Auburn football, Gus Malzahn honor Pat Dye with special tribute (Photo)

Auburn football players will wear helmet stickers to honor former coach Pat Dye and head coach Gus Malzahn patterned his gameday attire like the former Tigers great.

In the season-opener, Auburn football is honoring former Tigers legend Pat Dye who passed away on June 1 at 80-years-old with helmet stickers and head coach Gus Malzahn dressed in a tie and button-down shirt like Dye used to sport.

It’s an unfamiliar look from Malzahn who ditched his patented sweater vest to honor one of the legends of Auburn.

Gus Malzahn and Auburn football is honoring the late Pat Dye with helmet stickers and Dye’s famous button-down and tie combo is being worn by Malzahn

“I want to expressly thank Coach Malzahn for wanting to honor Dad this fall with a helmet decal,” Pat Dye Jr. said. “I thought it was important to incorporate a message that spoke to his legacy and his philosophy, not only about coaching, about football, but about life, but also spoke to this team in an inspirational way as he had done for 30 years in his Hall of Fame coaching career.”

Dye’s infamous quote at his introductory press conference when he was asked how long it’s going to take rival Alabama is part of the legacy he leaves behind and it’s still motivating Auburn football players today as they take on Kentucky in the 2020 season-opener.

“It’s going to take 60 minutes of playing great Auburn football with great effort to beat a program like Alabama,” said Pat Jr. “That’s the way he lived is life, right down to the last 20 years on that farm. Always working. Up at 5 o’clock in the morning. Playing 60 minutes, full tilt, was the way he lived.”

The younger Dye gave a pep talk to Auburn in words that would make his late father proud.

“In 2020, y’all go out and make the fans proud, make your coaches proud, make your families proud, make my dad – Coach Dye – proud, by playing 60 minutes of Auburn football. Every game, every series, every play, no matter what the down and distance is and no matter what the score in the game is.

“I know he’d be so proud.”

You can watch Auburn vs. Kentucky on the SEC Network.

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