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(08/10/13 7:05pm)
After what was described as a messy offensive performance in the first scrimmage of fall camp, the Auburn offense cut down on the turnovers and created big plays in Saturday's scrimmage at a blazing hot Jordan-Hare Stadium.
"We're learning a lot about our team," head coach Gus Malzahn said afterwards. "It was hot, and that was a good thing. We want to see how guys respond to the heat. And there were a lot of up and down moments, which is good to see in a scrimmage when you're evaluating guys--how they respond to big plays and adversity."
Malzahn said the goal of Saturday's scrimmage was to start "narrowing it down" in positions all across the field, including quarterback.
The four quarterbacks in the battle for Auburn's starting jobs did not go live like they did on Wednesday, but walk-on quarterback Tucker Tuberville did. Tuberville did not get a chance to go live in Wednesday's scrimmage, so Malzahn said they gave him an opportunity to run a few offensive series.
"We're to a point now where we are going to start narrowing it down," Malzahn said of the quarterback race. "I can't tell you how specific that will be narrowed down...but we can't keep rotating four guys at this point."
While the quarterbacks did not go live, the special teams did for the first time in this fall camp. Malzahn said it gave the staff opportunities to see different kicking units and returners.
Wide receiver Quan Bray said some of the skill players that had opportunities in the return game stood out offensively in Saturday's scrimmage.
"It was a good scrimmage, especially for the offense," Bray said. "The receivers made some explosive plays, the running backs ran real well and the offensive line played hard. We got better today."
Bray specifically mentioned fellow receivers Ricardo Louis and Sammie Coates as players who made big plays in the passing game. According to Bray, Louis caught a deep ball touchdown pass from freshman quarterback Jeremy Johnson, and tight end Brandon Fulse hooked up with Nick Marshall for another long touchdown play.
"(Louis) just played fast," Bray said. "He outran the cornerbacks, something he does real well. Coach Craig is always harping on us about playing fast as receivers.
"When we play fast, it's going to be hard to cover us."
Bray said the quarterbacks who threw the deep touchdown passes, Johnson and Marshall, showed obvious progress from Wednesday's scrimmage to the one on Saturday.
"They didn't have a lot of busted assignments or anything like that," Bray said. "They are getting very comfortable right now, and I've seen a lot of improvement from them."
Bray said the entire offense focused on cutting down turnovers and penalties, things that plagued them in Wednesday's scrimmage. With fewer mistakes, the offense was able to create more big plays on the ground and through the air.
"We're coming together as a brotherhood," Bray said. "We as receivers know we have to make plays out there on the edge because we know we have some great backs. Once we get it all down, it's going to be very hard to stop us."
The Tigers return to the practice field on Saturday evening for a session that is completely closed to the media. After a midday practice on Sunday, the team will take part in Fan Day at Auburn Arena, which is slated for 3:30 p.m.
(08/09/13 6:52pm)
It's official: Auburn is the new home for team handball in the United States.
Less than one month after their visit to Auburn's campus, USA Team Handball has selected the University and the School of Kinesiology to host residency programs for both the men's and women's national teams.
"This is truly a great day for team handball in the United States," USA Team Handball CEO Matt Van Houten said in a statement. "Auburn University and the City of Auburn will be a wonderful home for our athletes and coaches. We now have a home and a world-class university to join with us to grow the sport regionally, throughout the State of Alabama, and nationwide."
Representatives from the national team, including men's head coach Javier Garcia Cuesta, visited campus in July to talk about the possibility of Auburn becoming the home for team handball in the United States.
Through the relationship with former women's national team head coach and Auburn alumna Reita Clanton, Auburn's stock soared in the eyes of USATH.
"From our perspective, we think the visit from USA Team Handball has gone very well," Clanton told The Plainsman in July. "We are very, very optimistic about the residency programs coming here. There are still a few details left to hammer out, but we all think this would be a win-win setup for the national team and Auburn."
