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Auburn to honor first black football player

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James Owens (Courtesy: Auburn University) James Owens (Courtesy: Auburn University)
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  • Auburn

  • Saturday, May 18 2013 9:21 PM EDT2013-05-19 01:21:31 GMT
    The Auburn baseball team, seeded 10th, will face a familiar foe in the first round of next week's Southeastern Conference Tournament as it is set to face seventh-seeded and in-state rival Alabama on Tuesday
    The Auburn baseball team, seeded 10th,  will face a familiar foe in the first round of next week's Southeastern Conference Tournament as it is set to face seventh-seeded and in-state rival Alabama on Tuesday at the Hoover Met.
  • Saturday, May 18 2013 9:19 PM EDT2013-05-19 01:19:43 GMT
    Auburn scored eight times in the fourth inning en route to an 11-6 win over No. 11 Arkansas in the regular season finale. With the win Auburn, which won its final three SEC series, two over ranked opponents,
    With the win Auburn, which won its final three SEC series, two over ranked opponents, finished the 2013 regular season 33-22, 13-17 SEC while Arkansas finished it 35-19, 18-11 SEC.
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    Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick combined to hold No. 11 Arkansas to just five hits and kept them out of the run column for the entire night as the Auburn baseball team picked up a 3-0 win on Thursday
    Conner Kendrick and Terrance Dedrick combined to hold No. 11 Arkansas to just five hits and kept them out of the run column for the entire night as the Auburn baseball team picked up a 3-0 win on Thursday in the series opener.

Auburn will honor its first black football player at the Louisiana-Monroe game. Former Tigers fullback James Owens will receive the first James Owens Courage Award Saturday.

Auburn plans to give the award each year to a current or former Tigers football player who displayed courage in the face of adversity.

Owens arrived in Auburn from suburban Birmingham in 1969. He says he didn't realize the significance until he ran onto the field for the first time as a sophomore and saw a section of bleachers packed with black people cheering for him.

Former Auburn tailback Terry Henley says he expects "every bit of 100 players" to join him in honoring Owens at the game.

Henley says Owens is "something special" and the honor is long overdue.

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