Auburn fans' passion draws United Way, Team Cam to The Plains for A-Day
Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton won't be playing on A-Day Saturday, but that doesn't mean fans can't support him.
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Former Auburn quarterback Cam Newton won't be playing on A-Day Saturday, but that doesn't mean fans can't support him.
Roopstigo.com founder Selena Roberts was apparently less than candid with at least one potential source, according to Auburn Director of Strategic Communications Jack Smith.
As players ran suicides in the team's indoor training facility Friday morning, Gus Malzahn paced around the middle of the field repeating two points as players got within earshot.
Defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson is not one to sugar coat the issue.
The Tigers started spring practice later than any other team in the SEC. Now Gus Malzahn is trying to get his team caught up in a hurry. Malzahn delayed the beginning of spring practice to accommodate more strength and conditioning training, a necessity for any team learning such a high tempo system. At 8 a.m. Wednesday, that training was put to the test in Auburn’s first practice. “Very fast for the first day,” said wide receiver Trovon Reed after practice. “But Coach Russell pushes us and trains us for this fast paced offense.”Reed is one of the Tigers who is already familiar with Malzahn’s expectations from Malzahn's stint as offensive coordinator under Gene Chizik. However, Reed said that Chizik would slow the team down occasionally, something Malzahn has no thoughts of doing. “Coaches set the tone of each drill,” Malzahn said. “When it’s individual time, we’re going to slow down. But when we’re in a team setting, we’re going to be flying around.”And yet, Malzahn isn’t delusional about his team’s abilities. He’s not expecting them to know every play and formation. On the first days of practice, Malzahn simply wants to teach his team, well, how to practice. “I told our team at the very end of practice that we just need to learn how to practice at the pace, intensity and tempo offensively and defensively,” Malzahn said. “The Xs and Os, they’ll come, but our main focus right now is learning how to practice and being able to process things by learning how to practice fast.“We didn’t play fast enough today. We really weren’t even close, but we’ll get there.”While Malzahn and his players insist that last season is no longer looming overhead, the head coach did admit some players had “mental scars” from the team’s 2012 debacle. With a new system comes a new mentality, however, and the players seem eager to take the lead, something lacking from the team the past few seasons. During the 2010 national championship season, Reed was one of the youngest wide receivers on the roster. Now he’s one of the oldest and the speedster is looking to step up for his younger teammates. “My goal is to become a leader on and off the field,” Reed said. “I did my time here. I saw what it takes to win. I went out there with Darvin Adams and Terrell Zachary. I know how to win, now I have to brainwash the younger receivers.”Sophomore linebacker Kris Frost attributes the lack of leadership to the team’s lack of success but said the change in coaches, system and structure has helped the team come together. “When you’re having a hard time in the win category and everything it’s hard to really have a leader, have somebody step up when times are hard,” Frost said. “It’s a lot easier to lead when everything’s going great. Compared to last year, I feel like guys are making it a priority to lead and show how important this season is.”Wednesday was the first day practicing new installations and safety Demetruce McNeal said his defense only learned approximately four plays. Instead, the coaches are focused on fundamentals.“This spring’s going to be more about us,” Malzahn said. “It’s going to be very basic, just the basics of our offense and defense and getting very good at a few things.”Quick HitsLaDarius Owens, used as a defensive end and linebacker in his Auburn career, will be practicing solely at linebacker for now. Sophomore tight end Chris Landrum is also moving back to his high school position of linebacker.Wide receiver/return man Quan Bray, a former high school quarterback, saw some time with the quarterbacks Wednesday and could possibly see time as a wildcat-type player. Linebackers Justin Garrett and JaViere Mitchell were the first to work out in the “star” position of defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson’s 4-2-5 defense. Malzahn emphasized after practice, however, that there is “really no such thing as a first unit or second unit now.”Demetruce McNeal said he felt like a robot last season and secondary coach Charlie Harbison’s relaxed approach makes him feel more comfortable as a ball-hawking centerfield-type safety.Malzahn hardly watched the quarterbacks throw individually, but said collectively, “they threw the ball decent.”
Auburn's National Center for Asphalt Technology has collaboarated with NASCAR in the past.
As soon-to-be senior fullback Jay Prosch said Wednesday, "Offseasons are always hard."
The Baltimore Ravens lack of inside linebackers may be just what former Auburn middle linebacker Josh Bynes wanted to see.
In professional football, athleticism may be the door, but experience and savvy are the keys.
The legend of Bo continues to grow.
