AUBURN, Ala. – A conversation with Pat Dye steered Steve Wallace to the Plains in the winter of 1982, the beginning of a career that included an SEC championship, three Super Bowls and induction Saturday into the Tiger Trail of Auburn.
“Coach Dye told me about tradition, standards and making our people believe that we can win,” Wallace recalled Saturday in the Rane Room of the Auburn Athletics Complex. “When he told me that, I said I’m coming to Auburn.”
Part of a star-studded 1982 freshman class that included Bo Jackson, Wallace helped clear the way for “Bo Over the Top,” Jackson’s winning touchdown in the 1982 Iron Bowl. Part of Auburn’s 1983 SEC championship team, Wallace earned all-SEC honors in 1985, crediting Dye for helping instill in him a work ethic that carried Steve through 12 NFL seasons.
“Coach Dye told me to simply grind,” Wallace said. “Grind and grind again. That’s what we do in life. When we have obstacles in our way, we just grind. That’s what Coach Dye taught me: if you continue to grind, great things will happen. This is what the hard work and determination brings you in the end.”
Drafted by San Francisco in the fourth round in 1986, Wallace played 11 seasons with the 49ers, winning three Super Bowls and earning All-Pro honors.
“I played the game with a teamwork concept,” he said. “If you’re in a corporation, everybody can’t be the president or the vice president, but you can be a great teammate and that’s what I was. I enjoyed every second of the game of football and I never scored a touchdown.”
Another former Auburn offensive lineman, 2014 Rimington Trophy winner Reese Dismukes, joined Wallace in the Tiger Trail Class of 2025, along with former Auburn soccer coach Karen Hoppa and Jack Stewart, Auburn basketball’s first All-American.
“There are so many people who have come through this university who deserve this honor,” said Dismukes, a four-year starter at center from 2011-14. “I was very fortunate to have a lot of great people around me, great teammates and great coaches. You become a bond like no other. This is for all of us.”
A consensus first team All-American in 2014 and two-time first team all-SEC center, Dismukes helped Auburn win the 2013 SEC championship and compete for the national championship.
“The Auburn family, the fanbase, this family is special,” Dismukes said. “It’s with me every day. Being recognized is a true honor. I’m very grateful and look forward to bringing my family and show it to them one day.”
After coaching the Tigers for 26 seasons, Hoppa retired following the 2024 season, stepping down with 293 of her 357 wins coming at Auburn, along with 18 NCAA tournament appearances, an SEC regular season championship and an SEC tournament title.
“The greatest honor of my career,” Hoppa said of her Tiger Trail induction. “I’m truly grateful. If you love Auburn, it will love you back. There’s no doubt about it. I am living proof of that.
“I quickly realized coaching soccer was an opportunity to make a difference in young people’s lives. That’s why I stayed in coaching and the part I enjoyed the best. I coached so many great Auburn women. That’s all I wanted to do, to make a difference.”
A three-sport Auburn standout from 1930-32, the 6-foot-5 Stewart played basketball and football alongside Ralph “Shug” Jordan, while also setting the conference high jump record.
“Basketball was still finding its footing, and it was pioneers like my dad who helped build the foundation,” said Jack’s son, Jim Stewart, accepting on behalf of his deceased father. “He didn’t just play in the program. He elevated it. He helped put Auburn on the map.
“He played with heart, grit and unstoppable determination. That All-America honor was not just a personal achievement, it was a historic moment for Auburn basketball, a glimpse into the greatness that was coming.”
Founded in 1995 by the Auburn Chamber of Commerce, the Tiger Trail recognizes legendary Auburn student-athletes, coaches and administrators with plaques bearing their names on downtown sidewalks.
The inaugural class included Jackson, Jordan, Chuck Person, Vickie Orr, Jeff Beard, Jimmy Hitchcock, Harvey Glance, Rowdy Gaines, John Mengelt, Travis Tidwell, Pat Sullivan, Zeke Smith and Tucker Frederickson.
The four inductees in the Class of 2025 brings the total number of honorees to 140.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on X: @jeff_shearer