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Auburn to honor first black football player

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James Owens (Courtesy: Auburn University) James Owens (Courtesy: Auburn University)
  • Auburn

  • Thursday, May 16 2013 11:02 PM EDT2013-05-17 03:02:28 GMT
    Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick combined to hold No. 11 Arkansas to just five hits and kept them out of the run column for the entire night as the Auburn baseball team picked up a 3-0 win on Thursday
    Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick combined to hold No. 11 Arkansas to just five hits and kept them out of the run column for the entire night as the Auburn baseball team picked up a 3-0 win on Thursday in the series opener.
  • Wednesday, May 15 2013 6:37 PM EDT2013-05-15 22:37:32 GMT
    Jerome Seagears, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound rising junior guard who played two seasons at Rutgers, has transferred to Auburn, head coach Tony Barbee announced on Wednesday. Auburn is petitioning to the NCAA
    Jerome Seagears, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound rising junior guard who played two seasons at Rutgers, has transferred to Auburn, head coach Tony Barbee announced on Wednesday.
  • Sunday, May 12 2013 8:06 PM EDT2013-05-13 00:06:53 GMT
    Damek Tomscha hit a solo home run to start the fifth and Ryan Tella hit a three-run home run with two down in the sixth as Auburn claimed a 4-1 win at Florida on Sunday afternoon. With the win Auburn won
    Damek Tomscha hit a solo home run to start the fifth and Ryan Tella hit a three-run home run with two down in the sixth as Auburn claimed a 4-1 win at Florida on Sunday afternoon.

Auburn will honor its first black football player at the Louisiana-Monroe game. Former Tigers fullback James Owens will receive the first James Owens Courage Award Saturday.

Auburn plans to give the award each year to a current or former Tigers football player who displayed courage in the face of adversity.

Owens arrived in Auburn from suburban Birmingham in 1969. He says he didn't realize the significance until he ran onto the field for the first time as a sophomore and saw a section of bleachers packed with black people cheering for him.

Former Auburn tailback Terry Henley says he expects "every bit of 100 players" to join him in honoring Owens at the game.

Henley says Owens is "something special" and the honor is long overdue.

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