Story on Bo and Alan

[AUcivE09 582]

My company brought in a guy to speak to our office today by the name of Neal Vinson. He is a former AU walk-on that played between 1982-1986. He now works as the Founder for Alliance of Marketplace Leaders which provides services to help companies and individual develop a mindset for better performance and success through leadership, spiritual, and individual lifestyle means. I spoke with him for a little while before the meeting started just about his time at AU and what all he was there to witness and the guys he had the honor of being around.

We started talking about AU's current QB situation and JJ in particular. He talked about what we all know to be true - confidence is the key in any situation and after going from a celebrated Heisman hopeful to the bench - JJ has had his confidence smashed. He said it is not impossible for him to get it back, but he has a long road ahead of him. He then went talked about an early fall practice in 1982...

It had to do with Bo Jackson and a celebrated all-American kid name Alan Evans (sorry to bring this guy back up). At the end of practice one day Pat Dye wanted to see who was faster, the 220lb Bo or the 190lb scat-back Evans. He called them out to come lineup and race. He said you could tell Alan was hardly worried. Alan had all the confidence in the world. They lined up - and Bo won. They lined up a few more times - and Bo won each time. Alan did not take this well. The next day Alan took a hand-off and got lit up. Neal said from that point on Alan was just never the same and it cleared the path for Bo. Alan had lost all of confidence when he realized he was no longer the best player on the field.

2 questions I have - 1) I wonder if it would have made a difference if Alan had beat Bo in the foot race? 2) who was it that lit Alan up the next day?

[imaolgatiger 523]

It has to be embarrassing to ae. He came to Auburn as a future star and turned into a loser in life with no integrity.

[alexava 6,972]

It has to be embarrassing to ae. He came to Auburn as a future star and turned into a loser in life with no integrity.

that is a bit harsh.

[Mikey 16,545]

It has to be embarrassing to ae. He came to Auburn as a future star and turned into a loser in life with no integrity.

that is a bit harsh.

Sometimes accuracy is harsh.

[aujeff11 6,243]

Yeah it was way harsh.

[keesler 5,922]

It has to be embarrassing to ae. He came to Auburn as a future star and turned into a loser in life with no integrity.

damn

[gulftiger66 166]

Great story. There's a mental aspect to sports (some more than others) that's hard to measure.

[aucanucktiger 1,789]

Great story, thanks. My roommate at AU and I attended a track meet on campus to see a highly publicized sprint pitting Bo & Hershel. A former AU QB turned track specialist won the event. Bo's confidence didn't exactly go down hill after that. Alan Evans needed and got a reality check.

[AuburnNTexas 7,127]

Some players take getting beat as an incentive to get better some allow getting beat to get in their head. You can't coach natural talent, size, and speed but never under estimate the mental aspect of the game.

It is why you see a LB who is a little to slow become an impact player because they read the D so well that they start sooner then other people. Emmitt Smith and Sweetness (Walter Peyton) are the two leading rushers in NFL history both were fast but not elite fast and both were powerful but not huge backs but it was the little things that set them apart, confidence, balance, determination, vision, work ethic, teammates who respected them and worked harder for them, etc.

[aubiefifty 16,676]

i remember a story about a minor fender bender concerning bo and some lady got out hopping mad until she realized it was bo and then started apologizing and mothering him with concern. and someone tell me who hooked bo with a fish hook to the face. anyone remember?

[WarTim 3,456]

i remember a story about a minor fender bender concerning bo and some lady got out hopping mad until she realized it was bo and then started apologizing and mothering him with concern. and someone tell me who hooked bo with a fish hook to the face. anyone remember?

Little train cast a lure into Bo's face.

[Barnacle 9,064]

I'd be pretty deflated too if I was better than 99% of players in the country and the 1% happened to be the guy I'm competing against, all the while knowing God gave him something I don't have and there's nothing I can do about it.

[SaltyTiger 7,761]

How long did Alan stay with the team? Seems like I remember him returning kicks a few games.

