AUBURN, Ala. – The first time Tennessee came to Auburn's campus marked the first time Tommy Elliott worked on the football stat crew.
"September of '74," recalled Elliott, a native of the Volunteer State who at that time served as Auburn University's assistant director of admissions.
Elliott's boss, Hub Hawkins, recruited Tommy to join him spotting on the stat crew.
"When I was standing behind him, he said, 'You back me up,'" remembered Elliott. "So I did."
The next season, 1975, Hawkins spotted Auburn's offense while Elliott handled the spotting when Auburn was on defense, a job he still holds a half century later.
"It seems impossible to have done this for 50 years and only be 39 years of age," Elliott joked.
Tommy Elliott (far left, in 1980s) began keeping stats in 1974
With his trusty binoculars, Elliott watches the point of attack, noting tackles, assists, fumbles forced and recovered, tipped passes, interceptions and so on.
"Sometimes you miss it," Elliott noted, especially in the up-tempo, no huddle era. "Today, when you miss it, you have the blessing of the TV monitors for replays. It did not start out like that."
After playing baseball at Austin Peay in the mid-1960s, Elliott came to Auburn for graduate school in the fall of 1966.
"I had every intention of staying 12 months and leaving," he said. "But I fell in love with Auburn. Auburn is a special place with special people. It was simply a perfect fit."
After earning his Auburn University master's degree and working at Auburn High School for three years, Elliott worked in admissions from 1970-77 before moving across campus to work for the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service until his retirement on New Year's Eve in 2021, more than 50 years of faithful service to Auburn.
"It's been a fast trip," said Elliott, who earned his Auburn University doctorate in education in 1991.
From the first Iron Bowl on the Plains in 1989 to the Prayer in Jordan-Hare and Kick Six in 2013, Elliott somehow managed to abide by the cardinal rule of his Saturday workplace: no cheering in the press box.
"They have to rank as the highest," Elliott said of rivalry wins. "When you do well against your chief opponents, those are the things that hang with you longer than most."
Another game against a Saban-coached team stands out for opposite reasons. Lou Saban, that is.
In 1978, Doug Barfield's Tigers led Lou Saban's Miami Hurricane's 15-14 in the closing minute. On fourth down from their territory, Miami ran a draw play, with Ottis Anderson breaking a long run to set up a game-winning field goal in the Canes' 17-15 victory.
"Some of them hurt worse than others," Elliott said. "You remember those, particularly in a game that we had won, in years that we needed victories."
Prior to 1989, Auburn's stat crew worked Iron Bowls In Birmingham in years in which the Tigers were the designated home team. In 1983, after Bo Jackson rushed for 256 yards and two touchdowns in Auburn's 23-22 win, Elliott lingered at Legion Field.
"Those of us who rode together, they were saying, 'Tommy, c'mon, we've got to go,'" Eliott said. "I said, 'Listen. I'm going to look as far as I can to the left. I'm going to look as far as I can to the right. I want to soak every single drop of it in.'"
'Every year I look forward to it"
Midway through his 50th season, Elliott expects to be back in the press box next fall for No. 51.
"Every year I look forward to it," he said. "I have no earthly idea when I'll hang up my binoculars. When I see it's time, I'll do it, but it's something I've thoroughly enjoyed."
Thinking he would just be passing through, Tommy Elliott came to Auburn 57 years ago. In the years since, he has impacted Auburn just as Auburn has impacted him.
"Don't lose faith in this university," he said. "In good seasons and bad seasons, love Auburn at all times under all circumstances and do all you can to support it in a way that you can look back and be proud of it."
'A perfect fit': Tommy Elliott is in his 50th season on Auburn's stat crew
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer