38558416 Unknown Alabama, Auburn, Football, Fun Facts, Jordan Hare, Shug Jordan — Shug Jordan Parkway is a highway running alongside Auburn University’s campus. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

This piece is a part of a series spotlighting Alabama’s roads and their historic namesakes. Have a street in your city you want us to highlight? Send us an email or connect with us on Facebook and Instagram.

Ralph “Shug” Jordan’s long-lasting legacy on The Auburn Plains is one shared with locals + tourists alike. Jordan’s accomplishments have been immortalized through the highway + stadium that were renamed in his honor.

Keep reading to learn more about the Auburn legend!

Shug’s story

7843Df0B 7A48 4Be4 89Ce 2Dfacf3A884F Alabama, Auburn, Football, Fun Facts, Jordan Hare, Shug Jordan — “Jordan Hare” by Merelymere is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

James Ralph Jordan was raised in Selma, Ala., which is where his childhood friends gave him the nickname “Shug” — due to Jordan’s penchant for chewing on sugar cane. In 1928, Jordan enrolled at Auburn University (back when it was known as the Alabama Polytechnic Institute).

He was a Jordan of all trades — lettering in football, baseball + basketball. This eventually earned him the title of Auburn’s Most Outstanding Athlete in 1932. He graduated from the university in 1932, and wed Evelyn Walker, a student at the University of South Carolina, a little over five years later.

Following the United States’ entry into WWII, Jordan reactivated his military commission as a lieutenant in the Army Corps of Engineers. He was awarded both the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star for his heroic actions during D-Day.

Jordan made his eventual return to coaching at Auburn, recording 176 wins, 83 losses + six ties during his reign — leading Auburn to secure more wins than any other Auburn head coach had been able to.

In the early 1950s, Shug coined the term “Iron Bowl” to represent the rivalry game between Alabama + Auburn held in Birmingham, in reference to the city’s iron + steel industry.

Due to his success as both a coach + valuable member of the Auburn community, Auburn’s Cliff Hare Stadium was renamed Jordan-Hare Stadium in 1973; this made Jordan the first active coach in America to have a stadium named after him.

Jordan passed in his home on July 17, 1980 after being diagnosed with acute leukemia. Several of his former players served as pallbearers at his funeral, and Shug was inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame posthumously two years later, in 1982.

Today, Shug Jordan Parkway winds around campus — yet another way for Auburn to recognize the famed football legend.

Places on the parkway

38558288 Unknown Alabama, Auburn, Football, Fun Facts, Jordan Hare, Shug Jordan — The Shug Jordan Parkway is 5.1 miles in length. (Ella Walton / The Bama Buzz)

The construction of the parkway was completed in 1971, back when it was known as “West University Drive.” It was renamed shortly after to Shug Jordan Parkway. Check out some of the businesses located alongside the parkway:

Amsterdam Cafe: