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Before he became a United States Senator, Tommy Tuberville was a star head football coach at Auburn University.
Tuberville led Auburn to an undefeated season in 2004 and came up just shy of a national champion.
But the years prior to that weren’t all pretty. Tuberville came to Auburn from Ole Miss in 1999, and according to former Auburn wide receiver Tyler Siskey, he wasn’t shy about making his mark on the program.
Siskey told the story of his first interaction with Tuberville ahead of the 1999 season on his McCready & Siskey radio show.
“I walk in (to Tuberville’s office) and I sit down, it was the day after signing day, he goes ‘Tyler, I signed six wide receivers yesterday. If you you have any more aspirations of running out of that tunnel, it’ll be on the visiting sidelines. Would you like your release,'” Siskey said.
Tuberville then handed Siskey an already-printed release scholarship. He eventually transferred to Troy.
But wait, there’s more!
Siskey says that his roommate was a starter on the 1998 team.
Tuberville also cut that player. Except he didn’t tell the player directly. Instead, Siskey and his roommate were driving home from practice when they heard on the radio that he was going to transfer.
That was news to his roommate, who quickly turned around and went to speak with Tuberville.
“He walks straight in his office and says ‘I just heard this on the radio, is this true,'” Siskey said
To which Tuberville allegedly replied, “yeah, we let you go this morning.”
Yikes!
But Siskey did get his revenge. He went on to coach Alabama high school powerhouse St. Paul’s Episcopal, which was home to star players A.J. McCarron and Mark Barron, among others.
When Tuberville showed up to recruit those players, he didn’t remember Siskey. But Siskey remembered Tuberville.
He told Tuberville that he wouldn’t steer players away from Auburn, but he would answer honestly if they asked what he thought of the coach.
McCarron and Barron both went to Alabama, where they would win national championships under Nick Saban.
The rest, as they say, is history.