As he waits in the tunnel, head drum major Daniel Johnson listens to the cheering crowd and feels the reverberation of thousands of feet jumping up and down above him.
He has been training for months for this day: the first home game of the 2011 football season.
Somehow, he feels calm.
"I wasn't as nervous as I thought I would be," said Johnson, senior in biomedical sciences. "The whole time I felt more or less at ease about everything. Our video came on and I had the adrenaline rush I would normally get, but felt more relaxed than I thought I would and went through the routine with no major hitches."
His only mishap was his feather falling from his hat during the iconic high-step entrance.
"A plastic connector that the plume attaches to broke in morning rehearsals," Johnson said. "I tried to tape that piece down so it wouldn't move, but tape melts, so that came off. I noticed it when we turned around to face the student section and I saw it lying on the ground. Worse things can happen, though."
Like all Auburn drum majors, Johnson said he was relieved he didn't drop his mace, and that it stuck in the ground.
Johnson said he choreographed his mace routine from YouTube videos and past styles.
Even though Johnson stays busy leading the band, he doesn't miss much.
"With a year of experience, I'm getting to watch the game more and react to what happens, and, honestly, I just enjoy it at this point," Johnson said. "It's a lot of fun."
Johnson must keep his eyes on both the game and the band to get the job done.
"I watch to see what happens during the play, if we gain yardage or lose yardage," Johnson said. "I'm also trying to evaluate how much the band has played recently, and should they have a break or should Mic-Man lead a cheer."
Some may be surprised by the relationship between the drum major and Mic-Man.
"To an extent (I coordinate what Mic-Man does)," Johnson said. "Essentially, if we don't do something, I give Mic-Man a cue to go ahead and do a cheer. So I have to get to know Mic-Man personally and be on a pretty friendly basis."
When it comes down to it, Johnson's decisions can affect the fans' mood.
"It really feels like I'm getting to lead the band, and they're in turn giving some amount of energy to the student section and the rest of the stadium," Johnson said. "So in a small way, it's almost as if I'm controlling the crowd."
Johnson said being in the band has been one of his favorite Auburn experiences, and no other recognition is needed.
"It's for Auburn so we don't really need any more credit for what we do," Johnson said. "It's already nice enough to hear people say 'Great job' to me. 'We appreciate what you do.'"
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