He is one of the premiere student-athletes in Auburn University history in any sport. Rowdy Gaines was set to dominate at the 1980 Summer Olympics until the American boycott. He came back four years later in Los Angeles and won three gold medals.
Rowdy's broadcasting career began with The Battle of the Network Stars. That eventually led to Gaines becoming the preeminent analyst for swimming worldwide. He returned to the Olympics in Barcelona behind the microphone and will continue through Paris and back to Los Angeles.
Recently, the Auburn College of Human Sciences honored Rowdy at its 29th International Quality of Life Awards with the Lifetime Achievement Award.
We start the new year with Rowdy Gaines in this Talking Tigers Podcast, brought to you by Alabama Public Health.