I. Am. So. Over. This.

At some point picking on Auburn will become passe.

Since the Clemson season opener last labor day weekend, we have had to endure the most miserable season of Auburn football and basketball in my lifetime. We felt the humiliation of the Iron Bowl. We seethed at Marshall Henderson's jersey flipping. At this moment we watch our once proud baseball program in the SEC cellar.

And then one of our own produces a poorly written piece of garbage* by feigning for Mike McNeil, using feigned concern to garner quotes from his former teammates, twisting words, creating an agenda against her alma mater. Bake at 375 and you get this steaming pile of horseshit from Selena Roberts on her roopstigo blog.

That's alls I can stand. I can't stands no more.

Fortunately, other than ESPN and douchebag at law Clay Travis, most of the sane world takes Ms. Roberts with a grain of salt. Why? mainly because of that pesky Duke LaCrosse thing she totally botched. Getting the story wrong was not so much Ms. Roberts fault. The incendiary commentary and refusing to admit a mistake is. But then and now, she stands by her reporting.

The problem is, at least in this instance, no one else does.

All of her on-record sources (other than the guy about to be tried for two counts of robbery) have recanted, said their words were twisted and that they were mislead by Ms. Roberts on the actual purpose of the story.

Then there's the whole Auburn University was in cahoots with Auburn police, but AU police were out to get black players portion of the story (quotes disputed by source A.C. Carter). Not to mention the harebrained theory that Chizik threw McNeil under the bus to silence him. Huh?

It's time for these awful horrible no good P.O.S.'s like Roberts, Thayer Evans, and Pete Thamel (nice work on promoting your story on the Ware kid two seconds after he broke his leg) to be held accountable.

Sadly, they will not. There are no ethics in a profession where blog hits measure success.

Nothing highlights that statement more than the colossally stupid ESPN the magazine's 'spice' article. To paraphrase Bill Shakespeare, this "six month report" is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.

Auburn was the first of the SEC schools to test for synthetic marijuana, in January of 2011. Parents were called and letters were written, according to our friends Hoke and Tate at AU rivals. The Auburn Athletic department has records of 50 phone calls and a letter to the parents of the kids mentioned in the story.

Consider that for a moment, then consider that the drug was not made illegal by the state of Alabama until August 2011. The NCAA did not even warn its members about the problem with synthetic pot until December of 2010.

It's Monday, and most of the world has moved on to something else. Nice try, Selena.  E for effort, WWL. Auburn still stands. And we will continue to do so.

*I found that article very poorly written, aside from it being a hit job.  When you are a 'journalist' and you don't write as good as half of the bloggers I read (including one that was one of those dumb cheating Auburn football players Ms. Roberts like to smear), maybe you should look into a new profession.Maybe Ms. Roberts should try "crack-whoring", seems like it would be a nice fit.

Yoxall's Lasting Legacy

Over a decade of Auburn players have been molded into tougher men by Coach Kevin Yoxall. As he exits the Auburn program having served it in an elite manner for 14 years , there will be a generation of former and current Auburn players who feel a piece of them exit with Coach Yox.

And I was there to see the transformation he ushered in. I was there the night Coach Tuberville told us in a team meeting he was hiring a strength coach that could and would physically throw us out of the weight room if he deemed it necessary. I was there the night we performed our very first conditioning regimen under Coach Yox—a measly three gassers inside the indoor complex. It was the least amount of running we’d ever do for him and we had more players than you could imagine who failed the test. I was there to see many teammates walk out never to return. And, I was there to see us go from a 3-8 team to a SEC Championship game merely two years under a work ethic he instilled.

Before he came to Auburn, we were incredibly weak in mind and body. He blew us away with his structure, intensity, demands, expertise, and his passion. As he walks out the door at Auburn, I believe I can safely speak on behalf of my teammates and all those who’ve followed, Kevin Yoxall positively impacted our lives for the better, forced us to grow up, demanded excellence every single day. He shaped the way we think, work, respond, raise our children.

