodies both sides of the student-athlete equation. An honors student in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering, he has been named to the SEC Academic Honor Roll three times, and is scheduled to graduate in May, 2021, with a bachelor's degree in civil engineering with a specialization in construction. He has interned the past few summers with a construction company and a civil design company, and is still weighing his future career options.
A member of Phil Gamma Delta fraternity, Tindall has loved all the facets of his college experience at Auburn, but what means the most to him are his teammates.
"The brothers I have made on the team," he said. "Three or four years ago, I didn't know these guys, but now I consider them family and brothers. The most important thing about this season for me will be to get one last season together and make more memories."
One of his favorite memories is last year's home win over Alabama.
"I was as happy as anyone on the field after that game," he said. "The atmosphere on the sideline was electric, and when you grow up in Alabama and you're for Auburn, that's the best win every year. Being a part of that was a dream come true. God has been good.
"To me, Auburn isn't great because of the place, the school or the sports – it's great because of the people who make up those things. No matter what your niche is or your passions are, we will always share a bond because of the impact Auburn has made on us, and I'll forever be grateful to be a part of the Auburn Family."
Gabe Arena is a student worker in Auburn Athletics media relations