Auburn fans woke with the sun Oct. 2, for the team's earliest game of the season.
The buses pulled up to Sewell Hall for Tiger Walk at 9 a.m., and a young boy from Boaz eagerly waited to see his favorite team.
Peyton Williams, 13, sent his father a text message shortly after Tiger Walk saying, "I just touched Gene Chizik and Cam Newton's hands. I will never wash again."
That was the last thing Patrick Williams heard from his son.
Peyton died in a car accident Oct. 2, following the win over Louisiana-Monroe, just one day before his 14th birthday.
Peyton's grandmother, Betty Williams, 63, was driving her Ford Focus down U.S. Highway 280 and lost control of the vehicle. Peyton was not wearing his seatbelt and was ejected from the car when it overturned in the median.
Betty is currently still at a hospital in Birmingham and underwent surgery Wednesday. Her release date is still undetermined.
Peyton's visitation was held at First Baptist Church of Boaz. Patrick said the community support shown that day was overwhelming.
"We started recieving friends at 4:30 and we did not stop until 11:30 that night," Patrick said. "The outpouring from our town has just been amazing."
Members of Auburn athletics were also present at the visitation.
Swimming and diving coach Brett Hawke presented Peyton's parents with an Auburn swimming and diving pullover with Peyton's name stitched on the back.
Peyton went to school in Boaz and stayed busy, playing five sports including football, swimming, basketball, golf and baseball.
Peyton's football teammates encouraged his parents to continue to attend their football games.
"Of course, it's not an easy thing for us to do, but we're going to try to honor his memory by going to support them," Patrick said.
Patrick said Peyton has an outgoing personality who loved his church youth group and friends.
"I can just sum it up by saying he was a good boy," Patrick said.
Peyton had one sibling, an 11-year-old sister named McKenna.
Jamie Self, a Boaz resident who also attended the ULM game, sent coach Gene Chizik an e-mail about Peyton's passing the day after the accident.
Self told Chizik how excited Peyton was to go to the game and Tiger Walk.
"The child had been a huge fan of Auburn football his whole life and been brought to games since a very young age," Self said. "I felt like the news needed to be shared among you and your players. He was barely away from the stadium when it happened, most likely still rejoicing from the victory."
Chizik said he enjoyed hearing about Peyton's excitement about the game and Tiger Walk.
"We were all devastated to hear of Peyton's passing, and were more than happy to pray for his family as they are mourning his loss, " Chizik said. "Words don't come easy at a time like this, but Mr. and Mrs. Williams as well as the rest of Peyton's family are certainly in all of our thoughts and prayers at this time."
These e-mails were circulated among Auburn fans and recieved many reposes.
One woman, Michelle Greene said her father recently died of cancer and was a huge Auburn fan.
"So know that this sweet little boy will be met in heaven with open arms and a BIG War Eagle," Greene said.
Self said Peyton's death has brought the small community even closer.
"It's actually been quite amazing here, everybody's really come together and have been very supportive especially his parents," Self said. "They are really strong, faithful people and they have handled everything so well."
Patrick said Peyton's accident was something he could never be prepared for, but hopes some good can come of it.
"Right now, we know of 21 people who have come to know Christ as a direct result of the accident," Patrick said. "Certainly that's some good that could come out of that situation."
Patrick, a basketball and swimming coach for Boaz, was a long-time announcer for Jacksonville State football games.
He said he was in his living room, getting ready to go watch the JSU game when he recieved a phone call from his nephew about Peyton.
"I couldn't get any information from anybody, and he didn't know what was going on really," Patrick said. "I called my friend who was at the hospital and he gave me the news that Peyton had died."
Peyton's mother was at the grocery store when she recieved the news. Patrick's brother and sister picked up the parents and drove them to the hospital.
Patrick said the loss of his son shocked him, but he knows Peyton enjoyed his last Auburn football game on his last day on Earth.
"I think it meant the world to him," Patrick said. "He didn't get to go to a whole lot of games, he went to a number of games over the years, but he usually got to go to one or two games a year. I think that was something he absolutely wanted to do so much. "
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