Hugh Freeze asks for prayers after Auburn RB suffers setback following shooting
By Andrew Olson
Published:
Hugh Freeze had unfortunate news to pass along on Monday.
Freeze asked the Auburn family to continue to pray for Tiger running back Brian Battie, who was injured in a recent Florida shooting. Freeze shared that Battie suffered a setback in the hospital and remains on a ventilator.
Auburn family. Please continue to pray for Brian Battie. There was a set back last night and he’s still on a ventilator. #AUSTRONG
— Hugh Freeze (@CoachHughFreeze) May 20, 2024
News broke Saturday of an early-morning shooting at a hookah lounge in Sarasota, Florida. Tommie Battie, Brian’s brother, was pronounced dead at the scene. Brian, who was reportedly shot in the head, was among the 4 people who were taken to the hospital.
A GoFundMe page is set up to help support the Battie family. The page says Brian remains in critical condition.
On Sunday afternoon, Brian Stultz of Rivals shared, per a source, that Brian Battie was still in intensive care.
SOURCE: Brian Battie is still in the ICU. He’s able to move his hands but doctors are unable to figure out much brain functionality he will have at this moment.
— Brian Stultz (@brianjstultz) May 19, 2024
The Sarasota Herald-Tribune reported Monday that Battie opened his eyes and moved his hands after surgery on Sunday night.
A Sarasota native, Battie joined Auburn in 2023, transferring from USF. In his first AU season, Battie appeared in all 13 games. He logged 51 carries for 227 rushing yards and 1 touchdown. He was also the team’s top kick returner, recording 28 returns for 645 yards.
Prior to Auburn, Battie was a first-team All-American kick returner at USF. In 31 games for the Bulls, he recorded 1,427 return yards, including 650 with 3 scores in 2021. He rushed for 1,842 yards at USF, including a 1,186-yard season in 2022.
Andrew writes about sports to fund his love of live music and collection of concert posters. He strongly endorses the Hall of Fame campaigns of Fred Taylor and Andruw Jones.