We hated his guts initially. Cussed him within the confines and anonymity of our locker-room. Would have bet my life he conferred with Satan himself to create daily workouts. Dreaded each day during class, wondering what torturous running he had planned, what awkward lift he would stand and observe me perform. There was no guessing, no cheating, no way to coast through a workout. He, or one of his GAs, watched every rep of every exercise of every individual that entered the weight room. He had even prepopulated the weight to be placed on the bar for each lift along an algorithm to be certain he could track our progress and see who was producing and who wasn’t.

He made us dress exactly the same. Auburn issued orange shorts with Auburn issued gray t-shirt. You wear something different, you wished you hadn’t. You show up late, not five minutes, but one second—you wished you hadn’t.

As we began to see results of our hard work, a work ethic we all thought we epitomized prior to Coach Yox’s arrival—however a work ethic we hadn’t come close to obtaining—we began to buy in. It not only became crystal clear there was no easy path to success, that “work, hard work” was the price to pay to reap rewards, it was also evident and not lost on the players the effort and desire Coach Yox put into his daily grind. He was the hardest working coach on staff, hands down.

Yes, he was building us into leaner, faster, stronger versions of ourselves, but he was laying the foundation for each of us to live successful lives. He was equipping us with mental toughness, with overcoming seemingly insurmountable circumstances, with what it meant to be held accountable, and the understanding that to be and beat the best, no matter what the task, you must outwork, outcompete, outlast the best. He was the catalyst that resurrected a program from the ashes to national preeminence.

The longer we were around him the more we appreciated him. We understood the reasoning behind the hellish routine and grew to expect it, to persevere, and to be better off because of the effort. In the moment, he was a bastard sent straight to Auburn from the pit of hell. In the aftermath, he was a father figure, a mentor, a leader, the master; the best there is or was.

You go ask any football player from 1999 to 2012 and 99.9% of them will tell you Yox was the most instrumental and respected coach they had during their career. More so than the head coach. More so than the coach that recruited them to campus. More so than their position coach. We all spent infinitely more time with Yox than all of the above combined. He coddled no one. He played favorites to no one. He loved us all the same, and we never questioned his commitment to us.

After the 2010 national title victory I wrote the following on my blog:

“My biggest behind the scenes contributors go to the two men that were brought to campus by Coach Tuberville and who have been the most instrumental hires Auburn University has made in its athletic department bar none...to you Coach Yox and Chette Williams...you're like fathers to us players, you mold us physically and spiritually into men by pushing us beyond our comfort zones, you make us believe in our abilities and in each other by the work ethic you instill, the ear you lend, the encouragement you provide. You are the best in the business at what you both do and Auburn is lucky to have you. You both deserve this more than anyone else associated with Auburn athletics and I for one am grateful for what you meant to not only this team, but what you have meant to my life! Thank you!”


In my mind, Coach Yox leaves a legacy at Auburn University that will live on as long as any of us that played under his tenure are breathing air. We’ll all forever be indebted to Yox for forcing us to push beyond our comfort zones down deep into a core existence we never knew we were capable of achieving. He brought out the best in us. He demanded it every day. I’m a better husband, father, optometrist, person because of the lessons I walked away from Auburn with. Many of those lessons came from Kevin Yoxall.

AU Brings back Gus Reax

So after all the weeping and gnashing of teeth over who Auburn's next coach will be, Auburn goes with the known commodity and brings Gus Malzahn back to the plains. So we all know what that means...



The no-huddle hurry up offense is back. And we will likely see it even more ludicrous since Gus doesn't have Gene Chizik in his ear begging him to slow it down.

Obvious reasons for excitement:
1. Most of the offensive recruits will likely stick around, including QB Jeremy Johnson.

2. Keihl Frazier might get a reprieve. He knows the system. Is all he's run since the 7th grade.

3. The offense in all likelihood will go back to being its normal point scoring self.

Obvious reasons for concern:
1. Will defensive guys like Rueben Foster stay committed? We need those guys.

