(Photo Courtesy of Tailgating Fanatic).

In Alabama, there are two sides of the fence when it comes to college football: Alabama and Auburn. Dash pitcher Taylor Thompson decided to jump that fence.

Thompson grew up as an Alabama Crimson Tide fan, but he accepted a baseball scholarship and played his collegiate baseball for the Auburn Tigers. Despite his college choice, Thompson still roots for the Tide on the football field.

Thompson’s family has remained loyal to Alabama, too. During his three years at Auburn, his family would only cheer for him. “They didn’t even really come to any games unless I was pitching,” Thompson said.

“My dad still gives me a hard time about my decision to this day.”

(Photo courtesy of InsideTheAuburnTigers).

So why did Thompson choose to go to Auburn? “They recruited me early and offered me a full scholarship,” Thompson said. Alabama did begin to recruit Thompson after Auburn, but due to the relationship he developed with coaches, he chose the Tigers.

While Thompson was at Auburn, the baseball team had a record of 5-4 against Alabama. The team was 1-1 in the games Thompson pitched. Despite having to play his childhood favorite team, Thompson said it was all business when he played Alabama.

“I was going out there to do my job,” he said. “It’s not like I’m going out there cheering for Alabama’s baseball team.”

In his win over Alabama, Thompson pitched five and a third innings and struck out five in the Tigers’ 6-3 win.

Come football season, however, Thompson was hoping the wins trickled in for the Crimson Tide.
“I had to keep it quiet and didn’t really do too much open cheering for Alabama,” Thompson said, as he knew it would cause problems for him while he was in school.

The Crimson Tide won two of the three meetings against the Tigers during Thompson’s time at Auburn. Normally, a Tigers student would be distraught about losing in the Iron Bowl, one of college football’s biggest rivalry games.

Not Thompson, who is still bleeding Crimson, especially after Alabama won last year’s National Championship following another win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl. As for Thompson’s outlook for next year, he realizes the Tide has a challenge ahead of it.

“It’s going to be tough to follow up from last year,” he said. “If they can at least make it to a really good bowl game that’ll be fine with me.”

- Daniel Braswell