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Rapid fire! Welcome to The Plains Tashawn Manning! #WarEagle #AUNSD16 pic.twitter.com/fAqk1YuKHW
— Auburn Football (@FootballAU) February 3, 2016
While Tashawn Manning "signed" with Auburn, today, it is going to be a few years before he will be able to see the field. In a situation somewhat similar to former Tiger Shon Coleman, Tashawn Manning is in a fight with cancer.
The news is good on that front, though. The type of cancer he has - acute promyelocytic leukemia - has a high survival rate, and he's recently had a very good diagnosis as he goes through chemotherapy. His medical expenses have been largely paid for through a GoFundMe campaign.
Auburn still wanted him to be able to go through the actions of "signing" with the Tigers and fulfilling a childhood dream and have his signing day moment. Auburn hopes to freeze his eligibility clock, so he has time to recover from his cancer and get back into football shape if he can.
When he committed to the Tigers back in June, this is what we had to say about him. He's got plenty of upside and he's another tall defensive end. While we look forward to seeing him on the football field, the important thing is for him to get healthy. Regardless of if he ever sees the football field in an Auburn uniform, I hope he gets a degree from Auburn and has a long and happy life. Get healthy, Tashawn. We're all praying for you.