2. Who will coach the defense? Will it matter? Arkansas State's D finished 49th in FBS in yards per play allowed, not bad considering the offense they ran and the fact that virtually everyone in the Sunbelt ran the spread.

3. Will the discipline problems under Chizik Continue? This is my big question right now. Will mental toughness improve or will the "mental midgets" Heath Evans talked about earlier this season continue to be a problem.

Only time will tell on all these things. My guess is Guz is the right guy to get the ship turned around. And once again, Auburn fans can say "Wait till next year."

Alabama/Season Review

What a horrific season. Really a complete joke, a total disaster. A season in which expectations were high with a roster filled with players primed for "break-out" seasons, a new defensive coordinator for which everyone approved, an athletic quarterback we thought ready to lead this team, a schedule of only having to travel to Starkville, Oxford, Nashville, and Tuscaloosa. It had promising written all over it. It was a failure in every sense of the word.

So few players lived up to their potential. So many players were stagnant or went in reverse. So many players with high expectations rarely even stepped foot on the field. So many games got out of hand, effort was questionable, technique was atrocious, game plans were futile, adjustments were minimal as coaches had no answers. The word embarrassing was accurately tossed around following far too many football games.

Not just Alabama, or Georgia, or Texas A&M--but Ole Miss, Arkansas, Vanderbilt, State all showed us just how far we had fallen as a program, just how lifeless we were as a team, just how hungry these teams were to improve compared to our ambivalence and lack of leadership. Position by position, player by player, coach by coach, administrator by administrator...we were void of improvement, void of motivation, void of a response to adversity, void of a clue. We were the single worst team I've ever followed. Why?

Obviously, there are more answers to this question than Internet space available to mankind. And much of the following I said on my radio show last week. We could all go on for days, down different paths, point fingers at various players/coaches/factions/influences, yet end up at the same place. That change was inevitable, change should be expedited, and change should be bold!

But what is bold? Is bold giving Bobby Petrino a chance to rectify his poor judgement-riddled past? Is it bringing back Gus Malzahn and giving him the keys to the program after one season at Arkansas State? Is bold keeping Jay Jacobs in place to spearhead another coaching search, even under the auspices of a committee? Is bold going after someone currently at an SEC school? Depends on your viewpoint.

Bobby Petrino would be bold. But, I don't believe Bobby Petrino would mesh well at Auburn. Why? Because I'm not sure Bobby Petrino is a guy you can turn over the keys to the program and give full reign...which is exactly what Auburn needs...a single, solitary, lone voice. A guy calling all the shots. A guy free from outside influences and demands. His only demand should be to produce a winner. A coach that answers to but one person, the president of the University. Are you comfortable giving that freedom to a guy who's made as many poor decisions as a head coach as Bobby Petrino? Some are...and I respect that. Some aren't...and I respect that as well.

But, Petrino is also in a remarkably weak bargaining position, which is good for Auburn monetarily, but bad for Auburn and the way Auburn typically handles this process in the long run. The new coach should be given everything he deems necessary to run a championship program. Nothing held back. I have to believe however, Auburn officials would be dictating their terms to Petrino with regards to a litany of issues in a way a non-compromised Petrino would scoff at and completely reject. Whether that be staffing, control, decision making, power...it would be shared under Petrino...a problem Auburn can't seem to shake. The problem with Alabama football for 25 years post Bear Bryant.

I would support a Petrino hire and would stand behind him from day one. I'm in no position to judge Petrino for his moral failings just as I'd hope others would refrain from judging my actions. That day will come for us all. I do however have serious reservations about the manner in which he has left several programs/organizations. Because of that and because of Auburn officials/boosters/power brokers always needing to be "involved"...I'd have reservations.

Malzahn? Like him as a coach. Not sure he has the required backbone to be a disciplinarian. In fact, when he took back Mike Dyer at Arkansas State, knowing full well who Mike Dyer had become, I lost confidence in Coach Malzahn's ability to lead. Not saying guys don't deserved a second chance. But Mike Dyer had four hundred second chances...many coming at the request of Gus Malzahn.

