It’s obvious that for Saturday’s scrimmage, Auburn will be without two quarterbacks and the majority of its running backs. The Tigers are reviewing their medical reports to determine who can travel after practicing Thursday morning for the first time since Sunday.
The worst of the new information is that tailback Mario Fannin might need surgery to fix the shoulder he dislocated during the scrimmage on Saturday. According to coach Tommy Tuberville, the quick remedy has been recommended by doctors. Whatever happened, Fannin would be back for fall practice.
The hometown of Oscar Chapman is Adelaide, South Australia. more over nine thousand kilometers from Auburn. He traveled to the United States once as a child, stopping in places like Nashville and Memphis. The amount of activity was overwhelming him. Even for someone hailing from Australia’s sixth most populous city.
When the chance to visit Auburn, however, arose, the town and the institution offered him and his family a new outlook on the United States.
“Everyone was so nice when I came to Auburn,” Chapman remarked. “Everyone is happy and chatting when I walk into a restaurant or store, and I get the impression that we are all family.” Whenever my family visits to watch me perform, they usually comment on how beautiful everyone is. For me, that was a crucial aspect. This is the area where my family comes to see me play because I want them to feel at ease in a foreign land.
Australian rules football, which is entirely different from the American version, is where Chapman started his athletic career. But he sustained a devastating leg injury that ended his career. He was unable to continue playing the sport he had played his entire life.
“I was told that if I kept playing, I wouldn’t be able to play at the level I wanted to,” Chapman recalled. “That injury set me back about six months.” “I kind of stopped like that sport. I realized I needed to make a serious plan for my future.
At that point, American football entered the scene.
“We started looking into a football program in Australia after my dad heard on the radio that an Australian had just signed to be a punter in the NFL,” Chapman said. “I felt that instead of focusing just on professional sports, I should give it a try because I wanted that more educated pathway.” Even though continuing in the sport would have had advantages in the future, I will always remember the experience and degree I received on scholarship.