Attorney Mike Harper, Auburn University alumnus, has been tailgating for 33 years. It all began when he came to Auburn as a political science major in 1976. Now, Harper has bigger tailgates. He drives to every home game with his family, Auburn friends and other scholarship donors to cheer on Auburn’s football team.

Harper begins to prepare for football season in July by scouting stores for new Auburn additions for his tailgate. He spends $350 at the store in advance buying Auburn condiments, spices, charcoal and other necessities.

“My family knows that those eight Saturdays that Auburn has a football game are set aside for tailgating,” Harper said.

Packing is completed the night before because there is so much to bring. Harper takes three Auburn tents, a 36-inch flat screen TV, satellite receiver, grill, coolers, fans, lights, a generator and gas for the generator.

Harper, his wife Ann and their 12-year-old daughter Aliceann wake at 5:30 a.m. on football Saturdays. They drive from Tallassee and arrive in Auburn around 6:45 a.m. The grill is smoking by 8 a.m.

“I’m known for getting there early,” Harper said. “I have arrived on a Tuesday before a Saturday game.”

The Harpers tailgate with other scholarship donors in front of the Nichols Center. The tailgate has anywhere from 20 to 40 people that regularly attend. Each contributes a dish, snack or money. The money covers the cost of shrimp, pork loins, racks of ribs, hot dogs or Boston butts.

Russell Small is Harper’s tailgating buddy who also grew up in Tallassee and attended Auburn University. Small attends practically every home game and travels with Harper to most of the away games too. When they do not drive to an away game, they have a tailgating party at Russell’s house in Georgia.

“We just enjoy tailgating and we’ve been doing it for a lot of years,” Harper said. “It keeps us in college, at least in our minds.”

On game days, eating, reminiscing, watching football and preparing for the Auburn game keep everyone entertained until “Tiger Walk.” Tailgating is a way for Harper and his Auburn friends to get pumped up for the game.

“Grilling all day in the heat can be exhausting, but it’s a good tired and if there’s no food left then our tailgate won,” Harper said.


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Harper not only tailgates with Auburn fans, but he invites the visiting team’s fans to join in.

“Before the Auburn vs. Ball State game began, we talked to four guests from Ball State who had drove 11 hours to support their team. They were really nice people,” Harper said.

Harper has found that if you have a good TV even the opponents are drawn to it. Last year, during the half-time of the Auburn vs. LSU game, Harper came back to his tailgate to find 75 LSU fans watching the game on his TV. They later exchanged pork and rib recipes.

When Auburn played Washington State, the starting center for Washington State’s football team had his family and friends tailgate with Harper at the scholarship tailgate. Harper thought that he would bring 15 or 20 people. Instead, he arrived with 85 people and money to feed them.

Harper has had two heart attacks. However, he still came to Auburn’s home game. Parking is not nearby so Auburn’s staff worked together to get him there by using several golf carts so that he never had to walk a total of more than 400 feet.

“The older we get the harder tailgating gets, but we aren’t even talking about quitting,” Harper said.

After graduating from Auburn University, Harper went to The University of Alabama for law school. But he never converted. He remained true to Auburn and continued to wear his Auburn hats and clothing.

“I’m still going to college. I just only go eight times a year,” Harper said.

As a trial attorney, occasionally a trial will fall close to an Auburn game. Thankfully the judges he works with are understanding and realize that he has a life outside of his job.

“Judges will move trials for me because of the games,” Harper said. “Usually, they are Auburn fans too.”

Harper plans to continue his family’s tradition of supporting Auburn by donating a scholarship, tailgating, cheering for his team and one day sending his daughter there.

“People go to Auburn and come out a part of Auburn. If you go to Auburn you become a part of something bigger than you are, and you keep coming back,” Harper said.