I do hope we run an up-tempo offense like Malzahn would run. It's a system kids want to play in, coaches hate defending it, and fans enjoy watching...when it's run unimpeded and led with fantastic QB play.

Again, I would stand behind a Malzahn hire. I would also understand the frustration many would have just as I would understand the allure his offense offers.

Jacobs I would not retain. This is tough for me because I like Jay and he has been kind to me in the past, but Jay fired himself when he fired Chizik. That was his hire. He gets the credit for hiring Gene and taking Auburn to the top. He also carries the baggage of overseeing Auburn's cataclysmic fall from the heights he ascended the program to. In his own words, this is a results oriented business...and as much as he'd like to hang his hat on equestrian and swimming national titles, the direction of the revenue sports at Auburn, the sports we identify with and rally around, is far from upper echelon. When your previous position within the administration is coddling donors, many of whom want to wield power, those same people expect to be coddled when you become AD. We need an AD that doesn't know Bobby Lowder from Bobby from Homewood. A relentless salesman. A savvy businessman. A media superstar. A guy that gives the head coach everything he needs to be successful...no questions asked. Who is that? I don't know? Perhaps it's Mac Crawford?

My bold selection would be Chris Petersen. No one has won more big football games with inferior talent than Chris Petersen's Boise teams over the years. I understand he's not from the South. I understand he competes in a weak league. But, he's creative, his teams play with a chip on their shoulder, and he develops talent. He makes $1.5 million in Boise. Make him turn down twice his salary to come compete for national titles in the toughest division in college football. Some say he's not leaving Boise. You may be correct. At least make him an offer that would be hard to refuse.

Next up...James Franklin. He's a winner. He's a salesman. He's a motivator. His overachieving clubs have made many more highly sought after coaches and players look foolish, undisciplined, poorly prepared. He recruits to a school no one has been able to recruit to. He uses the schools greatest disadvantage (it's academic reputation) as it's greatest attribute to future players (a degree from Vanderbilt). He's passionate, he's energetic, he's been a success in this league when no one thought it was possible. (Side Note: Franklin even called into Eyes on Auburn twice! Completely unprompted. Since our shows inception we've asked for Coach Chizik every week for two years. We never got him.)

Right behind him, I'd be calling Coach Hugh Freeze for all the same reasons. An added bonus with Freeze would be his offensive philosophy...the one Nick Saban wants banned. He's building Ole Miss into a team again and I believe he'd turn Auburn around quickly.

Maybe those names aren't as bold as some would like. Maybe you downright disagree with my sentiments. That's perfectly fine...I accept that and welcome the difference of opinion. Regardless, we're going to end up in a better situation soon whether your guy is selected, my guy is picked, or none of us identified the correct coach. Whenever and whoever it is, we need to fervently unite behind the coach and give him everything he needs to be successful...and that means us being the greatest fans a program could hope to have. Not yes-men. Not blindly devoted. Not no-questions asked. But accepting, loyal, passionate, and enthusiastic. We have a role to play and it's just the opposite of division. It's uniting. It's rallying. It's being family. Families have differing opinions. But families respect and value those differences.

Challenging times brings out true character. I'm interested to see just what that will look like.

Alabama Preview

Happy Thanksgiving to you all. I, for one, am grateful for an innumerable amount and this day of thanks comes at just the right time for me to offer a healthy dose of perspective. It's easy to see God's providence and work in my life and I'm thankful for each and every day He bestows. By the worlds standard, if you're reading this post on your laptop or smartphone you're wealthier than 99% of mankind. We live in the greatest country ever created, under the blanket of freedom, the protection of the world's greatest military, still the economic engine of the universe...yes, even with Barack Obama in charge. I'm grateful for my God, for sending His Son to die a brutal death to atone for my sins allowing me to have a personal, eternal relationship with the King of Kings. I'm thankful for my wife, my kids, my upbringing, my job, and all the blessings I've been granted. The reality we can spend as much time as we do discussing, dissecting, supporting, worrying over athletics and our beloved institution is a testament to just how well we really have it.

