Nothing better signals the start of a college football game than the eagle flight soaring above a sold-out Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Now that is 𝗔𝘂𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗔𝘂𝗯𝘂𝗿𝗻.
For more than 100 years, eagles have been associated with Auburn Football. From a static presence on the sidelines to rousing flights over the field, War Eagle has become an icon.
This is an excerpt from a story that ran last fall - Uniquely Auburn: Gameday at Jordan-Hare Stadium
'A special moment'
Just like the Auburn Tigers, the Auburn eagles practice all week long so they'll be at their best on gameday.
"We're out here in Jordan-Hare Stadium Monday through Friday from July until the end of the season," said Andrew Hopkins, in his 10th season directing Auburn's eagle flights.
Hopkins trains Aurea, a golden eagle that began flying before Auburn games in 2018 and was officially named War Eagle VIII the following year. Fellow raptor trainer Amana Sweeney handles Independence, a bald eagle that debuted last season.
"We hear from fans about how they tear up when the eagle flies," said Hopkins, an Auburn University zoology graduate and the assistant director of raptor training and education at the Southeastern Raptor Center in Auburn University's College of Veterinary Medicine.
When they're not training Aurea and Indy at the stadium, Hopkins and Sweeney take their show on the road to visit schools.
"About 300 shows a year," Hopkins said. "When we go to an elementary school and kids see an eagle for the first time up close, it gets almost as loud as Jordan-Hare Stadium on gameday."
The eagle flight attracts visitors, even if they're not yet fans of Auburn football, says Hopkins.
"We've even received letters from people who have no Auburn affiliation and no SEC affiliation, but they've come to an Auburn game because it was on their bucket list to see the eagle fly," Hopkins said.
Though eagles have been associated with Auburn football for more than a century, the pregame flight did not begin until Aug. 31, 2000, when Tiger, also known as War Eagle VI, flew from the end zone to midfield, delighting the 76,128 fans in attendance for the season opener vs. Wyoming.
Before long, the flights began on the concourse between the lower and upper bowls, making for a more majestic flight as the eagles circle the stadium before locating their trainer at midfield.
"Auburn fans love the eagle flight," Hopkins said. "They love both the War Eagle, and when we fly Independence, our bald eagle. It brings everyone together and it's a special moment."
