Cover Story
“You can’t have a testimony without a test,” he said, his voice sounding cheery and upbeat, a day after Auburn University’s 2025 homecoming. “We all try to control things, but we really have no control, so I’ve handed my battle over to the Lord- I’m trusting Him to see me through,” he said. 22-year-old Alex McPherson knows a lot about trust. The redshirt junior Auburn placekicker has learned to trust his right leg every time he lines up for a field goal attempt. He’s learned to trust his doctors and his athletic trainers, his coaches and his fans, his wife and his family. And as he’s fought his battle with ulcerative colitis for over 18 months, Alex McPherson is staying strong. “My journey has really strengthened my relationship with God,” said the youngest of the Fort Payne, Ala. McPherson brothers. 
Beginnings. Alex was born in August of 2003, and his parents knew he would do something big. LaDon and Amber McPherson’s older sons Evan and Logan would show Alex the way on the football and soccer fields. Oh, Alex was small in stature but big in heart- by the time he reached Fort Payne High School, he was booming field goals, just like his brothers. By the time he reached his senior year, he was rated the top high school kicker in America.
Alex met his now wife Hannah in the seventh grade. The pair bonded in school and in youth group at First Baptist Church. They grew together in their faith. By May of 2022, Alex McPherson was a Fort Payne High School graduate. He would soon be on his way to Auburn University- he was the Tigers’ kicker of the future, the can’t miss kid. How could Alex fail? He was a member of the famous McPherson kicking brothers: Evan kicked at Florida and today is the Cincinnati Bengals’ kicker. Logan punted at La Tech. And Alex was ready to take his big foot and his big dreams to the Loveliest Village on The Plains.
Triumphs & Trials. Perfection. Every kicker seeks it, and in 2023, Alex McPherson achieved it. Alex didn’t miss a field goal (13-for-13) or a PAT (40-for-40) over the entire football season. The Auburn faithful found their kicker, and they were thrilled that he would be around for a while. What Auburn fans didn’t see was a challenge that tested Alex’s resolve. “We can’t see what’s in our future, but regardless of how our future pans out, we can use it for His glory,” Alex told me. 
His illness came on suddenly just after the bowl game following Alex’s perfect season. Blood in his stool, pain, numerous colonoscopies. He was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and it shook Alex to the core. Auburn head athletic trainer Robbie Stewart was constantly by Alex’s side, and Alex’s family doctors were there for him as well. Still, Alex began to lose weight as the spring of 2024 arrived, and despite meds and infusions, Alex’s weight fell from 160 pounds to 110 pounds by July. “I had a third colonoscopy at UAB on July 18, 2024, and I weighed 114 pounds,” said Alex. “Every infusion and treatment they were trying was failing, and it seemed hopeless at times that he would ever get better,” said Hannah.
Alex has always been a half-glass full kind of a guy, and his lifetime of faith has helped him remain that way. Alex had a challenge ahead with too many questions and too few answers, but he kept his head up. “I was always confident that God would not abandon me,” Alex said. The 2024 football season was all but lost, as Alex kicked in only one game. “During those dark times, my prayer every day was for the Lord to heal my son,” Alex’s mother Amber told me. “Our son had withered, and it hurt not being able to see our son do what he loved.” 
The decision came after last fall’s Auburn vs Kentucky game- Alex kicked a field goal and three extra points. He told Coach Freeze he was fine. However, Alex was not fine. He weighed 135 pounds and was running to the bathroom 20 times a day. After the Kentucky game, Alex had a literal come-to-Jesus moment. He decided to undergo a complex surgery last December. Serious prayers were followed by serious family discussions. And on December 20, 2024, UAB doctors Kirk Russ and Robert Hollis led an expert team that removed Alex’s entire large intestine (colon). Alex was all in- he would wear a colostomy bag, and he would playfully name his stoma “Stanley”. He would have 8 months to prepare for the 2025 football season. “For the first time in 6 months, we were able to live a normal life and feel hopeful about the future,” said Hannah. Fast forward to June 21, just a few months ago. Alex and Hannah were married at Carillon Beach. Pastor Patrick Keim of Church of The Highlands Auburn campus officiated the wedding. But just as the union was being celebrated, more challenges arrived as Alex began to get sick on his honeymoon. He lost 20 pounds in just a few weeks. “We were devastated,” said Hannah. “We thought the hard days were behind us. We surrendered full control of Alex’s sickness to God- when we handed it to God, we saw faith and hope grow in ways we hadn’t seen through the entire process.”
It’s been a challenging 2025 for Alex, but he’s seen plenty of action for the Auburn Tigers. Alex wears his colostomy bag on his left side, away from his kicking leg. He’s changed medicines again and is feeling better. “Alex wants so badly to do well for Auburn and his teammates,” said Auburn Head Football Coach Hugh Freeze in mid-September. The college football season is a long one, and Alex is staying strong in his faith. “I have always believed God is with me,” he said. Alex has two more years of eligibility and is trusting God to lead him in the right direction. “I love Auburn, so I’d love to stay here, but if the NFL comes calling, I would look at that as well,” he added. 
Faith & Family. The most important thing in Alex’s life today is his family and his faith. “Having full faith in His perfect plan has made Alex’s latest sickness so much less burdening on us,” said Hannah. “It can be so hard to see any good coming from situations like these, but we have seen Alex’s story inspire others and our relationship with God grow,” added Hannah, who finished graduate school at Auburn last May. Alex marches on, his faith strong and his hopes high- like he says, you can’t have a testimony without a test. And while Alex’s test continues, his testimony inspires. “If I can use my story to help others, I’m good with it,” Alex said. “Because I’m all about His glory.”
-Rick Karle
Karle is a TV news and sports veteran of 45 years, a 25-time Emmy Award winner and a weekly feature columnist for AL.com. Check out Rick’s work on AL.com, on Facebook at Rick Karle Good News and on The Good Company Podcast.
