ESPN Alonzo Horton Article

[DKW 86 7,935]

Must read for AU folks.

Hattie Wimberley drowned in her own house. The flood waters chased her into the attic of her New Orleans home and kept rising until the sheetrock ceiling melted into mush and dropped her into the unforgiving darkness. She was the first of Alonzo Horton's relatives to die.

Four days later, only minutes before midnight, Horton's cell phone began to ring again. Those same hellish waters of Hurricane Katrina had surged into the gymnasium of New Orleans' Marion Abramson High School, which was being used as an assembly point for evacuees, and created another watery tomb. This time it was Horton's younger brothers, Jerry and Delorean, who lost their lives.

...

Horton's mother is safe, but his father is unaccounted for. Horton's tiny home on 4635 Dale Street in the city's Ninth Ward, not more than a 10-minute trip to the Superdome and French Quarter, no longer exists. Katrina took everything: family, home, belongings. It even tried to take away Horton's will.

...

It was on that Saturday, two hours before Auburn was to play Georgia Tech in the season opener, that Horton stood crying by himself as his teammates and coaches assembled for the game-day ritual known as "Tiger Walk." From Sewell Hall to Jordan-Hare Stadium they walk, through streets lined with as many as 20,000 Auburn fans.

Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville was one of the first to notice Horton standing near the team bus.

"Tears are coming down his cheeks," says Tuberville. "What can you say? You don't have a clue what he's going through."

...

So Tuberville approached Horton and said nothing. Instead, he hugged him. Teammates, many of whom had looked out for Horton ever since that first phone call came from New Orleans, did the same. Nobody said a peep.

"I looked in their eyes and I knew how much they cared about me," says Horton. "I can't have my little brothers with me, but I've got a whole team of big brothers with me."

As Horton made his way to the stadium he was showered with love by perfect strangers.

"Alonzo, we're here for you!" shouted a Tigers fan.

"Come here," offered another fan, "and give me a hug."

The tears kept welling in Horton's eyes. "But it wasn't so much tears of pain and hurt, but it was happiness," says Horton. "Every step I took I started to feel better and better. I felt like I was walking to the light. Heaven was at that Tiger Walk and at that football field."

[woods1110 0]

Wow. Touching. I cried.

Alonzo, just reading that article about you taught me a lot. I thought I had something to complain about with my life...I Don't.

[brankster 0]

DANG, i dont choke up much but this article caused some kind of wet salty substance to appear in my eyes... a loss to ga tech should be the least of our worries... count all of yourr blessings.... will come around this year...

[WarTim 3,529]

WE may win the rest of our games this season. We may not win another. I AM PROUD of THIS Auburn TEAM.

[AWK 0]

The greatest thing in the world is that he knows he will always have a family that loves him at

[Tigermike 3,807]

Great article David, thanks for posting.

Why is my vision blurred?

[channonc 466]

What a touching article! War Eagle!!!

[Guest Tigrinum Major]

Great article. That was truly touching.

Thanks, David.

[kingfish 75]

David, thanks for posting. This is Auburn ... this is the Auburn spirit I love. Auburn is a heart thing.

WAR EAGLE!!!

[Tiger in Spain 0]

This is Auburn ... this is the Auburn spirit I love.

179861[/snapback]

Amen!

God bless you, Alonzo.

[autiger6 0]

Man I got the chills reading that. It is great to see the AU Family taking him in during this hard time, but I would expect no other way. May God Bless You and your Family Alonzo. :angel:

[autigger 0]

Appreciate th early morning cry.....

[WaDE'05 8]

I'm sure he'd probably love to hear an encouraging word.....

hortoal@auburn.edu

You think there is anything we can get together and do for this guy?? He really is an example of a "spirit that is not afraid".

[TexasTiger 14,494]

Thanks for posting.