Rowdy Gaines

He is simply put, one of the best athletes in Auburn University history. Rowdy Gaines was the SEC Athlete of the Year in 1980. He was favored to win five gold medals a the 1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow. Like everyone, on April 1, 1980, he learned on the night time news, the U.S. would boycott the games because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. After his senior season, Gaines retired from swimming. A chat with his father convinced him to rededicate his training for 1984 in Los Angeles. At age 25, Gaines won three gold medals. He is now the most renowned swimming analyst, working with Dan Hicks on Olympic coverage. In this day when student athletes have lost a portion of their college careers to COVID-19 Rowdy Gaines offers a unique perspective. Hall of Famer Rowdy Gaines joins for this Talking Tigers Podcast, presented by Wickles Pickles.