It is a tradition at Auburn University to roll the Toomer’s Corner oak trees after an Auburn athletics win. However, not many people think about the cleanup and the hard work that takes place afterward done by facilities management.
Alexander Hedgepath, an arborist at Auburn University, has been helping with the Toomer’s clean-up since 2015.
“We use low-pressure water from the ground or from a lift and cover the ground with tarps to collect wet paper after it has fallen if we’re using water,” Hedgepath said. “Harvesting is also done by hand into trash bags, or Rubbermaid cans, which are hauled off-site.”
These clean-up efforts are often lengthy and take multiple cleaning crews.
“It depends on the severity of the rolling but [it can require] anywhere from two to 10 people and one hour to 10 hours for 90% of the rollings,” Hedgepath said. “[For] big football wins like Alabama or University of Georgia, it can take a few days.”
Although Toomers is rolled often, some of the most historic rolling moments happened after the 2010 national championship, the 2013 Iron Bowl, the 2013 Georgia game and recently, the retirement of Nick Saban.
Going to Toomer’s Corner has been an Auburn tradition for well over 100 years, but the rolling of the trees started in 1972 after a historic Iron Bowl where Auburn beat Alabama 17-16, also known as the “Punt, Bama, Punt” game.
The tradition had to be stopped momentarily after the trees were poisoned in 2011 by Harvey Updyke and had to be uprooted. New oak trees were planted in 2015 and are still growing today.
Updyke called the Finebaum show weeks after Auburn won the 2010 national championship and claimed he did it because Auburn fans put a Cam Newton jersey on Nick Saban’s statue outside Bryant-Denny after the 2010 Iron Bowl.
“The Auburn oaks are still under a near-constant maintenance and growth program,” Hedgepath said. “It has taken a lot of work to get the trees healthy enough for rolling today. If anything, the maintenance program for the trees is even more intense now as we combat the impact of rolling and soil compaction from rolling events. If you attend one of the rolling events, please be mindful of this and keep your fellow man accountable in respecting the trees that are such a symbol of the tradition.”
These trees mean a lot to those who are a part of the Auburn Family and the people who care for them. Much work still needs to be done to help grow and preserve the trees. Auburn employees work hard to maintain the trees health and to make sure the new ones are prospering the way that they should.
“I’m happy to be a part of the tradition,” Hedgepath said. “I want to see the trees get big and take over the corner like the old ones used to. That will take a lot of time, work and help from the Auburn community. It’s a goal worth chasing.”
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