Auburn is known for its unique football records with two official national championships under the Tigers’ belt. Everyone recognizes those seasons, but a season not commonly discussed is 1993. In the ‘93 season, Auburn went undefeated with an 11-0 record.
This season is commonly overshadowed by the “Eric Ramsey scandal,” in which former defensive back Eric Ramsey recorded his conversations with boosters and coaches. At the time, Ramsey recorded and released 22 micro-cassette tapes. Ramsey released the tapes in ‘91, which led to a two-year-long investigation.
These tapes revealed that Ramsey was receiving payments from boosters and coaches to play for Auburn. Tapes also revealed the alleged segregation of the football team in athletic housing and coaches’ disapproval of interracial couples.
With a spotlight on the tapes, an investigation was launched by the NCAA. After the investigation concluded, it was found that the institutional control, ethical conduct and compliance certifications were all broken by Auburn’s staff.
The probation followed, which included being banned from TV, reduced scholarships and a post-season ban which prevented the Tigers from playing the SEC championship and a bowl game. This discovery was also a catalyst in what caused Pat Dye to resign from Auburn.
The probation period lasted for two years; yet, NCAA declared the Tigers to be national champions along with three other teams: Florida State, Nebraska and Notre Dame.
Though this season is seen negatively, players from that season’s team don’t let their accomplishments go unnoticed. Andy Fuller, former tight end for the Tigers, revels in his time at Auburn — especially playing for the 1993 team.
Throughout his college career, Fuller caught 54 passes for 573 yards and 28 touchdowns. On defense, he had 95 tackles and 15.5 sacks for 88 yards on average. Though, most of his 1993 stats are lost due to the scandal and probation.
Upon his graduation in 1995, Fuller set his sights on professional play. Entering the NFL draft and going undrafted but signed as a free agent for the Miami Dolphins in ’96, in ‘97 Fuller moved to NFL Europe, playing for the Barcelona Dragons.
Once finished in the NFL, Fuller moved back home to Huntsville, Alabama, where he was inducted into the Huntsville Sports Hall of Fame. Presently, Fuller coaches for Alabama A&M and believes that the scandal and probation are responsible for making the team as powerful as they were.
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Brychelle Brooks, junior majoring in public and professional writing with a minor in information systems, has been with The Auburn Plainsman since August 2023. She previously served as the Campus Reporter and Opinion Editor. She is currently serving as the Newsletter Editor.