The details were hammered out, and the national teams have officially announced the partnership with Auburn, which is scheduled to last through at least the 2020 Olympic Games.
According to USATH, Director of High Performance Dave Gascon returned to Auburn on July 31 to meet with several University and city officials. All involved showed tremendous support for the residency programs to be located in Auburn, and the deal was completed one week later.
"Our entire High Performance Team discussed every aspect of this offer and we are convinced this is an amazing opportunity for our athletes," Van Houten said. "We are grateful for the professionalism and sincerity of those wonderful people from Auburn University. Look for the United States to become a formidable opponent in this sport over the next several years."
As part of USATH's July visit, 29 male athletes from the area hit the court at Beard-Eaves Memorial Coliseum for an open tryout with the Olympic training squad. Garcia Cuesta said he found several local athletes that he would like to add to the national team pool, and Gascon expects that number to rise.
"I wasn't surprised at all and I expect we will see a significant number of blue chip athletes try out for our National Teams," Gascon told the national team website. "We will be attracting Southeastern Conference players from various sports. The SEC is one of the most powerful conferences in the NCAA.
"Give Javier and Christian 18 months with some of these athletes and our returning players and both the USA Men's and Women's National Teams will be very difficult to handle!"
(08/09/13 5:11pm)
Two days removed from their first scrimmage of the fall and one day out from their next one, the Auburn football team was off on Friday--official team picture day.
After lining up with their players for the photo, Auburn's assistant coaches sat down for interviews for the first time since practice started one week ago.
The message on Friday was the same from the three defensive assistants--associate head/defensive line coach Rodney Garner, co-defensive coordinator/safeties coach Charlie Harbison and cornerbacks coach Melvin Smith--the Tigers have made strides in fall camp, but the coaches want to see more consistency.
"I think we've still got a long way to go," Garner said. "We've got a lot of work to do fundamentally, and we have to be more consistent in our play. We can't afford to be up and down, and we need to be more physical as a line."
Garner said he was "disappointed" in the defensive line play during Wednesday's scrimmage. He sees the talent in Auburn's linemen, but he wants more out of them as camp rolls on.
"They all have had flashes, but flashes aren't good enough," Garner said. "We've got to be more consistent and improve fundamentally across the board. There is no one at that level that we need to be at in order to be a force in this conference.
"I think if our guys continue to work hard and improve their fundamentals, then we can be a very, very improved unit and we'll make the strides to where these guys want to be."
Smith had a more positive tone when talking to his cornerbacks, but he said he judges players on one word--consistency.
"The consistent work (the cornerbacks) have done so far is pleasing to my eyes," Smith said. "And it's hard to please my eyes."
Smith definitely knows good cornerbacks when he sees them. The Mississippi native comes to Auburn with a pedigree of producing some of the finest cornerbacks in college football.
He has almost two decades of experience in the SEC, and his 2012 Mississippi State Bulldog secondary featured the Johnthan Banks, who won the Thorpe Award as the nation's best defensive back. Banks snagged four interceptions at State last season, which was double the amount Auburn's entire defense had.
During this last week of practice, players have said in interviews that the defense has forced more turnovers, and Smith believes that will continue into the season.
"I think the emphasis comes through in our drills," Smith said. "To me, it's all about getting experience out there in coverage and knowing when to transition your eyes from receiver to quarterback."
Smith said his defensive backs always intercept balls, and the safeties under Harbison do the same.
"I tell my guys if you don't get bored in doing your job, good things will happen," Harbison said when asked about an emphasis on interceptions. "It may be a tackle, it may be a pass breakup or it may be an interception."
Harbison believes interceptions are a result of the entire defense's play, from Garner's defensive linemen to Ellis Johnson's linebackers to his and Smith's secondary. Once again, it comes down to consistent work in individual roles.
"I believe in getting tips and overthrows," Harbison said. "How do you get those? Do your job, be in your position, believe in the system and execute."
