Since 11-year-old Aubreigh Nicholas issued a "Lemon Face Challenge" to University of Alabama head football coach Nick Saban on her birthday, March 28, individuals and groups all over Mobile and even as far away as Alaska have posted videos of themselves accepting the challenge.
On Wednesday afternoon, the Aubreigh's Army Facebook page shared a video from Saban in which he takes the challenge with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
"Aubreigh, I'm honored to take this Lemon Face Challenge for you," he says. "Okay, here it goes!" The coach then gamely bites into a wedge of lemon, making quite a lemon face with one eye squeezed shut as he says, "Oooh!"
Aubreigh, a fifth-grader at Allentown Elementary School in Semmes, returned to school this week after spending a week at Orange Beach for spring break, according to a Facebook post from her mother, Brooke Nicholas. She reported that Aubreigh has almost completed a month of her new medications and "has done extremely well."
In September, Aubreigh was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, a rare and incurable form of childhood cancer.
Saban's video was viewed 70,000 times in the first six hours after it was shared on the Aubreigh's Army page. Many of the girl's supporters expressed joy that the beloved coach took the challenge, and even Auburn fans had to admit it was a nice thing for him to do.
"This is one time I can say Roll Tide," wrote Laurie French Haas. "Thanks to Saban for supporting Aubreigh!"
After assuring Aubreigh that she's in the team's thoughts and prayers, Saban ends his message by saying, "God bless you, and Roll Tide."
On Wednesday afternoon, the Aubreigh's Army Facebook page shared a video from Saban in which he takes the challenge with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye.
"Aubreigh, I'm honored to take this Lemon Face Challenge for you," he says. "Okay, here it goes!" The coach then gamely bites into a wedge of lemon, making quite a lemon face with one eye squeezed shut as he says, "Oooh!"
Aubreigh, a fifth-grader at Allentown Elementary School in Semmes, returned to school this week after spending a week at Orange Beach for spring break, according to a Facebook post from her mother, Brooke Nicholas. She reported that Aubreigh has almost completed a month of her new medications and "has done extremely well."
In September, Aubreigh was diagnosed with diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma, or DIPG, a rare and incurable form of childhood cancer.
Saban's video was viewed 70,000 times in the first six hours after it was shared on the Aubreigh's Army page. Many of the girl's supporters expressed joy that the beloved coach took the challenge, and even Auburn fans had to admit it was a nice thing for him to do.
"This is one time I can say Roll Tide," wrote Laurie French Haas. "Thanks to Saban for supporting Aubreigh!"
After assuring Aubreigh that she's in the team's thoughts and prayers, Saban ends his message by saying, "God bless you, and Roll Tide."