After numerous showcase games, workouts and interviews, all that’s left for Auburn’s 2013 NFL Draft prospects is to wait. Auburn’s Pro Day is over. With scouts from nearly every team on hand to scrutinize and speculate, former Auburn athletes worked to prove they belong with the elite. Here’s a breakdown of the top performers and the unofficial event results.Onterio McCalebbMcCalebb might have benefited the most from the extra publicity provided by Pro Day. He continued to run blistering — if unofficial — 40 yard dashes with his fastest being unofficially clocked at 4.29 seconds. Scouts who buy into game film more than drills can see his productivity if plugged into the right system. For those looking for workout warriors, McCalebb did not disappoint. While the main knock on McCalebb is his seemingly frail 168-pound frame, he completed 10 reps in the bench press — seven more than 313-pound guard John Sullen — showing that he has the upper body strength to take a hit. McCalebb’s only falter came in receiving drills. Teams willing to buy into his speed must know if he can also catch the ball out of the backfield, and McCalebb dropped two passes early. However, once in a rhythm, McCalebb looked fluid coming out of routes.Philip LutzenkirchenIt was a tough day for Lutzenkirchen. Still only four months removed from hip surgery, Lutzenkirchen said he was still about two months away from being back to 100 percent. Still, Lutz’s workout showed his tenacity and work ethic if anything. Intangibles are all the rage in the locker rooms of the NFL elite. Sure, his 4.96 second 40 didn’t turn any heads, but Lutzenkirchen was right when he said he’s “never going to be a blazer” and that he’s more of a “tape guy.” Lutzenkirchen also ran a 4.27 20-yard shuttle which would have ranked second among all tight ends at the NFL Combine. That combined with his receiving skills and the news that teams will be mostly watching his junior tape bodes well for a team taking a shot on the 6-foot-3, 258-pound playmaker.Corey LemonierLemonier decided to stand pat on his combine results and only participated in linebacker drills with former teammate Jonathan Evans. Lemonier said afterwards that his goal was to prove he can move like a linebacker, and he’s committed to being prepared for possibly playing outside linebacker in the NFL. Lemonier looked fluid in the footwork and reaction drills. Lemonier is also a high motor player, and he tried to show that by going all out in the drills. It’s unclear whether or not the decision to not compete in the 40, the bench press or the other drills will hurt his stock, but he still remains a candidate to go anywhere in the first three rounds.Emory BlakeIn addition to a solid workout, Blake had a ringing endorsement from the man throwing him passes on Pro Day: his father and former NFL quarterback Jeff Blake. Emory Blake ran another sluggish 40, clocking in at 4.62 seconds. And yet, his vertical and broad jumps were second only to McCalebb. Blake also looked natural catching the ball, although his routes could have been more precise. The 6-foot-3-inch wideout may lack premiere speed, but with his hands and experience, Blake could have earned himself a late round selection as a possession receiver.A.J. GreeneOf all the Pro Day participants who weren't on the team last season, Greene might have helped himself the most. Greene opted to skip workouts last year, but was still signed by the Chicago Bears as an undrafted free agent. After being cut right before the start of the season, Greene is once again trying to make a roster. He posted a respectable 25 reps in the bench press and looked powerful at the point of attack in lineman drills. Although he ran a 5.35 40, that time isn't far off the 5.3 posted at the combine by Luke Joeckel, a consensus candidate for the No. 1 overall pick. One year later and one year wiser, Greene may have earned himself another training camp and another shot at the 53-man roster.All results:40-yard dash (all times unofficial):Onterio McCalebb, 4.29 secondsTravante Stallworth, 4.48Daren Bates, 4.53DeAngelo Benton, 4.56Nate Taylor, 4.59Emory Blake, 4.62T'Sharvan Bell, 4.64Jonathan Evans, 4.71Philip Lutzenkirchen, 4.94A.J. Greene, 5.35John Sullen, 5.72Bench press:A.J. Greene, 25 repsDaren Bates, 15Jonathan Evans, 14Travante Stallworth, 13Onterio McCalebb, 10Nate Taylor, 8T'Sharvan Bell, 7DeAngelo Benton, 7John Sullen, 3Vertical jump:Onterio McCalebb, 37 inchesEmory Blake, 36 1/2Travante Stallworth, 35 1/2Daren Bates, 33 1/2Philip Lutzenkirchen, 32John Sullen, 26 1/2Broad jump:Onterio McCalebb, 10-feet, 1-inchEmory Blake, 10 feetDaren Bates, 9-feet, 9-inchesTravante Stallworth, 9-feet, 9-inchesPhilip Lutzenkirchen, 9-feet, 4-inchesA.J. Greene, 8-feet, 7-inchJohn Sullen, 7-feet, 9-inch20-yard shuttleOnterio McCalebb, 4.23 secondsTravante Stallworth, 4.33Daren Bates, 4.68DeAngelo Benton, 4.41Nate Taylor, 4.17Emory Blake, 4.24T'Sharvan Bell, 4.10Jonathan Evans, 4.45Philip Lutzenkirchen, 4.27A.J. Greene, 4.53
