Sept. 11, 2008

AUBURN - The 2008 Tiger Trail of Auburn inductees will be honored by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce at this year's 14th Annual Tiger Trail Induction Ceremony, to be held on Sept. 27, 2008, at The Hotel at Auburn University.

Each inductee will be honored with an engraved granite plaque to be placed in the sidewalk of downtown Auburn among the plaques honoring other Auburn greats.

"The Tiger Trail Induction Ceremony is a special and moving event for the Auburn family," said Auburn Chamber Chairman Brad Wilson. "The inductees are exceptional people and a great source of pride for the community. Each year the Auburn spirit is palpable as the people who love Auburn come together to honor these athletes and coaches."

The 2008 honorees are as follows:

Maggie Bowen
Women's Swimming
2000-2003
Maggie Bowen, a native of Jackson, Miss., claimed nine NCAA titles, including three consecutive NCAA Championships in both the 200- and 400-yard individual medley. Her 16 SEC titles are the most of any Auburn woman. She broke the American 200-yard individual medley record in 2001 at the NCAA Championships with a time of 1:55.49, and went on to win the event at the ninth FINA World Championships in Fukuoka, Japan. In 2002, she set the NCAA 200-yard individual medley record with a time of 1:53.91. Bowen now resides in Austin, Texas, with her husband Jeffrey.

Becky Jackson
Women's Basketball
1981-1984
During her stay on the Plains, Becky Jackson made her mark on Auburn history as the team's leading scorer and leading rebounder each season. She left Auburn with a career point tally of 2,068 - the most in Auburn women's basketball history. Jackson also holds the record for single game field goals, season field goal percentage and career rebounds. She was All-SEC four times, MVP of the SEC tournament in 1981 and named a Division I All-American in 1984. Jackson has three children, Dougie, Harrison and Sierra, and now resides in Houston, Texas.

Mike Kolen
Football
1966-1969
Known as "Captain Crunch," Mike Kolen served as the leading tackler in 16 of his 25 starts at Auburn. The Birmingham native was named SEC MVP by the Birmingham QB Club in 1969 and All-SEC in 1968 and 1969. Kolen went on to play for the Miami Dolphins during an NFL career that included three Super Bowl appearances. He was honored by an induction into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame in 1985. A testimony to his impact on Auburn football, each spring during the A-Day game Auburn presents the Mike Kolen Award to the leading tackler from the previous season. Kolen has a daughter, Kelly, and son, John, and five grandchildren. He lives in Birmingham with his wife, Nancy.

Morris M. Slingluff
Men's Golf
1961-1963
Hailing from Dothan, Ala., Morris Slingluff took his place in the record books as Auburn's first All-American in golf. Slingulff's career scoring average of 72.81 is the third lowest in Auburn history. In 1962 and 1963 he led the Tigers with scoring averages of 72.30 and 72.20, respectively. In 1963, he finished 10th overall in the SEC tournament. Slingluff now makes his home in Dothan with his wife, Louise. The couple has three children -- Mary Helen, Laurin and Ben -- and six grandchildren.

Sonny Smith
Men's Basketball Coach
1979-1989
During his 11 seasons at Auburn, Sonny Smith won 173 games, placing him third on Auburn's all-time wins list. The Roan Mountain, Tenn., native took the team to five straight NCAA Tournaments, including its first Sweet 16 appearance in 1985, and an Elite 8 appearance the next season. He became the only coach in the team's history with three consecutive 20-win seasons and was named SEC Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1989. In 2007, Smith was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Smith now resides in Birmingham with his wife, Jan. The couple has a daughter, Sheri, a son, Steve, and four granddaughters.

Paul Susce
Baseball
1953-1956
In his three years at Auburn, Paul Susce never went a season with fewer than 53 strikeouts, and threw a college career best of 70 in 1955. He holds Auburn's single-season ERA record with a mark of 0.99 set in 1954 - the same season he went 7-1 on the mound. An All-SEC selection in 1954, he went on to play for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cleveland Indians. Susce makes his home in Bokeelia, Fla., with his wife, Mary Ellen. He has four children -- Steve, Mark, Paul and Ann -- and four grandchildren.

About Tiger Trail
In 1995, the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, through the insight and inspiration of one of its members, the late Ken Brown, established the Tiger Trail of Auburn. The concept of the Trail is to honor outstanding athletes, coaches and administrators.

Tickets for the induction breakfast, which will recognize both this year's inductees and inductees from years past, are $35 and reservations will be accepted on a first come first serve basis. For more information or to make reservations, call the Auburn Chamber at (334) 887-7011.

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