That time Auburn played its first football game—in 1888

Rutgers vs. Princeton 1869? Auburn vs. Auburn 1888? Who can say…We call him the Father of Auburn Football. But chronologically speaking, it may be more accurate to speak of George Petrie as the Father Figure of Auburn football (or at least football at Auburn), the guy who came on the scene when we were just kids and taught us how to change a tire and tie a tie and told us we could do anything we set our minds to.

Ol’ G.P. actually hinted as much back in 1930. Here he is reflecting on how he found his first players for some Behind The Music: Auburn Football thing the alumni magazine ran:

“Football was first played (at Auburn) as a mass game on the front campus. Half of the college boys trying…