In April at the Arkansas match, 2020 Auburn graduate Michael Durham and his family joined this year's seniors for recognition of their Auburn men's tennis careers.
Durham, who played for the Tigers from 2016-20, had his senior season cut short by the covid pandemic. He posted 38 wins in singles and 15 doubles victories during his Auburn career and was a 2019 ITA Southern Region doubles finalist.
"It is a great feeling to be back since I never had a Senior Day originally, and I have always wanted to share this special feeling with my teammates," Durham said that day. "I'm excited to be back to support them for their match."
The Macon, Ga., product graduated from Auburn with a degree in exercise science, and, after taking 10 months away from tennis, Durham is playing again, this time for Mercer University, where he is taking classes and is applying to physical therapy school.
"Being an athlete, I have always had injuries and that sparked my interest in becoming a physical therapist," Durham, an SEC academic honor roll honoree, explained. "During my time here I attended about some fundraisers for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease), and I was able to learn a lot about it. I had the opportunity to shadow some physical therapists and it became my desire to be a physical therapist.
"I look forward to being able to create interpersonal relationships as a physical therapist, and that connection is something that drew me to physical therapy specifically."
Stepping away from tennis for a few months made him realize how much he loves and missed the sport. Durham's most memorable moment at Auburn was when he and current Auburn senior Tim Dollman paired up in doubles and made it to the ITA Southern Regional finals, only falling to LSU in the championship match. It was a special moment for the pair and something Durham says they will always be able to look back and smile about.
"I miss the bond I had with my teammates here and all the good and bad memories we have with each other. I'm still in touch with them and look forward to continuing that.
"During my time at Auburn I grew so much as a person through academics and athletics and learned many lessons from coaches, teammates, professors. As a student-athlete, I also learned better time management and how to use my time wisely," he recalled.
"This has prepared me for life beyond Auburn. Give 100 percent in everything you do, soak it all in, and enjoy every single moment here because it flies by. You'll look back and wish you were still part of it. It's the best years of your life."