Talking in front of a group of people can be a nerve-wracking experience for some.
Many students struggle with nerves when presenting a speech or project in a class. Auburn student Daniel Phillips, however, embraces having people pay attention to him, because on fall Saturdays, he takes center stage in front of nearly 90,000 people.
Phillips, a sophomore from Montgomery majoring in Biomedical Science, is in his first season as the Auburn cheerleading squad’s “Mic-Man.” Every time this season that fans in Jordan-Hare Stadium have taken part in classic Auburn chants such as “Bodda Getta," “Track ‘Em Tigers” and “Shove It," he has led the way.
The position of mic-man is one of the most heavily scrutinized roles in Auburn football that doesn’t involve players or coaches, but Phillips has always felt up to the task.
“Ever since I went to my first Auburn game, I was interested in the position (of mic-man), because it is so different from how other schools do game day,” Phillips said. “(Previous mic-man Justin Melnick) poured into me and taught me a lot about the position and the responsibilities that it carries, and when tryouts came around, he talked me into trying out.”
The mic-man’s average game day is a busy one.
Phillips and the other cheerleaders arrive at Jordan-Hare Stadium four hours before every game to set up their equipment including water coolers, signs and flags. Phillips and two other cheerleaders set up the speakers for the student section and test the microphone to ensure it’s working properly.
After they finish setting up, the squad heads to the cheerleading tailgate to spend time with alumni, family and friends, before making their way to the top of the hill on Donahue Drive for the famed Tiger Walk.
“We get super hyped and walk the team to the stadium to get them ready for the game, then we all split off into groups and head to different locations across campus for cheers, pictures, then Spirit March,” Phillips said.
Spirit March, which Phillips describes as one of his favorite pre-game traditions, is when the band, cheerleaders, dance line and “Tiger Paws” march from four different corners on campus and come together at the intersection of Donahue Drive and Heisman Drive for a pep rally one hour prior to kickoff.
After Spirit March, Phillips and the cheerleaders enter the stadium to warm up for the game. Phillips then goes with five or six other cheerleaders to the President’s Box to lead cheers for the fans in that area.
When all of that is done, Phillips is left with 15 minutes to prepare himself for the cheers at midfield before kickoff, but he doesn’t consider that a problem.
“With our pre-game traditions, getting hyped isn’t a problem at all,” Phillips said.
Being Auburn’s mic-man can still lead to feelings of nervousness, but Phillips believes that just comes with the territory.
“There is a feeling of nervousness as well as a huge adrenaline rush surging through me,” Phillips said. “It’s easy to get worried or stressed about it, so I just kneel down, give it all to God, my successes and my screw-ups, then go out there and have the time of my life ... There is nothing like going out in the middle of a field and getting everyone pumped up for Auburn,” Phillips said.
As someone who knows all of Auburn’s cheers, Phillips notes two famous cheers he classifies as his favorites. He loves “Bodda Getta” because it’s a classic cheer that has been used for many years.
However, his personal favorite is a bit more simplistic and straight-forward in nature.
“Let’s be honest,” Phillips said. “Whoever came up with 'Shove It' needs a statue in front of the stadium, because that is one of the greatest cheers ever.”
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