Georgia Magazine - November 2017 - 27A

How Georgia
grads became
Auburn fans

Tigers

Bonu
conte s
nt

ill and Kathy Leard are
University of Georgia (UGA)
graduates, but when the Bulldogs and
Auburn University Tigers meet on the
gridiron, they pull for the Tigers. Dig a little deeper and
the Leards' allegiance makes complete sense, though.
Their son Ben was Auburn's quarterback for several
years before graduating in 2000. Many schools-including Georgia, Miami, Vanderbilt and Tennessee-wanted
him, but one thing tipped the scales in Auburn's favor.
"When Ben was being recruited, we attended an
Auburn-Alabama game in Auburn," recalls Bill Leard,
manager of member services for Hart Electric Membership Corp. in Hartwell. "The excitement before, during and after that game [known as the Iron Bowl] was
special."
The Leards logged a lot of miles on the road and
days in football stadiums over the years. All four of
their sons played at Hart County High School. Jeff also
played in college, at Gardner-Webb University in Boiling
Springs, N.C.
"When Ben played at Auburn, we still had two sons
playing at Hart County," Leard recalls. "We would play
on Friday night and leave many times after the game
and drive as far as Starkville, Miss., or Oxford, Miss. To
save money, we hardly ever spent the night. We would
get back in the car and drive home after the game on
Saturday."
Leard says the most prized memorabilia he has are
the old newspaper clippings from Ben's playing days.

Bill and Kathy Leard congratulate their son Ben after he threw for
416 yards against Georgia in Auburn's 38-21 victory in Athens in
1999. Leard calls it one of his proudest memories as a father.

COORTESY OF BILL LEARD

BY KEVIN BRAUN

Auburn

COORTESY OF BILL LEARD

UGA
Bulldogs

Georgia Phillips, left, and Kathy
Leard "face off" outside Herndon Stadium, Hart County High
School's home field. Their sons,
Cory Phillips and Ben Leard, both
played football at Hart County but
were opposing quarterbacks when
Auburn faced Georgia in 2000. Ben
Leard's Tigers won, 29-26.

"We had a lot of friends send us clippings from newspapers all over the South," he says.
Two particular Auburn-Georgia games stand out in
Leard's mind. In 1999, Ben threw for 416 yards as the
Tigers beat the Bulldogs, 38-21, in Athens. The next year,
playing at home, Auburn again prevailed over UGA.
"The 2000 game was so memorable for the small
town of Hartwell," Bill Leard recalls. "Ben started for
Auburn and Cory Phillips started for Georgia. Having
starting quarterbacks from the same high school [Hart
County] compete against each other was special."

CARROLL EMC

Every year, Carroll Electric Membership Cooperative in Carrollton has a
sports team day, when employees
can wear jeans and a jersey or T-shirt
representing their favorite team.
Wearing their University of Georgia
colors are, from left, Sandy Entrekin,
Jennifer Harmon, Carolyn Smith,
Kelly Hester, Karen Ewing, Kim
Jennings and Vickie Harris.

27A

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Georgia Magazine - November 2017