One thing I'm also immensely thankful for, and this time of year seems to always bring home this point, is my decision to become an Auburn Tiger! Auburn is a place we all love and cherish, a place we call home. It's a place we seek to protect, support, see triumph and prevail over all obstacles that come her way. It's more than Auburn just being important to us...rather Auburn lives in us...we're all bound and connected by a spirit others will never fully recognize nor appreciate. That spirit is what makes us family...a connection often mocked by some, attempted to be duplicated by others. You can't manufacture it, you can't sell it, can't reproduce it, can't claim it...you must be an Auburn man or woman to grasp what I speak of. If you're not...you're shaking your head in dismay as you read this. But those that are--are shaking their heads in the affirmative, in total agreement and understanding.

This season has been a total disaster. I have been disheartened by our teams lack of competitiveness, its lack of leadership, lack of development, lack of toughness, lack of answers, and lack of success. I have called out our staff for not displaying the ability to adequately prepare this football team for the rigors of Southeastern Conference play. I have called out the players for passionless play, questionable effort, for the appearance of ambivalence. I've grown weary of writing this year the same negative sentiments week in and week out. It's truly felt like Groundhog Day.

I have taken my fair share of heat for not spinning the product I see in endearing terms. How could I and be taken seriously? Frankly, it's a product that has become completely indefensible and because of that, I've called for change. No one former players opinion isn't nor should it be a catalyst for change. But you know what is...a roster of current players whose performance has been so disappointing they have effectively sealed the fate of their head coach.

Auburn won't beat Alabama in the 77th playing of the most intense rivalry in all of college football. The daylight between these two programs has widened considerably in a shockingly small amount of time. Alabama will field a team loaded with top-end talent, but most importantly, a team that is physically and mentally tough. They're not invincible, they're not even a great team...but they play with great passion and desire, they play for four quarters, they wear you down physically with sound technique and schemes. Auburn on the other-hand will field a young team searching for answers with none in sight. We enter games with the outcome all but certain, hoping for the best but expecting the worst. We're mentally weak, play with fleeting passion, and proper technique is tossed in favor of either bad habits or bad coaching. It hasn't improved over this season...it's only gotten worse.

I fear with an Alabama team having much to play for in a stadium full of blood-lusting fans sensing a fractured opponent in our Tigers, this game has set up to be one of the ugliest outcomes I can ever recall. To prove me wrong, this Auburn team has to use the adversity they've endured to its advantage. They must play like a wounded dog, backed against the wall, fighting for survival. They have nothing to lose...Alabama has everything to lose. They must jump out early and show not only Alabama but themselves they came to battle...they came to compete for the duration. The mentality must be, "You may win the war, but you'll have to kill me first." And you know what, Alabama may do just that. But show me the effort, show me you care, show me you respect the jersey you wear, show me you'll fight from opening to closing whistle. I'll stand and applaud that effort. I'll praise you even in loss. Show me though how much it means to you to represent Auburn University in a game you've been utterly blessed to become a participant. This game won't change your season, but this game would ruin theirs. Play the spoiler, play the bad guy. Play because you enjoy the game. Play because God's blessed you with a talent to do so. Play the game for those of us that can't and know that regardless of the outcome, you'll have the full support of the Auburn faithful if you played the game the way it's supposed to be played. Play with passion! And beat Alabama.

Auburn-9
Alabama-33

Alabama A&M Reax/Bama Preview

I'll be travelling to see the wife's family for Thanksgiving today. I'll be with 20 in-laws, mostly extended family. Auburn goes into the Iron Bowl as a 32 point dog against Alabama. So it goes without saying...

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit sniffing glue.

