The amazing Mr. Penny

John Wild-Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau

Johnny "Mr. Penny" Richmond is on his way to becoming an Auburn legend. He may not have his last name on a building on the university's campus, but he's as recognizable in this town as the Haley Center.

Mr. Penny has been at Dean Road Elementary School helping the town's little ones cross the street safely for the past 30 years. He's out there every morning, in sun, rain and snow, smiling and waving at 7 a.m. He's been there so long that he's working with the kids of the kids he used to help.

The beloved crossing guard got his nickname Mr. Penny before he was born. While his mother was carrying him, she felt a constant pinch that felt like "a penny in her side." The name has stuck ever since.

Not only does Mr. Penny work at the school during the day, he takes on a night job at Ruby Tuesday working in the kitchen.

Perhaps you have seen him driving around in his Auburn-adorned pick-up truck. He's got a "Mr. and Mrs. Penny" decal in the windshield that let's you know he and his wife of 15 years are inside.

Those who don't know him through the school or restaurant know him simply as that guy who does pushups at Auburn football games. The deeply religious man has been keeping up this tradition since 2000, when he heard a voice at 4 a.m.

"I thought I was dreaming," he said. "I woke up, looked around and I didn't hear it anymore. By the time I closed my eyes again I heard it real soft. 'Push up."

Each morning without fail, the 55-year-old Auburn native pumps out 1,000 pushups in sets of 100. He said he uses the Perfect Pushup and bangs out reps like they're nothing. He's got biceps the size of footballs to prove it. On top of that, Mr. Penny has a tradition of running his own marathon on his birthday—a 30-mile round-trip to Opelika and back.

In 2003, Auburn struggled in its first two games, losing to Southern California and to Georgia Tech. Mr. Penny wanted to know why.

"I couldn't understand why the news was saying we were a bad team," he said.

Mr. Penny made a visit to where the Auburn athletes eat on campus, Sewell Hall. He asked for a guy they call Cadillac.

"I went right up to him and said, 'I'm Mr. Penny, and I want to know why ya'll aren't scoring.' Cadillac said, 'we're in a slump.'"

Mr. Penny wanted to think of a way to motivate the team and reverse the negative talk coming from sports commentators and writers. So, he made a deal with Carnell "Cadillac" Williams.

"I told him when you score, I'm going to give you 50 pushups. Make the extra point, I'll give you 50 more. Get that field goal, that's 50 more," he said.

After the deal was made, the Tigers racked up five consecutive wins, four of them Southeastern Conference games. The win over Mississippi State in 2003, saw Williams run for six touchdowns.

Last year, a teacher at Dean Road said Mr. Penny should do pushups for other stats during games. Now Mr. Penny has added 20 pushups for a first down and 10 more for a sack. By the end of each game, he's done at least 1,000.

"Ever since I started doing my push-ups, Auburn has been winning, so it must be working," he said.

The word of Mr. Penny's motivational talks spread throughout the Tigers' locker room quickly in 2003. Before the Iron Bowl that year, Mr. Penny got a call from a prominent player who is now in the NFL.

"Reggie Torbor asked me to come in and talk to the team," he said. "I asked him what time I should be there. He said '4 o'clock.' I was there at 3."

If anybody could get the Auburn football team fired up to defeat Alabama the following day, it was Mr. Penny.

"I told them, 'we are going to beat Alabama. Believe we are going to beat Alabama! If you put God first and play your game, we will win.'"

Auburn went on to defeat the Tide 28-23 for the second consecutive Iron Bowl win, and Mr. Penny's good friend Cadillac started off the game with an 80-yard touchdown run.

The two became so close that Cadillac invited Mr. Penny to attend his baptism in 2003. Teammates Ronnie Brown, Jason Campbell and Carlos Rogers would often come and talk with Mr. Penny at Ruby Tuesdays.

"They would really listen to what I had to say," he said.

When Auburn went on to earn an undefeated record in 2004, Mr. Penny was so proud of his team, he had to do something special for his beloved Tigers.

He celebrated by getting his truck painted orange and blue and decorated with 13-0 and his favorite players' names on the hood. He also added his two mottos: "Put God first" and "Hard Fighting Soldier."

"When the team played that song 'Hard Fighting Soldier,' it became a part of me. I must have played it 100 times," he said.

That year, the Tigers adopted the Christian song and sang it on Fridays before games.

Aside from having his truck show off his Auburn spirit, Mr. Penny has a tiger paw painted on his driveway and has orange and blue flowerpots in his yard.

In 2002, Mr. Penny had a special visit from one of the most well-known people in the city.

"I pulled up to my house and there's this car in the driveway," Mr. Penny said. "Then I look and there's Coach Tuberville standing in my yard."

Football head coach Tommy Tuberville took the time to meet the diehard fan he'd heard so much about. Mr. Penny said he has a great deal of respect for Tuberville and admires what he does.

"What I like about Coach Tuberville is that he's a very humble man," Mr. Penny said. "He's the only coach that took the time to come and meet a real fan. The man had never seen me, never met me, but he embraced me."

He showed Tuberville his weight room, which is covered in Auburn memorabilia and photos of Bo Jackson, Pat Sullivan and other Tiger football greats.

Mr. Penny said he is confident this season will bring a national championship title to the Plains.

"I feel it coming," he said. "When we get through LSU, Tennessee and Georgia, nothing can stop us."

He is sure to use the word "when" instead of "if."

He said he also expects to see big things out of Brad Lester, Robert Dunn, Ben Tate and Tray Blackmon.

"That's a bad boy right there," he said about Blackmon.

Mr. Penny recently entered the state's Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) and will retire from the school in five years. "If the Lord allows me too," he said.

In all the years Mr. Penny has been attending Auburn football games, this is the first year he was able to purchase season tickets.

"It was hard, but I did it," Mr. Penny said. "I will be at every game this year."

Even when the Tigers are on the road and he is unable to attend, Mr. Penny keeps up his pushup tradition every Saturday.

"I do them right there in my living room," he said. "I tell my wife, 'if there's anything you need me to do, tell me now because when that game comes on, if the phone starts ringing I'm not going to answer it, don't even bother me.'"

Like most Auburn fans, Mr. Penny is excited for what some consider Auburn's most important game: the Iron Bowl. There's only one problem though.

"I don't have a ticket this year," he said. "I would love to be there when we whoop Alabama in their own house."

Again, Mr. Penny is sure to use the word "when" instead of "if."