It’s a Saturday in Paulson Stadium. Freedom, Georgia Southern’s live bald eagle mascot sits atop the press box, steady and focused preparing to take flight. The stadium’s atmosphere is filled with energy as the Southern Pride Marching Band plays loudly and Eagle Nation fans cheer from the stands. Freedom spreads his wings wide to soar in a circle around the stadium, just before he glides down to land on the arm of his handler in the middle of the field.

Since 2004, Freedom served as an ambassador for Georgia Southern and a symbol for our nation. He passed away last week at the age of 21, leaving the Georgia Southern community with a great loss.

Whether he was completing a flight before a football game, making a guest appearance at community events or sitting perched in his courtyard at the Wildlife Center, he was a symbol that carried significance for the Georgia Southern community.

If you ever came across Freedom, it is more than likely you came across Steve Hein, also known to many as “Freedom’s plus one”. Steve Hein, Center for Wildlife Education executive director, wildlife artist and master falconer was the man who drove to Florida to pick up the baby bald eagle and remained his handler ever since.

For two decades, Hein and Freedom forged an unforgettable relationship that connected man with nature, bridging the gap with an incredible amount of trust.

I spoke with Hein about his personal journey with Freedom, reflecting on 20 years of memories and the lasting impact Freedom left on others.

A Tidal Wave of Support

Georgia Southern’s announcement of Freedom’s passing opened a door for Eagle Nation to share forgotten stories of Freedom and express support towards Hein. The university’s social media posts quickly filled with hundreds of comments and shares from students, locals, alumni and supporters.

“It’s been a landslide, a tidal wave of support that I wasn’t ready for,” Hein said.

Students began paying their respects towards Freedom last week by leaving flowers at Freedom’s Courtyard in the Wildlife Center, unknowing of the impact it has left on Hein.

“I looked out my office window as I’ve done for almost 20 years, and though Freedom is not there, I’ve watched young Georgia Southern students leave flowers,” he said tearfully. “They didn’t know I was watching or the effect it had, but I’d like to tell them, thank you.”

Building Trust

“Freedom’s journey is my journey,” Hein said, referring to his crucial role in the creation of the Center for Wildlife Education and the decision to find a live bald eagle to represent Georgia Southern.

For 13 years, Georgia Southern was on a waiting list to receive a bald eagle. The search for a bald eagle began in 1990, after a misidentification of a large bird flying over Paulson Stadium during a football game. It wasn’t until 2004 that Hein received the exciting, yet frightening call from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Center that he could pick up a baby bald eagle from Florida.

“I had the entire expectation of the university to free flight an Eagle in front of Eagle Nation,” Hein said. “I knew it was gonna come with a lot of responsibility.”

From that moment on, the pair began training and building a relationship grounded in trust, preparing for the day Freedom would fly above Paulson before kickoff.

“I had to make sure he trusted me, and in turn I could trust him.”

The trust between Hein and Freedom would define their relationship for 21 years. Today, Hein applies the lessons of trust with the bird to his life. “The thing I learned from Freedom is trust,” he said. “You can’t move forward in life without being vulnerable and creating trust.”

A Symbol for Many

“The flights are not what’s significant for me,” Hein said. “It’s the interactions with people.”

Hein believes in forging intimate relationships with the natural world around us, and Freedom allowed that to be possible.

Freedom was described as a bird of the people, drawing in thousands of different individuals at countless events. “Each person gets to take away something different,” Hein said. He explained that he watched as people found varying meanings in what Freedom represented to them.

Although Freedom was permanent to Georgia Southern, the bald eagle was property of the United States. “Freedom was a bird of the people by permitting and by definition,” Hein said with a smile.

As Hein reminisced on his favorite memories, one of Freedom’s flights remains significant in his memory. In 2014, Freedom wore a red bandana during a flight in honor of Cory Wilson, a Georgia Southern student who had recently died. That same red bandana still hangs on a bookshelf above Hein’s office desk.

Another memory Hein reminisced on represents the significance of Freedom to individuals from all walks of life. At another football game, Hein and Freedom were walking around the stadium when a Spanish-speaking woman approached them with tears in her eyes. The woman walked up quickly and kissed Freedom on his shoulder speaking to Hein in a language he couldn’t understand until an interpreter approached him and explained that the woman is a native of Honduras who was trying to become a U.S. citizen and said the symbol of America, Freedom, is the reason she is crying.

Hein explained that being Freedom’s plus one has made him a better husband, father and friend. The people that he’s met and experiences that he’s gotten to know would not have been possible without Freedom.

“My hope is rather that each of them were touched in somewhat of a special way, and felt close to Freedom and in that experience, just a little closer to nature,” Hein said.

Freedom’s Last Flight

“Finding Freedom” is a short multilayered documentary that tells the story of Hein and Freedom’s journey, and was created shortly before Freedom passed away,

David Wright, cinematographer and longtime friend of Hein, originally wanted to capture Freedom’s Flight during a football game to test out a new camera lens. The original footage did not work out, so Wright returned to the rival game against Appalachian State last fall.

What neither Wright or Hein knew was that Freedom’s last flight at Paulson would be captured that night.

“Finding Freedom” now serves as a legacy piece for the eagle and Hein’s bond. The film is especially personal to Hein as it documents moments of Freedom with his family.

What’s Next

Georgia Southern has been working with UGA to determine the exact cause of Freedom’s passing, early test results are normal. The university has been in the process of evaluating other bald eagles to represent Georgia Southern’s live mascot, but there are no further details at this time.

Hein reaffirmed that the response to Freedom’s passing has been overwhelming and has been informed that the university will recognize the significance of him in the coming weeks.

Hein feels blessed for these opportunities and experiences he’s had over the last 20 years, attributing Georgia Southern for allowing him to grow himself and grow others. “Thank you friends, thank you family and thank you Eagle Nation.”