Walk On

A gallon of gas cost 50 cents. Interest rates were 16%. The teenagers were flocking to see “Blazing Saddles”. “Jaws” and “The Exorcist” had people squirming in their seats.
It was the year of the “Thrilla in Manila”. The top selling albums were “AWB – Average White Band”, “Physical Graffiti – Led Zeppelin”, and “Red Octopus – Jefferson Starship”.

And he graduated from Auburn University.

It was May, 1975.

He received his Bachelor of Arts degree. He then went to the University of Montevallo and earned a Master of Arts degree.

He played for Shug Jordan. In fact, he walked-on in 1970. In 1971, Jordan gave him a full football scholarship. He excelled both on the field and off it.

And in 1975, he graduated.

He was a part of that magical, miraculous 1972 football team that earned the name “The Amazins”.

He was a writer for “The Plainsman” while at Auburn. His major was journalism.

And in 1975, he graduated with honors from Auburn University.

He wrote a book that came out last year entitled “Walk On”. It is an autobiographical journey that explores those historical times at Auburn from 1970 to 1975. In his words, “there was a cultural change that was going on, not only in football but in the whole of society….we were, I guess, vessels of that change.”

After leaving Auburn, he never really looked back. For you see, with all the joy he experienced being a part of “the Amazins”, there had been an awful lot of pain as well. He went away to California, as far from Auburn as one could get and still be in the continental United States.

He was invited, coaxed, and finally convinced to come back to Auburn for a reunion in 2002. It was the thirty year reunion of “the Amazins”. Although he had severe reservations, he came back for the gathering. And it was there that he faced the demons that haunted him.

There he was. That old teammate who taunted him every day. Every single solitary day. Taunted him with the most vile racial slurs one could use. And said them with venom. Told him he was worthless. That he was less than human. Words that hurt and hurt deeply. Words you don't just "get over".

His adversary, that old teammate, the one who brought back haunting memories of hatred and racism, walked over to him. He didn’t say a word. He just hugged him. Hard. More than just a greeting hug. A real hug. A man-hug. A hug with tears in his eyes.

“We didn’t say anything. We just hugged. And it wasn’t one of those little hugs. And that was all we had to do. It’s 30 years later, and world really has changed. Even at Auburn.”

That reunion was the prod that Thomas Gossom needed to write his book. The book that came out in the fall of 2008. And Gossom is giving all of the proceeds of the book sale to the Auburn University Scholarship Endowment Fund.

You see, Thomas Gossom, or Thom Gossom as he is now known, was the first African
-American athlete to graduate from Auburn University. It was 34 years ago this month.

And although he has gone on to be a very successful actor on HBO and the big screen, an award winning writer and producer, and a corporate executive with BellSouth, it was the reunion that changed him.

And now, instead of walking away from Auburn with hurt and pain, he is walking on at Auburn again, to challenge and educate and motivate a new generation of students….of all color, race and creed.

And his challenge to all of us, in whatever we do, is…..Walk On.

WJLaneSR