First a quick review of the Alabama A&M game: Auburn used superior talent and speed to squash the Bulldogs, proving that Scott Loefler, with Auburn's talent could easily win the SWAC.

It was nice to give the seniors a W in their final home game. Most of them have earned it.

I'm not going to spend a whole lot of time on what Auburn has to do to win the Iron Bowl. I have not even made my mind up if I am going to watch the game. Watching the game will be something like having to watch a loved one being repeatedly punched in the face. You can't do anything to stop it. You just have to sit there and take it.

I'll instead give my two cents on the state of the union in regard to our beloved program, and how I think we got where we are.

I have read many theories on what happened with Gene Chizik to get us to this point. Some point to the 2011 Clemson game as the unraveling of the Chizik era. Auburn was humming on all cylinders on offense in the first half of that game. When it became glaringly obvious that Auburn could not stop Clemson on defense, Chizik meddled with Gus's scheme. The ludicrous speed offense throttled back, and really was never the same after that. Barrett Trotter was shouldered with the blame. AU decided to hand the keys to Clint Moseley, who proved to be totally over matched against better teams.

What might be a better theory is the idea that Chizik won because of Tuberville's upperclassmen paired with the greatest college player in a generation led to a national championship in 2010. Bynes, Ziemba, Adams, Zachery, etc all had something to prove. Combine that with one Cameron Newton, throw in a Nick Fairley and you get the magical 2010 season that no one will soon forget.

Chizik received a great deal of credit for 2010. But when all those guys were gone, we were left with a lot of Rivals 4 stars who to this day have not been coached up. Some were/are quite obviously recruiting busts. Others quite frankly have not been coached.

Combine that with the obvious lack of mental toughness and discipline off the field, and we get to where we are today, to a place where no Auburn fan ever thought we would be. We have no hope of beating of biggest rival. We are staring a winless conference record right in the face. Three frickin wins. 3.

And we could tolerate most of the losses if they were competitive. But over last 2 seasons, we have been getting blown out, and regularly. It's too much to stomach really. And at this point all of us know change is coming. It has to.

Rob and I have been very honest the last two seasons. Early on, Rob more than me was chastised on message boards for telling the truth. He's even had members of the current coaching staff call and rip him.

You know what? Rob was right. He was right about the glaring problems last season when many Auburn fans chose to bury their heads in the sand. Those problems just got worse this year.

And all of your worries and my worries that the guy at the airport in 2009 was right were true. Then, Auburn just hired a 5-19 coach. After four years, we've become Iowa State circa 2008.

That's not to say we won't be back. If a 5-19 coach can win a national title at Auburn, imagine what a good coach will do.

Auburn will return to the top quickly. It's who we are. It's what we do.

Happy Thanksgiving. War Eagle.

Alabama A&M Preview

There are several young men that will suit up and play out their Auburn careers inside of Jordan-Hare Stadium for the last time. Guys that have contributed in very large ways during their Auburn careers. Guys that can walk away from their time at Auburn and say something very few that have worn the jersey can...I was a national champion! I was a contributor on a team that beat all comers. As poorly and as disheartening their senior seasons have been, they leave having been a part of the greatest season in Auburn football history and for that they deserve our adoration.

Emory Blake- Burst onto the scene with a catch and run on a WR bubble screen against Mississippi State to open the scoring in SEC play for the 2010 Tigers. Ever since, he's truly been a joy to watch, a guy that comes to play every week, someone you can never question his effort and will leave as one of Auburn's all time greats at the position. Dependable, blue-collar, our only viable WR threat this season. He's been a great ambassador for Auburn.

Onterio McCalebb- I'll never forget his scamper around left end to break the LSU contest open in 2010. Over his career you always held your breath when he touched the ball because the homerun threat was real and the speed was breath-taking when it reached its peak. His highlight reel will make for spectacular viewing for many years to come. His game has been decimated this year without legitimate QB play.