Thinking of those days I remember the first game with Bo. Think it was Wake Forrest. Official attendance approx. 59,000 something. Coach Dye said they took a pole years later asking how many attended Bo's first game.-results about 120,000.

Little things that Bo did. Heard Dye say that every time the Auburn offense threw an interception ( not many, we did not throw much). If Bo was on the field that he made the tackle.

[weagl1 1,781]

I think Alan transferred to Chattanooga after his first year when it became obvious he wasn't going to get much playing time. We were running the wishbone then but Tommy Agee locked down the FB role as a freshman, Bo was one TB and Lionel James was the other. Brent Fullwood was coming from in the next year. There was no place for Alan except as a reserve.

[Mikey 16,545]

I'd be pretty deflated too if I was better than 99% of players in the country and the 1% happened to be the guy I'm competing against, all the while knowing God gave him something I don't have and there's nothing I can do about it.

Evans was not better than 99%. His hype was top 1% but that was it. He couldn't even win the starting RB job at Chattanooga. Tim Jesse was another good back in that era. Jesse was tough and stuck it out and helped us win some games.

[TexasTiger 12,800]

Great story, thanks. My roommate at AU and I attended a track meet on campus to see a highly publicized sprint pitting Bo & Hershel. A former AU QB turned track specialist won the event. Bo's confidence didn't exactly go down hill after that. Alan Evans needed and got a reality check.

Alan lacked mental toughness and resilience. 5 star talent with 2 star intangibles.

[Barnacle 9,064]

I'd be pretty deflated too if I was better than 99% of players in the country and the 1% happened to be the guy I'm competing against, all the while knowing God gave him something I don't have and there's nothing I can do about it.

Evans was not better than 99%. His hype was top 1% but that was it. He couldn't even win the starting RB job at Chattanooga. Tim Jesse was another good back in that era. Jesse was tough and stuck it out and helped us win some games.

Fair point, and I was speaking more from his perspective as a freshman in summer ball. At that point he probably didn't know there were people who could be THAT much better then him.

[WarDamnEagleWDE 12,737]

Great story, thanks. My roommate at AU and I attended a track meet on campus to see a highly publicized sprint pitting Bo & Hershel. A former AU QB turned track specialist won the event. Bo's confidence didn't exactly go down hill after that. Alan Evans needed and got a reality check.

Alan lacked mental toughness and resilience. 5 star talent with 2 star intangibles.

Kinda reminds me of another thread that is going on right now.

[bigbird 60,368]

Ding ding

[WDE_OxPx_2010 5,287]

Great story, thanks. My roommate at AU and I attended a track meet on campus to see a highly publicized sprint pitting Bo & Hershel. A former AU QB turned track specialist won the event. Bo's confidence didn't exactly go down hill after that. Alan Evans needed and got a reality check.

Alan lacked mental toughness and resilience. 5 star talent with 2 star intangibles.

Kinda reminds me of another thread that is going on right now.

Careful, you'll get eaten alive for this

[cole256 17,039]

Kid didn't with Auburn now he's the worst human on earth....

[ohreally 3]

I met Alan in the late 80's and he was a very humble hard working man out at Uniroyal/DP in Opelika. Sold him stereo equipment on layaway when I worked at REX TV in Auburn. Sold to BO as well on layaway. Lawyer Tillman as well, but he paid in cash. SO many experts here that know what it was really like and who got what back then. lol

[ohreally 3]

And don't get me started on Tracy Rocker. lol

[augolf1716 21,094]

And don't get me started on Tracy Rocker. lol

What did he buy on layaway?

[ohreally 3]

And don't get me started on Tracy Rocker. lol

What did he buy on layaway?

Nothing. I met him while picking up one of our "Little Sister" rushes and he and Brian Robinson nearly changed my life forever when they caught me at her apartment. He almost put his cigarette on my face. Good times. Point is that the road is smoother for some than others depending circumstances at the time. You know that Bro.