The Tigers will return to the field on Saturday for a scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Head coach Gus Malzahn said on Thursday that the emphasis will be on specific situations the staff found in the film of Wednesday's scrimmage.
(08/08/13 6:37pm)
The Auburn football team had its first two-a-day practice of fall camp on Thursday, a tough test after Wednesday's fully live scrimmage at the indoor facility.
Head coach Gus Malzahn spoke to the media between the morning and afternoon practices, and he was not happy with his team's performance in the first session.
"I pulled the team up afterwards and told them, bottom line, I wasn't happy with the way we responded," Malzahn said. "I didn't feel like our approach was good, and we are going to have to make sure we are mentally and physically ready to practice each time.
"Our standards are high, and I want to make sure that our players understand that."
Malzahn said Thursday morning's practice focused on corrections from Wednesday's scrimmage, a practice the head coach looked at in a positive light despite a disappointing Thursday morning.
"The great thing about scrimmages is that you can specifically learn from them and teach off of them," Malzahn said. "There were a lot of good situations in the scrimmage yesterday that we can learn from as a team. It was really good from a coaches' standpoint. We found out a lot of information about our team--not just individuals, but a lot about the team."
Wednesday's scrimmage news was dominated by the decision to make all four quarterbacks battling for Auburn's starting job go live, and Malzahn says he was impressed by the play of his signal callers.
"Each one of them handled the pressure well," Malzahn said. "We had some guys hang in the pocket. All four of our quarterbacks showed toughness, and I think that's one of the number one things you look for in a quarterback--can they hang in the pocket when the pressure is on?"
Malzahn said he and his staff are looking at each individual mistake the quarterbacks and the rest of the Tigers made during Wednesday's scrimmage so they can put the players back in those same situations in the next scrimmage, which is scheduled for Saturday.
The head coach said those situations on Saturday will help the staff start narrowing down the depth chart in all positions, including quarterback.
"Now when I say 'narrow it down,' I don't know what it means yet other than the fact that we're rotating too many guys right now," Malzahn continued.
In addition to the quarterbacks, Malzahn said he was also impressed by the play of some of Auburn's younger players.
During Wednesday's post-practice player interviews, freshman defensive end Carl Lawson's name was mentioned as someone who "blew a play up." On the other side of the field, freshman wide receiver Tony Stevens has garnered the praise of several of his teammates so far in camp.
"We really feel like (Stevens) is talented, and we're just trying to see how he reacts," Malzahn said. "Fall camp for a lot of the freshmen coming in is 24/7 football. It's meetings, it's practice. It's eat, sleep, get up and more football. We're trying to figure out these young guys, how they are doing mentally."
The Tigers will wrap up Thursday with a practice scheduled for 2 p.m. After a live scrimmage and a two-a-day, the players will have an off day on Friday, which is also team photo day.
(08/07/13 11:59pm)
While head coach Gus Malzahn's decision to make all four quarterbacks in the battle for the starting job go live made most of the headlines on Wednesday, members of the Auburn defense grabbed some attention of their own after their first scrimmage of fall camp.
With a fully live scrimmage, a rarity in preseason practice, defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson and his staff were able to evaluate how his new system looks in game situations.
And, of course, the green flag to hit quarterbacks was an added bonus for the defense.
"That turns our whole defense up," safety Jermaine Whitehead said with a smile.
Members of Auburn's defense said the four Tiger quarterbacks were not afraid to deliver some hits of their own and throw some trash talk towards the opposite side.
"You get to hit the guy who has been talking all that smack to you," Whitehead said. "They took their chances running the ball; they got their yardage. And they tried to hit us back, which was good to see for me--I like to see those guys delivering some blows."
Linebacker Jake Holland said Wednesday's scrimmage benefited the defense as much as the offense. Both units are installing new systems under this new coaching staff, so game situations were important in terms of evaluation and opportunities to learn.