Daren Bates- This guy has gone to war in a very physical way for Auburn University. I've always admired the passion he plays with as well as the selflessness it requires to play out of position due to the necessity of a thin linebacking unit. Even though he's had struggles with playing with technique, you can't question his tenacity and that I revere.

T'Sharvan Bell- Came out of nowhere with a pair of INTs to help win the Outback Bowl over Northwestern in 2009. And his sack of Greg McElroy in the 2010 Iron Bowl will live on as legend for generations. Injuries kept T'Sharvan from becoming the player we all hoped he would become, but nonetheless, the candor and demeanor represented us all well and his Iron Bowl sack was a critical play in our National Title run.

Phillip Lutzenkirchen- Was as athletic a TE I've ever seen. He could do it all. Once again, a guy asked to sacrifice the fame and glory of catching passes for trapping defensive tackles and lead blocking on middle linebackers. A phenomenal person and true gentleman, he will remain a fan favorite for his lifetime for his catch in front of the Alabama student section for the go ahead score in 2010. A tremendous face of the program we will struggle to replace.

DeAngelo Benton- A colossal bust. In fact, I thought he'd been kicked off the team until I saw him break the huddle midway through this season. He and Trovon Reed are battling for biggest bust of the Chizik era...right now I give it DeAngelo. For a guy we were told would break all the Auburn receiving records...his 15 career catches are a shame.

Anthony Morgan- Another guy lost within the program. Is he a tailback...is he is a defensive back?Shined when given the opportunity, but injuries were also a setback in his career. Respect him for sticking it out through it all.

Ikeem Means- Anyone who walks on and does enough to impress the coaches to earn a scholarship is a hero in my book. Walk-ons are treated poorly in college football and for a guy to battle through that, believe in his abilities, contribute every year he's there, and work his way towards the school paying his tuition...I stand and applaud! Your effort is not lost on me. I'd hire a guy like this in a heartbeat.

Jonathan Evans- Gets propelled into a starting role a true freshman against the undefeated 2009 Alabama squad and played admirably. Just never became the guy I expected after playing the game of his career against that Alabama team. A lot of raw ability, but consistency and injuries were his downfall. Still, battled for four season and that's commendable.

Ashton Richardson- Guys like Ikeem Means I'd hire...guys like Ashton Richardson I fear for my job. When you carry a GPA as lofty as this young man does while walking on and dedicating the required time towards getting your head pounded on the scout team, you have some qualities that make you an enviable and highly sought after guy. And when given the opportunity to play in the middle he's played well this season. He also proved he can grow an afro to stellar proportions, a quality earning high marks from me.

John Sullen- Has played a lot of snaps for his hometown university and has been a decent player. He's exceeded my expectations for him in terms of amount of playing time as I assumed other, more sought after lineman would have usurped his starting gig. He's a lot of man and I'm sure he'll have a ton of family and friends to watch him suit up one final time in his backyard.

Jamar Travis- Quite frankly, I was shocked to see he was listed as a Rivals 4 star recruit. I thought he had walked on based solely on his level of contribution. For his career he has a total of 7 tackles. Not sure why he was never given an opportunity the last two seasons because what we got from those in front of him was Conference USA level at best.

Travante Stallworth- Another guy that just never could quite make it over the hump. Played a lot of downs for Auburn, but never really flourished or became the play-maker opposite Emory Blake. His move to open the 2011 season against the Utah State defender nearly breaking every bone in his lower extremities was quite a sight, but we just never saw enough of those type plays from Travante.

Some fine young men that will go to battle one last time on their home turf. I wish them the best and thank them all for their service and contributions to Auburn University. I'm sure at times in every one of their careers they thought about quitting, about taking the easy road. But they persevered, they battled through it all and were a part of Auburn football at its pinnacle, and at its hell. It's a shame they'll end walking through the fire, but they'll be better husbands and fathers and businessmen because of the refining that takes place in difficult times. Go out and enjoy your last moment in Jordan-Hare because take it from me...you'll treasure the moments for an eternity. Both the good and bad!

Alabama A&M-13
Auburn-42