AUBURN, Ala. – When Ellyn Hix exited the elevator at Jordan-Hare Stadium Saturday night, her friends on the Auburn football stat crew briefly broke the oldest rule in sports journalism.
No cheering in the press box.
Hix's colleagues applauded her for receiving Auburn Athletics' Pamela Wells Sheffield Award, presented annually to a woman who best embodies selfless service and commitment to Auburn University and the Auburn family.
"When I look at all these ladies who have received this before me – and I know a lot of them – it's overwhelming because to be able to stand with them is pretty special," said Hix, moments before receiving the award from interim director of athletics Rich McGlynn on Pat Dye Field. "I feel very honored."
Hix earned her bachelor's degree from Auburn University in animal sciences and her master's in agricultural economics. For nearly 33 years, she worked for Auburn University in information technology, retiring in 2018 as director of OIT user services.
Her duties included IT support for Athletics and implementing statistics programs, especially basketball and football, which she continues to run during games, even in retirement.
"I've been doing that for a long time," she said.
Ten years ago, Hix partnered with a few friends to form Our House, a ministry of By Our Love, an Alabama non-profit organization, which she serves as a volunteer, board member and assistant treasurer.
"We provide opportunity for kids who don't have as much as others," she said. "We help them after school with their schoolwork and create opportunities for them to see the rest of the world and things they may not get the opportunity to see."
For Ellyn and her husband, Bob, an Auburn football letterman who played offensive line for Coach Pat Dye in 1981-83, game nights are date nights.
While she keeps stats, he wears a red hat and carries a portable countdown clock, stepping onto the field during timeouts to let the teams and fans know how much time remains in a commercial break until play resumes.
"We live here," said Hix, mentioning that Bob used to officiate SEC games until retiring so he wouldn't miss their son's football games. "So he picked up this red hat gig. We both have been working at Auburn games for a long time.
"We both have been really involved in sports. It was easy to do because we both love sports and we both love Auburn."
There's no cheering in the press box, but for an Auburn woman as exceptional as Ellyn Hix, you make an exception.
2022 recipient Ellyn Hix with former Pamela Wells Sheffield Award winners
Pamela Sheffield Award winners:
1991: Pamela Wells Sheffield
1992: Evelyn Jordan
1993: none
1994: none
1995: Sara Waid
1996: Jane Moore
1997: Jan Lisenby
1998: Jean Welsh
1999: Kym Prewitt
2000: Debbie Shaw
2001: Patsy Alford
2002: Caroline Draughon
2003: Pat Wingfield
2004: Susan Hubbard
2005: Carol Clark Laster
2006: Sandra Newkirk
2007: Rebecca Hatcher
2008: Carolyn Reed
2009: Mary Boudreaux
2010: Joyce Ringer
2011: Gwen Reid
2012: Susan Housel
2013: Susan Nunnelly
2014: Meredith Jenkins
2015: Judith Jehle
2016: Harriet Giles
2017: Kimberly Hudson
2018: Jennifer Jarvis
2019: Dr. Barb Struempler
2020-21: Dr. June Henton
2022: Ellyn Hix
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer