It’s a Saturday night inside Jordan-Hare Stadium; the lights are shining bright on the field. Auburn has called a timeout. "Swag Surfin'" is being played over the sound system in the fourth quarter of a close game against rival LSU.
Right after the beat drops to the song, the camera cuts to a very rambunctious fan with his shirt off, waving it around and jumping up and down. Every student is laughing and excited to see him having a good time and cheering his team on.
Who is this rambunctious fan?
He is Dylan Cardwell: a fun, outgoing athlete who wants to be engaged with his college community. While he is known for being the hype-man center for the Auburn men’s basketball team, he is also a familiar face as a student.
Cardwell was voted as best male athlete for Plainsman's Choice 2023.
“Dylan is someone who really loves Auburn," said Griggs Blankenburg, sophomore in marketing. "His affection for the school is noticeable by other students and is infectious whether he is on the jumbotron or in the classroom.”
You can see Cardwell on Samford Lawn, throwing the football or playing wiffle ball with other students, or see him on a Saturday afternoon in the newly renovated game room on the first floor of the Melton Student Center playing Fortnite. He’s also the type of guy that will show up at your intramural soccer game and cheer for you.
“He is genuine and loves interacting with others on campus and always has a smile on his face,” said Sarah Almond, sophomore in speech, language and hearing sciences.
Cardwell is all over campus wanting to make an impact on his community and be that funny, smiling face that you can feel comfortable talking to.
“He’s very outgoing and talks to people. It’s not really hard to talk to him," said Joe Barber, sophomore on the pre-med track. "He just gets out there and talks to folks."
The 6-foot-10-inch center is a great representative of the University and is a happy-go-lucky guy. His electric dunks and thunderous roars are what get The Jungle on its feet to rally its team to a win inside Neville Arena.
It’s no secret that many people on campus are fond of Cardwell. From hyping up the crowd as a player to showing off his school spirit in the stands, Cardwell is one of Auburn's most popular athletes.
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William Halliday started with The Plainsman in fall 2022. He is a journalism major from Memphis, Tennessee.
Twitter: @wphalliday3
