There’s so little we know about what went on during the Barfield-era of Auburn football. So very, very little.
You’d think that some never-before-seen photos of AU defensive coordinator P.W. “Bear” Underwood and his defensive tackles / stackles taken on Picture Day 1977 would help along these lines. But they don’t… they don’t.
Here’s another same-day shot of the now officially legendary—as in right now, as soon as that outfit pings your peripheral optic nerves—football fashionista looking every bit the part of a 1970s cult leader-pornographer, in a good way.
Oh, and speaking of inscrutable football fashion choices, here’s a photo from the same roll of Auburn players on a dining hall safari!
Yes, of course captions are welcome. Love you late 70s, Auburn… it was the best-dressed of times.
Photos by Brad Ashmore.
Related: Auburn’s banned 1979 student recruitment poster.
…
Keep Reading:
* Auburn-educated astronaut wanted ‘War Eagle’ to be first words on the moon
* Smithsonian Magazine photographs kid in Auburn hat at Texas prom
* The WiFi Network Names of Auburn
* Auburn’s Legend of Zelda
* Pat Sullivan orders a “Wishbone T” on Bob Hope
* “Cougar Town” star gets Glom’ed
* Auburn’s new Miss USA
* Former Nitro Girl recalls time at Auburn
Like us on Facebook. Follow us on Twitter. Want to advertise?
Men can not wear white belts. It’s just that simple.
I remember it well!
I was a “chow boy” back in the late at Sewell during those “glory” days.
The man could really pack it in.
Mrs. Graves was the dietician and ran an excellent training table.
PW Underwood was a very poor excuse for a coach.
AU ‘s D was woeful during Barfield’s tenure.
The guy with the hot air balloons on his shirt has it tied above his waist in the style of Mary Ann from Gilligan’s Island? Really??? WOW !
Unfortunately, the north end zone section of JHS has not changed.
FYI: The guy in the stripped shirt sitting up by the lamp is Herb Waldrop. A fantastic trainer who dedicated his professional life to Auburn athletes from the 50s to 90s. He was even willing to take a look at a fomer player’s high school football knee injury in the bowels of Beard Eaves in 1988. :):):):):):):)
Speaking as someone who was around in the late 1970’s, please allow me to make the following observations:
1. The two biggest defensive tackles on the team (Frank Warren and Anthony Jones) are not in this photo. Putting them in this stack would have flattened any of the four guys above.
2. Auburn had some outstanding defensive players during this time; i.e. the above-mentioned Frank Warren and Freddie Smith, who is still the leading tackler in Auburn history. Yet, Aubiece’s comment regarding our D in that period is unfortunately correct; they were often woeful. Sounds as if this was not due to the athletes…
3. Regarding the comments about what some of the players were wearing; not many of us from those days would be caught dead in what we wore back then!
#97: Ricky Allen
#90: Rodney Bellamy
#99: Anthony Jones
#95: John Smith
Guys piling their plates look like Charlie Trotman, Joe Cribbs(?), Willie Smith(?) (track man)
Thanks, Bart — meant to mention that was Herb. How’s that knee holding up?
“1. The two biggest defensive tackles on the team (Frank Warren and Anthony Jones) are not in this photo. Putting them in this stack would have flattened any of the four guys above.”
Not to pick nits but I think Frank Warren was on the O-line side for picture day in 77, his first fall at AU. Moved to D-line pretty quickly though.
Why are ya all pickin on the defense…Don’t forget at one point during the Barfeild “era” he had Brooks, Cribbs, and Andrews in the backfield, and not only did we have a losing season we lost to Richmond. Do I remember that correctly…but then when you have your QB going through the chow line in front of other players it tells you something.
What would Tebow do?
Also not the Trotman Bicep flex for the camera, Curl that plate bubba!
@thewareaglereader: Good. Was sent to the cutting table at the Hughston Clinic the next day.
Ricky Allen #97
Rodney Bellamy #90
Anthony Jones #99
John Smith #95
Jere Beasley is the first guy in chow line, not Trotman, Freddie Smith is in the hat, I think the last guy is Clifford Toney
PW is talking to Anthony Jones in the photo. To PW’s left is Hub Waldrop, Buddy Davidson. On PW’s right is Buddy Nix now the General Manager for the Buffalo Bills,.
We had great talent, we had some good coaches, we also had a very divided fan base and Alumni that never fully supported the Auburn Teams from 76-80 or until Pat Dye showed up and beat Bama.
Example, Coach Barfield tried to hire an assistant coach away from Texas to become his offensive cordinator. When he made the offer the coach he turned him down. Coach Barfield asked him why and the coach said it wasn’t enough money. Coach Barfield then asked him what he was making at Texas as an assistant. The coach told him. It was more the Coach Barfield was making as the Head Coach at Auburn University.
Things have changed.