Former Auburn linebacker Josh Bynes has seemingly done it all. After helping Auburn to a national championship in 2010, Bynes was selected as an undrafted free agent by the Baltimore Ravens in 2011. One year later, Bynes cracked the starting lineup and helped the Ravens win their first Super Bowl since 2000. Bynes took some time off from celebrating recently to visit Auburn and reconnect with fans on The Plains. While in Auburn, I got the chance to speak to Bynes about his adjustment to the pros, the retirement of Ravens legend Ray Lewis and Auburn's 2013 NFL Draft prospects. AY: You're fresh off a Super Bowl victory. Talk about your journey from being an undrafted free agent to starting for the Super Bowl champions.JB: It’s been a long, crazy ride. Going from where I started from — which is a hard long road, being undrafted and trying to fight to be on the roster each and every week — and just to come up, be active and start for the Super Bowl and actually win the Super Bowl is just crazy. I couldn’t ask for anything better.You've been in the league for two seasons. How do you think you did in your first season as a full time contributor?I think I did all right. For the first time starting and going through the whole season, playing special teams and everything like that, I think it’s only going to get better. I’ve been in the league two years now, so the third year coming up is going to be even better. How was the adjustment from playing middle linebacker in Auburn's 4-3 defense to playing inside linebacker for the Ravens 3-4?It’s a little different, but it’s kind of the same. It’s like an inverted 4-3 in a way. It’s really not that much of a difference. It’s just now, you’re not the only single guy in the middle. It helps. You’ve got two inside linebackers to help cover each other’s half of the field so it makes it even better to get down in there and take on blocks. Speaking of two inside linebackers, the guy you played alongside last season, Ray Lewis, is now retired after a Hall of Fame worthy career. What did his mentorship mean to you?He meant a lot to me. Ray Lewis has taught me and the other linebackers on the team what it takes to play linebacker for 17 years as far as knowing the film and knowing what to do out there each and every practice and play and to maintain that for 17 years. And he does other stuff besides football. Football’s not going to make you. You want to change the game of football and be a person outside of football. That’s what Ray Lewis does. He’s just a great person. I couldn’t learn from anybody better than Ray Lewis, one of the best linebackers to play the game. Lewis played strong side linebacker most of the time, and although you might not take over his exact position, is there any kind of pressure to fill the void left by his absence?It’s no problem at all. I play both, I know the positions so I love playing right there on the inside. Right there in the middle is where I’m best suited, and that’s where you’re going to get the best qualities out of me. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to play and start this year. Whatever happens is going to happen, and I’m just going to take this opportunity and go with it. You were an undrafted free agent once. With Auburn players taking the field for Pro Day March 5, what do they need to do to prepare for the draft and shine in the eyes of the scouts?They don’t need to do too much. Just be the same player you’ve always been and try to boost it to one extra level to get their attention and show what kind of player you are. Coaches right now already watched the film, and know what you’re capable of doing. It’s just an extra little showing right in front of you. They get to see you up close and personal. The only thing they can do is take care of business on Tuesday, and whatever happens on draft day happens. I thought I did a pretty good job. I thought everything was in place for me, and I didn’t get drafted. And if you don’t get drafted, trust me, teams are going to be calling them to pick them up as a free agent. When you get picked as a free agent, you’re still going to have an opportunity. You might not get the signing bonus and all the other stuff, but at the same time you’ve got the same opportunity all these other guys have. You just have to make the best of it and hope that one day you’ll get there and make it.
Here's a list of Auburn Pro Day participants from Auburn media relations:
The legend of Bo continues to grow.
The past few years, the Tigers have been plagued by off-field issues and team rule violations.
After having only one player selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. thinks Auburn can triple that number in 2013.
After having only one player selected in the 2012 NFL Draft, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. thinks Auburn can triple that number in 2013.
Carl Lawson, the No. 2 overall offensive recruit has named Auburn University as his college school choice.
This time of year, most college football coaches are either looking for recruits or looking for a job.
The game was won and lost on the free throw line.