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<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#3333FF">Tiger Flashback</FONT> </H1>

<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>Buddy McClinton '69
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<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>By Ryan Powell</I></FONT></H3>
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<p>Standing 5-foot-8 and weighing a slight 150 pounds, the senior from Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Ala., dreamed of playing football at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa or Cliff Hare Stadium in Auburn.  His dream, like most boys growing up in Alabama in the 1960's  was to be a football player.
<P>The small frame of Buddy McClinton did not have college coaches knocking down his door offering him scholarships and he knew in the back of his mind a scholarship to one of the two big schools in Alabama was a bit far-fetched.
<P>Still, there was hope even though Alabama and Auburn had already offered almost all of their scholarships to other players.
<P>McClinton did have a few things going for him at both schools.
<P>Alabama's head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant  was famous for liking the little guys and  the head coach from McClinton's high school, Tom Jones, had just become the freshman coach at Auburn.
<P>One of the few things McClinton had going for him turned into an offer from Auburn for the final scholarship for the 1966 season.
<P>"I guess Coach Bryant thought I was too little," McClinton said, "and Coach Jones convinced Coach (Ralph "Shug") Jordan that I had what it took to make it at the college level."
<P>McClinton knew he had been given an opportunity, and he set out to make the most of it.
<P>"Auburn took a chance on me and when you are given the opportunity, you have to take it and prove that you are worthy," McClinton added. "I just wanted to repay them for the chance they gave me."
<P>During his time at Auburn, McClinton did little to make Coach Jordan's decision look like a bad one.
<P>The safety started every game he played in from his freshman to senior years of 1966 to 1969, intercepting an Auburn-record 18 passes during his playing days.
<P>"I was taught the importance of playing intelligently," McClinton said. "My coaches impressed upon me to be a thinking player, to learn other teams' tendencies and to think like their quarterback."
<P>It was the intensity and intelligence that characterized McClinton on the field and earned him All-America honors for the 1969 season as he helped lead the Tigers to an 8-3 mark on the season.
<P>The 1969 season was special for McClinton and the senior class.
<P>The senior grabbed a career-high nine interceptions and set the Auburn single-season interception mark as well, but more important than the individual accomplishments was what the team did on Nov. 29, against Alabama.
<P>McClinton and the seniors had never defeated Alabama and they knew this would be their last chance to end Auburn's five-game losing streak to the Tide.
<P>The two weeks leading up to the game, McClinton had been on crutches recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the Georgia game.
<P>The ankle injury slowed McClinton down, but it was not going to stop him from contributing to his team's 49-26 triumph over the Crimson Tide.
<P>With the score 28-20 early in the fourth quarter, McClinton intercepted a pass and returned it to the 10-yard line setting up a score for the Tigers that would put the game out of reach.
<P>"If I couldn't have played in that game it would have broken my heart," McClinton said. "It was definitely the highlight of my playing career and I was glad I could contribute to the victory."
<P>For the boy who came to Auburn as almost an after-thought, he left as an All-American, on top of the Auburn interception list, and as an inspiration and example to all the "little guys" who have dreams.
<P>
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	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#3333FF">Tiger Flashback</FONT> </H1>

	<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>Buddy McClinton '69
	</I></FONT></H3>
	<!--
	<H3 ALIGN=CENTER><FONT COLOR="#FF8000"><I>By Ryan Powell</I></FONT></H3>
	-->


	<TABLE ALIGN=RIGHT CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 WIDTH=152>
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	<TD><IMG SRC="TigFlash.jpg" ALT="Buddy McClinton" BORDER=2 ALIGN=RIGHT>
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	<TD><B><FONT SIZE=2></FONT></B>
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	<p>Standing 5-foot-8 and weighing a slight 150 pounds, the senior from Robert E. Lee High School in Montgomery, Ala., dreamed of playing football at Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa or Cliff Hare Stadium in Auburn. His dream, like most boys growing up in Alabama in the 1960's was to be a football player.
	<P>The small frame of Buddy McClinton did not have college coaches knocking down his door offering him scholarships and he knew in the back of his mind a scholarship to one of the two big schools in Alabama was a bit far-fetched.
	<P>Still, there was hope even though Alabama and Auburn had already offered almost all of their scholarships to other players.
	<P>McClinton did have a few things going for him at both schools.
	<P>Alabama's head coach Paul "Bear" Bryant was famous for liking the little guys and the head coach from McClinton's high school, Tom Jones, had just become the freshman coach at Auburn.
	<P>One of the few things McClinton had going for him turned into an offer from Auburn for the final scholarship for the 1966 season.
	<P>"I guess Coach Bryant thought I was too little," McClinton said, "and Coach Jones convinced Coach (Ralph "Shug") Jordan that I had what it took to make it at the college level."
	<P>McClinton knew he had been given an opportunity, and he set out to make the most of it.
	<P>"Auburn took a chance on me and when you are given the opportunity, you have to take it and prove that you are worthy," McClinton added. "I just wanted to repay them for the chance they gave me."
	<P>During his time at Auburn, McClinton did little to make Coach Jordan's decision look like a bad one.
	<P>The safety started every game he played in from his freshman to senior years of 1966 to 1969, intercepting an Auburn-record 18 passes during his playing days.
	<P>"I was taught the importance of playing intelligently," McClinton said. "My coaches impressed upon me to be a thinking player, to learn other teams' tendencies and to think like their quarterback."
	<P>It was the intensity and intelligence that characterized McClinton on the field and earned him All-America honors for the 1969 season as he helped lead the Tigers to an 8-3 mark on the season.
	<P>The 1969 season was special for McClinton and the senior class.
	<P>The senior grabbed a career-high nine interceptions and set the Auburn single-season interception mark as well, but more important than the individual accomplishments was what the team did on Nov. 29, against Alabama.
	<P>McClinton and the seniors had never defeated Alabama and they knew this would be their last chance to end Auburn's five-game losing streak to the Tide.
	<P>The two weeks leading up to the game, McClinton had been on crutches recovering from an ankle injury suffered in the Georgia game.
	<P>The ankle injury slowed McClinton down, but it was not going to stop him from contributing to his team's 49-26 triumph over the Crimson Tide.
	<P>With the score 28-20 early in the fourth quarter, McClinton intercepted a pass and returned it to the 10-yard line setting up a score for the Tigers that would put the game out of reach.
	<P>"If I couldn't have played in that game it would have broken my heart," McClinton said. "It was definitely the highlight of my playing career and I was glad I could contribute to the victory."
	<P>For the boy who came to Auburn as almost an after-thought, he left as an All-American, on top of the Auburn interception list, and as an inspiration and example to all the "little guys" who have dreams.
	<P>
	<CENTER><P><A HREF="main.html" target="_top">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../main_afi.html" target="_top">PROGRAM
	INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="http://www.aunetwork.com" target="_top">HOME</A></P></CENTER>


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

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