There’s a school that bleeds orange and blue. It feels like home, even to those just passing through - its charm, inexplicable, yet comfortable. The soul of the school lives through sports, particularly football. The emblem on the white helmet shines bright between the stadium lights, the crowd erupts under warm late summer nights. Rivalry is at the core of its identity, the annual contest with “that red school” from down the road are the pinnacle of what this school is. Tradition is not far behind, championship banners and trophies sitting in display cases, collecting dust.
The perpetual underdogs, life-long, dedicated, sometimes legendary, alumni and educators. If you love this school, it will - its people, the community - love you back. Now if you’re from Middle Georgia, this school may be easily as recognizable as none other than Northside High School. But if you’re from the state of Alabama, Auburn University. It doesn’t get talked about often (at least in my demographic), but the lineation between the two schools is as straightforward as 280. There’s a silent understanding. Take the following tweet for example. The jerseys that got passed down to ninth graders to wear for games are a spitting image of the early 2000’s Auburn jerseys.
But it goes beyond that. Once the heart and soul of Northside athletics, Coach Conrad Nix is directly tied to Auburn University having graduated from the school in 1967. The spirit, teachings, camaraderie, the love of Auburn University carried over into little ole Warner Robins, Georgia when he took the job at Northside High School. Amassing over 300 wins, and a couple state championships, no one embodies the love for blue and orange more. I can’t help but think the sheer intensity and hard-nosed nature of the Northside program came from adopting those dawg-like Tigers from the 90’s through the early 2000’s. It’s worth noting that Nix’s grandson, Bo (if you hadn’t heard a million times before) committed, played, and graduated from Auburn University as well over the past 5 years (along with his Nix’s son, Patrick Nix in the 90’s).
One of my favorite little caveats that my high school borrows from my university is something I didn’t notice until after I enrolled and sat in the stands. The two-point conversion play for the football teams are almost exactly the same - roll-out right. Granted this is a popular play, especially on the goal line but when I saw Jarret Stidham fly to the hash and drop a dot to the corner of the endzone, I could’ve swore it was Tobias Oliver. Even the offenses were similar - that triple option, up until the air raid explosion, seemed to work flawlessly.
Northside’s recently retired and memorialized Vonnie Hitchcock also graduated from Auburn and was an athletic trainer at Northside longer than I’ve been alive, including my time there. Her radiance is forever enshrined outside the training room now. There are almost certainly a few names I’m forgetting, but the Auburn family runs deep in the 478. Fortunately, I’ve graduated from both of these schools and happened to bring my best friend and my fiancée along with me for the ride.
There’s just something in the air of these schools that fills me with a sense of pride. I’ve learned how to be a better human within the walls of these institutions. To believe in work, hard work, and that the journey is just as important as the destination. I would urge all Northside graduates to attend Auburn University, it will feel like home. Regardless, wherever the walk of life takes you, the lessons of a degree from either institution will take you further than you will appreciate at the time.
It’s great to be a Northside Eagle and War Eagle.