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<H2 ALIGN=CENTER>Remembering '83, The SEC Championship </H2>

<P ALIGN=CENTER>by Bob Grant

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<B>Auburn quarterback Randy Campbell helped lead the Tigers to an 11-1 record in 1983 and its first SEC Championship since 1957.
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<FONT SIZE=7><B>i</B></FONT>t doesn't seem possible that 15 years have past since the Tigers won the 1983 Southeastern Conference championship, does it?
How vividly can you recall Gregg Carr's fourth-quarter interception to preserve a 27-24 victory over Florida State? Does the memory of watching left-handed wonder Boomer Esiason and his Maryland Terps visit the Plains ever streak through your mind?

<P>If so, then today is your chance to reflect back on those and countless other moments from that season when the members of the 1983 SEC Championship team are honored before the start of today's game.

<P>One of the key players in the Tigers' 11 - 1 season that year was true freshman center Ben Tamburello.

<P>"It's been a quick 15 years since we won the SEC," Tamburello said. "I remember the first time I walked on the practice field and I was told to block Doug Smith. Doug was about 6-foot-5 and weighed about 300 pounds and was just a full-grown man. That was quite an introduction to Auburn football."

<P>After suffering a 20-7 loss to Texas in the second game of the season, the Tigers reeled off nine consecutive wins, four of which came against teams ranked in the top 10.

<P>"It seemed like we played a bowl team every week that year," Tamburello said. "It was such a challenge for us each week. We didn't have any breathers and I think that contributed to our success, knowing we couldn't relax."

<P>As difficult as the Tigers' schedule was that year, quarterback Randy Campbell recalled how the team was forced to overcome a much bigger challenge before the season ever began.

<P>"The first thing I always think of is Greg Pratt and how his death was such a tragedy and how it affected our team," Campbell said. "It brought us closer together and I know it's something I'll never forget."

<P>Pratt collapsed during two-a-days and died of heat stroke. As can happen so often in life, tragedy brought the team together and united them.

<P>Auburn finished the season with victories over No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Maryland, No. 4 Georgia and No. 19 Alabama, and finished with a 6-0 record in conference play.

<P>"Our team had a lot of senior leadership that carried us through the season," Campbell said. "Guys like Ed West, Chris Woods, Lionel James, Dowe Aughtman and Doug Smith led the way for us that year."

<P>"We just had a special group of people on that team," Tamburello added. "It wasn't just their athletic ability that made it special, it was their character."

<P>After beating Michigan 10-9 in the Sugar Bowl, the Tigers felt the door was open for a national championship. But as fate would have it, the Miami Hurricanes upset No. 1 Nebraska and jumped from No. 5 to No. 1, while Auburn remained at No. 3 at season end.

<P>"I remember the night after the Sugar Bowl and most of the next day we felt like we were the national champs," Campbell said. "It was like a dagger in the heart when Miami jumped ahead of us and was voted number one."

<P>Although Campbell and the rest of the 1983 team may have been snubbed by voters and denied national recognition for their accomplishments, they will have a special place in the annals of Auburn football.

<P>"We may not have gotten the recognition we deserved from the national media that year," Campbell said, "but Auburn is looked at differently now because of what we accomplished that year."

<P ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="./" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> | <A HREF="../" target="_top">PROGRAM INDEX</A> | <A HREF="../../index.html" target="_top">HOME</A></P>

<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>&copy; 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>


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	<H2 ALIGN=CENTER>Remembering '83, The SEC Championship </H2>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER>by Bob Grant

	<HR>

	<TABLE BORDER=0 ALIGN=RIGHT WIDTH=10>
	<TR>
	<TD VALIGN=BOTTOM>
	<IMG SRC="pic/tigflash_ark.jpg" ALT="SEC Championship " WIDTH=175 HEIGHT=232 BORDER=1>
	<FONT SIZE=2>
	<B>Auburn quarterback Randy Campbell helped lead the Tigers to an 11-1 record in 1983 and its first SEC Championship since 1957.
	<HR>
	</TD>
	</TR>
	</TABLE>

	<FONT SIZE=7><B>i</B></FONT>t doesn't seem possible that 15 years have past since the Tigers won the 1983 Southeastern Conference championship, does it?
	How vividly can you recall Gregg Carr's fourth-quarter interception to preserve a 27-24 victory over Florida State? Does the memory of watching left-handed wonder Boomer Esiason and his Maryland Terps visit the Plains ever streak through your mind?

	<P>If so, then today is your chance to reflect back on those and countless other moments from that season when the members of the 1983 SEC Championship team are honored before the start of today's game.

	<P>One of the key players in the Tigers' 11 - 1 season that year was true freshman center Ben Tamburello.

	<P>"It's been a quick 15 years since we won the SEC," Tamburello said. "I remember the first time I walked on the practice field and I was told to block Doug Smith. Doug was about 6-foot-5 and weighed about 300 pounds and was just a full-grown man. That was quite an introduction to Auburn football."

	<P>After suffering a 20-7 loss to Texas in the second game of the season, the Tigers reeled off nine consecutive wins, four of which came against teams ranked in the top 10.

	<P>"It seemed like we played a bowl team every week that year," Tamburello said. "It was such a challenge for us each week. We didn't have any breathers and I think that contributed to our success, knowing we couldn't relax."

	<P>As difficult as the Tigers' schedule was that year, quarterback Randy Campbell recalled how the team was forced to overcome a much bigger challenge before the season ever began.

	<P>"The first thing I always think of is Greg Pratt and how his death was such a tragedy and how it affected our team," Campbell said. "It brought us closer together and I know it's something I'll never forget."

	<P>Pratt collapsed during two-a-days and died of heat stroke. As can happen so often in life, tragedy brought the team together and united them.

	<P>Auburn finished the season with victories over No. 5 Florida, No. 7 Maryland, No. 4 Georgia and No. 19 Alabama, and finished with a 6-0 record in conference play.

	<P>"Our team had a lot of senior leadership that carried us through the season," Campbell said. "Guys like Ed West, Chris Woods, Lionel James, Dowe Aughtman and Doug Smith led the way for us that year."

	<P>"We just had a special group of people on that team," Tamburello added. "It wasn't just their athletic ability that made it special, it was their character."

	<P>After beating Michigan 10-9 in the Sugar Bowl, the Tigers felt the door was open for a national championship. But as fate would have it, the Miami Hurricanes upset No. 1 Nebraska and jumped from No. 5 to No. 1, while Auburn remained at No. 3 at season end.

	<P>"I remember the night after the Sugar Bowl and most of the next day we felt like we were the national champs," Campbell said. "It was like a dagger in the heart when Miami jumped ahead of us and was voted number one."

	<P>Although Campbell and the rest of the 1983 team may have been snubbed by voters and denied national recognition for their accomplishments, they will have a special place in the annals of Auburn football.

	<P>"We may not have gotten the recognition we deserved from the national media that year," Campbell said, "but Auburn is looked at differently now because of what we accomplished that year."

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="./" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../" target="_top">PROGRAM INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="../../index.html" target="_top">HOME</A></P>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>© 1999 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>


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