. ▁During ▁the ▁ten ure ▁of ▁coach ▁Doug ▁Bar field , ▁the ▁coach ▁ur ged ▁fans ▁to ▁come ▁out ▁and ▁support ▁the ▁team , ▁and ▁thousands ▁did . ▁Today ▁the ▁team ▁wal ks ▁down ▁the ▁hill ▁and ▁into ▁the ▁stad ium ▁surrounded ▁by ▁fans ▁who ▁pat ▁them ▁on ▁the ▁back ▁and ▁sh ake ▁their ▁hands ▁as ▁they ▁walk . ▁The ▁largest ▁T iger ▁Walk ▁occurred ▁on ▁December ▁ 2 , ▁ 1 9 8 9 , ▁before ▁the ▁first ▁ever ▁home ▁football ▁game ▁against ▁rival ▁Alabama — the ▁Iron ▁Bowl . ▁On ▁that ▁day , ▁an ▁estimated ▁ 2 0 , 0 0 0 ▁fans ▁pack ed ▁the ▁one ▁block ▁section ▁of ▁road ▁leading ▁to ▁the ▁stad ium . ▁According ▁to ▁former ▁athlet ic ▁director ▁David ▁H ousel , ▁T iger ▁Walk ▁has ▁become ▁" the ▁most ▁copied ▁tradition ▁in ▁all ▁of ▁college ▁football ". ▁ ▁" W ar ▁E agle " ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁stories ▁surrounding ▁the ▁orig ins ▁of ▁A ub urn ' s ▁battle ▁cry , ▁" W ar ▁E agle ". ▁The ▁most ▁popular ▁account ▁involves ▁the ▁first ▁A ub urn ▁football ▁game ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 2 ▁between ▁A ub urn ▁and ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Georgia . ▁According ▁to ▁the ▁story , ▁in ▁the ▁stands ▁that ▁day ▁was ▁an ▁old ▁Civil ▁War ▁soldier ▁with ▁an ▁e agle ▁he ▁had ▁found ▁injured ▁on ▁a ▁battle field ▁and ▁kept ▁as ▁a ▁pet . ▁The ▁e agle ▁broke ▁free ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁so ar ▁over ▁the ▁field , ▁and