As National Signing Day comes to a close, the Auburn Tiger's 2012 recruiting class brought in some young men who have great talent and are EXCITED to be a part of the Auburn Family. Here is the encouraging letter Coach Chizik sent to each player this afternoon: 

Dear New Auburn Men,

War Eagle and congratulations on your decision to enroll at Auburn University.

Football is an important reason why you’re coming to Auburn. Football will occupy a lot of your time. It isn’t the most important reason you’re coming here.

As Gene Chizik says, this place was great long before any of us got here. Auburn is great because of the history and tradition within her buildings. For more than 150 years students have carried books over these grounds. This place is great because of the generations of Auburn men and women who have become overwhelmingly important to this region and the world.

You, too, can do great things. Your talents are giving you that opportunity. You must only work for it. Auburn men and women believe in work, hard work.

Think about these things, work and opportunity. We know those ideas become clearer with time and experience. We hope that you’ll honor those concepts because we know what they can do for you and our larger community.

Your athletic talents are impressive, but you’re also coming here because the coaches believe you have equal promise as an individual. We hope that you’ll honor the faith they are putting in you by choosing wisely in all things.

We want to celebrate the wise decisions you make with the opportunities before you. We cheer you on Saturdays because you represent a part of Auburn. We have the greatest hopes and expectations for you every day of the week because you ARE Auburn.

Auburn is about realizing potential. That is what we cheer for the most.

War Eagle and welcome home. Welcome to Auburn. Love it, and it will always love you.

Signed,

The Auburn Family

By Kenny Smith

Courtesy of The War Eagle Reader (2012)

http://www.thewareaglereader.com/2012/02/an-open-letter-to-the-aubu...