Auburn star Johni Broome felt someone grab her jersey as she tried to stop a ball from going out of bounds during the Tigers' 91-77 win at Ole Miss on Saturday night. His natural reaction was to slap the person on the arm, assuming she was an Ole Miss fan trying to harass him.
But the person who grabbed his shirt wasn't just any fan: It was Morgan Freeman, the Academy Award-winning actor who was sitting in the front row.
After the game, Broome, who finished with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 blocks, said he apologized to Freeman and added that he is a big fan of his.
“I thought it was an Ole Miss fan grabbing my jersey and hugging me,” Broome told reporters. “I kind of shook his hand off. I saw who it was, and I'm a big movie fan. I probably saw one of his movies on the plane coming here. But I realized it was him and I was like, 'Oh. My God.' , I'm a big fan. Sorry.' He said, 'Keep playing.'”
Broome helped Auburn bring its record to 7-2 in the SEC, good for second place. An upcoming stretch in which the Tigers face Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, Kentucky and Tennessee in February will determine their place in the SEC race.
Freeman, 86, is an Ole Miss superfan who has attended multiple games over the years. She grew up in Charleston, Mississippi, about an hour from the Ole Miss campus.
Broome said he was so embarrassed by his exchange with “The Shawshank Redemption” star that he had to apologize to him a second time.
“I came back and said, 'Sorry, again,'” Broome said. “He said, 'You're all good. Keep playing.' He's a really good guy. I love him.”