"I felt like today was a good day," Holland said. "There were some mistakes, but there were some great plays as well. This being our first scrimmage, I knew it was going to be a little rusty...but it was a good step forward for us."
And much like the offense, the Auburn defense is making speed a priority heading into 2013.
"Coming off last year, it's definitely a different feel," Holland said. "Our calls and our adjustments are coming in faster, and we're playing faster. The system and the management of the game are better in this scheme.
"We are playing quicker and are able to keep up with the pace of Malzahn's offense."
Another priority for the defense is getting more interceptions. The Tigers only caught two interceptions during the 2012 season, a number that they matched in Wednesday's 107-play scrimmage through Holland and cornerback Chris Davis.
"We'll get more with tight coverage and getting our hands to the ball quicker," Whitehead said. "Those are things we need to work on heading into this season."
(08/07/13 2:23am)
Imagine for a moment that you are a senior high school football player.
After making the big decision on where you are going to play your college ball, you hit campus as a true freshman--back to the small fish in a big pond.
But, even as a small fish, you got to take part in the biggest splash in school history.
Then, after a fairly smooth sophomore season, the storm hits. When the waters calm down, you find yourself having just one year to rebound from one of the worst years the team has ever seen.
That wild up and down ride describes the Auburn career of defensive lineman Craig Sanders and several of his fellow seniors.
Following Auburn's first fall practice day in full pads, Sanders took a moment to reflect on his time on The Plains and how important this camp is to his collegiate career.
"Coming in as a freshman and winning it all, that's absolutely the best way to start off your college career," Sanders said on Tuesday. "In 2011, we had a decent season and finished it off by winning the Chick-fil-A Bowl.
"And then the 2012 season was just in the dumps."
Even though Sanders and the rest of the team took that winless SEC campaign hard, the recently graduated Clio, Ala. native still is able to find a silver lining out of the enormously dark 3-9 season.
"(2012) has fueled us to have such a good offseason," Sanders said. "Our spring has carried over into the summer and into fall camp. Everyone is buying into what Coach Malzahn and the rest of the staff has for us."
Now into the fourth fall camp of his career, Sanders believes this is the best offseason the Tigers have ever had since he first stepped onto campus.
"This is the best offseason we've had as a team in coming together, growing closer, getting stronger in the weight room and wanting to get better," Sanders said. "As a defense, everyone's in their playbooks and watching extra film."
All of that extra work into learning new defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson's 4-2-5 playbook can get overwhelming for Sanders and his teammates. The defensive end estimates the defense gets 15 or so plays added to their playbooks per day, but he believes the team is doing what is necessary to get ready for the upcoming season.
And the 2013 season will definitely be an important one for Sanders and many of his teammates on the defensive line.
He was one of three true freshmen defensive linemen on the 2010 BCS National Championship squad. The trio of Sanders, Kenneth Carter and Jeffrey Whitaker is joined by Dee Ford and Nosa Eguae, who are fifth-year seniors heading into the new season.
Sanders says the extreme highs and lows of the seniors' time at Auburn have made them a very close unit ready to lead a defense with a lot to prove in 2013.
"Everyone is really, really close," Sanders said. "When we get done (at practice), it's not like we don't see each other for the rest of the day. We're always hanging out together. We've grown together as a defensive line."
(08/06/13 3:07am)
Although the offensive focus through the first four days of practice has been on the four-way battle at quarterback, the running game received spotlight on Monday evening.
Offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said he was impressed with the work from the running backs so far in fall camp. Like most of the other positions in Auburn's offense, the battle for playing time between Tre Mason, Corey Grant and Cameron Artis-Payne is intense--and that may continue into the season.
"If you look at the history of our system, we usually have two, sometimes three backs," Lashlee said. "Maybe there will be one who is the feature guy, but there are usually two guys we can definitely count on--and maybe one more who takes on a specific role that can take the pressure off the other guys."
