Despite a successful four-year career at Michigan, Blake Countess decided it was in his best interest to play his final year of college football somewhere other than Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Countess was pursued by numerous high-profile programs including Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Arizona, but the cornerback eventually decided Auburn was his best option.
“(Auburn) just seemed like really the perfect fit,” Countess said. “When I came on my visit I really bonded with the guys here, and I felt like we could do something special, and that’s what I want to be a part of, something special.”
Countess said the Auburn coaches, especially new defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, played a big role in convincing him to bring his talents to the Plains.
“They were real upfront and real honest with me that the opportunity [to play immediately] is there and you can come in and contribute but you’re going to have to work for it,” Countess said. “Once I got here I really saw that, and I’m here to work.”
Countess admitted, however, it was a phone call from an Auburn player that might have made the biggest impact on his decision to come to Auburn.
“[Senior cornerback] Josh Holsey reached out to me before I even came on my visit just to catch up and see where my head was,” Countess said. “He kept it pretty real. Little things like that really gave Auburn an advantage when I was making my decision, and I’m happy I made the right decision.”
Holsey said it was a no-brainer to extend a personal invitation to Countess, even if his arrival could signal a position change for Holsey.
“Once [the coaching staff] told me they were interested in him, I really just contacted him and was like, ‘Where are you thinking about going?’” Holsey said. “I was like, ‘If you come down here, you’ll have a chance to come in and help us and have the opportunity to win a national championship.’”
Countess said the phone call with Holsey was straight to the point and helped him to decide for sure that Auburn was the place for him.
“Hearing it from a player is much different from hearing it from a coach,” Countess said. “(Defensive backs coach Travaris Robinson) and Coach Muschamp both explained it to me, but it kind of really puts it into perspective when you hear it from a player.”
Countess played in 38 games in his career at Michigan, including 30 starts. His best season with the Wolverines came in 2013, when he was selected to the All-Big Ten team after recording 46 tackles and six interceptions, the most in the conference.
Junior safety Johnathan Ford said the secondary is happy to have Countess and his play-making ability on board.
“He’s a guy that’s going to come in, step right in and play, right away,” Ford said. “He’s got a great IQ of football. That adds to our unit. He’s another guy that can be one of the guys that we count on in the fourth quarter, because he’s been there before.”
Holsey said Countess’ experience will be a valuable asset to Auburn this season.
“He’s been in those big situations, those big moments,” Holsey said. “So I know if we get into a game and it’s crunch time, I know he won’t fold or won’t be nervous.”
Countess said all of his teammates have welcomed him with open arms.
“Everybody has been very accepting,” Countess said. “If you go somewhere and you’re not getting along with the guys, that can affect you a lot.”
Countess said he didn’t know much about Auburn before arriving on campus, but he landed in a place he enjoys.
“I didn’t know much about the tradition, the history, things like that,” Countess said. “But it is a special place. When you get on campus, you see the difference pretty quick.”
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