Search yields no evidence of Toomer's rolling after Bryant's death

Did Auburn University fans roll Toomer’s Corner after the death of legendary Alabama coach Paul “Bear” Bryant?

Interviews and research conducted by the Opelika-Auburn News found no indication of it.

A radio show caller named “Al from Dadeville,” who police suspect to be 62-year-old Dadeville resident Harvey A. Updyke Jr., claimed on the Jan. 27 edition of “The Paul Finebaum Show” that he poisoned the famed Toomer’s oaks as retribution for Auburn students celebrating the death of Bryant in 1983. The caller also makes note of Auburn fans draping a Cam Newton jersey over a statue of Bryant in Tuscaloosa.

AU officials have since confirmed that the Toomer’s Oaks have been poisoned. The Auburn Police Division arrested Updyke and charged him with first-degree criminal mischief early Thursday morning. Updyke was released on $50,000 bond Friday evening after making his first court appearance Thursday morning.

But did Auburn fans really roll Toomer’s Corner after Bryant died Jan. 26, 1983?

“A good friend of mine that lived in Birmingham sent me a copy of the newspaper showing the Auburn students rolling Toomer’s Corner, celebrating Bryant’s death,” the caller told Finebaum.

The Opelika-Auburn News’ investigation into the matter finds no evidence in newspaper archives that Toomer’s Corner was rolled after Bryant’s death. People involved with AU around the time of Bryant’s death also said they don’t recall the rolling ever happening.

The Jan. 27, 1983, edition of the Opelika-Auburn News had a large photo on the front page of former Auburn coach James Ralph “Shug” Jordan embracing Bryant after the Tigers’ 17-16 win in the 1972 Iron Bowl. There were no photos of Toomer’s Corner being rolled in that edition or in the next two editions. A column by former Opelika-Auburn News publisher Paul Cox had a headline that read, “There'll Never Be Another One Like Bear Bryant.”

A search of the Jan. 27, 1983, edition of The Birmingham News found an article with a headline that read, “When word reached Auburn, the War Eagles mourned,” which had somber reactions from former Auburn coach Pat Dye and Tiger players. There were no pictures of Toomer’s Corner being rolled in that edition of The Birmingham News or the next two.

Jeff Etheridge, manager of Auburn University’s photographic services, searched the university’s photo archives, but he didn’t find a picture of Toomer’s Corner being rolled after Bryant’s death.

Jeremy Henderson, editor of The War Eagle Reader website, did a similar search and came up with the same results — nothing. Henderson also looked through the archives of The Auburn Plainsman, AU’s student newspaper.

“It seemed impossible from the get-go,” he said.

Henderson also tried to look through the archives of the Birmingham Post-Herald, but no records were available. Even then, he didn’t expect to find anything.

“I couldn't imagine they would have a photo (from Toomer’s Corner) that no one else had,” Henderson said.

So if there are newspaper records of Auburn fans rolling Toomer’s Corner after Bryant’s death, the Opelika-Auburn News couldn’t find them. But people who were around Auburn in 1983 say there’s a reason why evidence is hard to come by — they say it never happened.

“I’m not aware of any such rolling of Toomer’s Corner — none, nada,” said David Housel, former AU director of athletics. “There was media speculation that it would happen, but it never did to my knowledge.”

Lee County Coroner Bill Harris, who was a photographer for the Opelika-Auburn News at the time of Bryant’s death, said if it happened, he likely would have known about it.

“To my knowledge, it didn’t happen,” Harris said. “When (Bryant) retired, they may have rolled it then. But not when he died. Auburn folks have more class than that.”