Auburn running back Tank Bigsby speaks during NCAA college football Southeastern Conference Media Days, Thursday, July 21, 2022, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)AP
Auburn’s team meeting Thursday afternoon ran a little longer than usual.
That’s because Tank Bigsby had a surprise for his Auburn teammates. The Tigers’ star running back delivered a generous gift to each of his teammates, providing every player on the roster with a brand new pair of Beats by Dre Studio³ Wireless headphones.
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“I just want to start by saying, I love y’all guys, and I’m thankful to be on this team with you guys,” Bigsby said while standing at the front of Auburn’s team meeting room. “I want to say, this opportunity is one time, and it’s crazy; it’s a blessing, man. God took me -- I’ve been through so much, and just stepping over those steps I’ve been through and getting where I’m at now with you guys, it’s amazing. I just want to let y’all know, I know y’all said it’s hard to lock in, it’s hard to stay focused, so I think this right here will keep y’all focused and locked in before you have to do something difficult... So, this is what I got for y’all boys to keep y’all locked in.”
Bigsby then turned around to a draped table behind him as head of equipment Dana Marquez unveiled the surprise, prompting a riotous roar from the auditorium.
Auburn has 114 players listed on its official roster, between scholarship players and walk-ons. Not including Bigsby, that means the junior running back provided 113 pairs of the headphones to his team. The Beats by Dre Studio³ Wireless headphones are listed on the company’s site for $349.95, meaning the total value of Bigsby’s gift was at $39,550.
That’s a lot for a college athlete, and it was made possible thanks to NIL.
“Christmas came early; we got Santa Claus right here,” starting center Tate Johnson said.
Each box of headphones included a personal note from Bigsby, which read: “There is no ‘I’ in team, but together we are family, brothers, an army! A group of guys that are unstoppable when together! Always remember it’s us vs. the world!”
Bigsby’s generous gift to his team comes on the eve of SEC play. Auburn (2-1) will host Missouri (2-1) on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Kickoff is set for 11 a.m. on ESPN, as Auburn will aim to bounce back from its first loss of the season last weekend against Penn State.
You can watch Bigsby’s surprise in the video posted by Auburn below:
A surprise for the entire squad!🎁 Shoutout to @tank_bigsby for gifting ALL of his teammates new @beatsbydre headphones🎧#WarEagle🦅 pic.twitter.com/fMZnli1ifr
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.
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