6/21/2023 0 Comments Stadium hype songs![]() ![]() Though eagles have been associated with Auburn football for more than a century, the pregame flight did not begin until Aug. “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. The eagle flight attracts visitors, even if they’re not yet fans of Auburn football, says Hopkins. “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.” When they’re not training Aurea and Indy at the stadium, Hopkins and Sweeney take their show on the road to visit schools. “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. Fellow raptor trainer Amana Sweeney handles Independence, a bald eagle that debuted last season. Hopkins trains Aurea, a golden eagle that began flying before Auburn games in 2018 and was officially named War Eagle VIII the following year. “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. ![]() ![]() Just like the Auburn Tigers, the Auburn eagles practice all week long so they’ll be at their best on gameday. I know the fans are going to be there, the students are going to be there, it's going to be a packed-out game – it's going to be electric.” “I know they play in the Big 10 and there a lot of different experiences there also, but they don't play anywhere like Jordan-Hare. “Something they have never seen before,” Hall said. So what should Penn State expect this Saturday when the game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. From the eagle flight to the field to the band to the videoboard to the cheerleaders to the music, it's uniquely Auburn. But there are so many different pieces that come together on a home Saturday in the fall to create an unforgettable experience unlike any other. That Jordan-Hare environment, the reason it’s so special, it starts with the fans and the traditions that are exclusive to Auburn. But obviously, we have the best here in Auburn.” “Penn State believes they have one of the best environments in college football. “It was a great environment,” senior edge Derick Hall said. But they also know it had nothing on the gameday experience at Jordan-Hare Stadium. They experienced the “White Out.” They played in front of one of the best atmospheres in college football. – The Auburn football team traveled to Penn State last year. ![]()
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