Auburn University’s Independence prepares for first home game
AUBURN UNIVERSITY, Ala. (WAKA) – As the Auburn Tigers are getting ready for their first home game, another Auburn athlete is preparing for her time to shine on the field.
Action 8 News was on hand Thursday morning as 10-year-old Independence practiced before Saturday’s home game against Southern Miss.
For 26 years, Auburn fans have been able to watch the iconic War Eagle Flyover, which has become a huge part of the pregame tradition.
The tradition that is uniquely Auburn isn’t just about the eagle flying over the stadium. It starts way before everyone enters the stadium.
The flyover is a full-time job with a lot of training in the Auburn Raptor Center while providing an important message about raptor rehabilitation.
“There’s something magical and powerful about the first time you release a wild animal to fly without anything attached to it and trust them to return to you,” said Robyn Miller, Director of the Raptor Center. “That is the defining representation of the relationship we have with these birds. We want them to come to us because it’s a positive thing and not because they’re hungry or forced to. They choose to return to us time and time again like many of us choose to return to Auburn for football, for community, time and time again.”
The Auburn Tigers will take on the Southern Miss Golden Eagles Saturday night at 6:45 p.m.