Lashlee said leading returning rusher Mason, who missed part of spring practice with an ankle injury, would be durable enough as a feature back with 20+ carries a game, but he sees value in each of the three leading running backs.
"I said in the spring that there are three really good guys back there that do all different things well," Lashlee said. "It may be a running back by committee, or we could get a guy who elevates his level above everyone else. They're all working hard right now."
Mason described the competition at running back as "brotherly," saying everyone was making each other better.
"Every day, I expect competition," Mason said. "We've got such great backs. You never know what to expect from (Grant) or (Artis-Payne), and even our walk-on, Pat Lymon. It's great competition across the board."
The junior from Palm Beach, Fla., enters 2013 determined to improve on a 1,000-yard sophomore season, one of the lone offensive bright spots from the 3-9 campaign.
"Everyone has goals for themselves, and one of mine is 1,500-plus (yards)," Mason said. "I heard the rushing record here is around 1,900 yards, and I would love to be the one who breaks that mark."
Lashlee and Mason had high praise for Auburn's two new running backs, Peyton Barber and Johnathan "Rudy" Ford. Mason specifically described Ford as a running back with great speed, someone Lashlee could use in Onterio McCalebb's offensive role.
"As far as the two younger guys, their heads are still spinning," Lashlee said. "But I do love their attitude. They're working hard, and there's no fear in them. They might not always block the right man, but they're going to go and hit them in the mouth hard--they've shown out."
(08/05/13 3:21am)
The defining characteristic of new Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn and his famed Hurry Up, No Huddle offense is wide-open speed.
On Sunday, Malzahn said the pace of practice picked up as his players strapped on their shoulder pads for the first time in fall camp.
"We got a lot of reps today," Malzahn said. "It was very physical. I told our players at the end of practice that today was going to give us a lot of good information as far as evaluation."
Malzahn said Sunday's practice was divided into three groups--the two-deep depth chart from spring camp and a third group made up of newcomers.
"I just told (the players) that they are competing every day," Malzahn said.
Malzahn specifically mentioned a three-way competition at right tackle between Patrick Miller, Avery Young and Shon Coleman. Like the pace of practice, Malzahn referred to the position battle, along with the rest of the battles across the field, as "wide open."
The position battle that has most Auburn fans talking through the first three days of fall practice, the competition for the starting quarterback job, was also discussed on Sunday evening.
Malzahn said all four competing quarterbacks--Kiehl Frazier, Jeremy Johnson, Nick Marshall and Jonathan Wallace--rotated with all three groups. The newcomers to campus, junior college transfer Marshall and true freshman Wallace, got reps with the offense's veterans.
One of those returning offensive players, C.J. Uzomah, said he was impressed with the quarterback play during Sunday's practice.
"I think (the quarterbacks) looked really well today," Uzomah said. "They warmed up well, and we had a lot of individual periods with them. Once we got our timing down in seven-on-seven, one-on-one and team periods, they looked spectacular, really."
Like the quarterbacks, Uzomah says several other skill players are rotating with different groups--and in some cases, different positions.
"We're trying to learn big picture," Uzomah said. "I think that will help us in the long run."
The constant shifting and up-tempo nature of Sunday's practice could also be found on the defensive side of the ball, according to linebacker Kris Frost.
"We're all getting a lot of reps," Frost said. "We're all flying around the field, trying to get adjusted to everything. We feel like we know everything better than we did in the spring, and we're all getting better individually and as a team."
Two members of Auburn's squad were out on Sunday. Cornerback Demetruce McNeal missed his third straight day of practice with an injury. The team has not released any details about McNeal's injury, but Malzahn said on Friday he expects the cornerback to make a quick recovery.
Freshman punter Jimmy Hutchinson, who joins the Tigers after being rated the No. 1 high school punter in the country, missed his second day of practice in order to attend his father's funeral service on Sunday night. According to reports from Hutchinson's hometown in Georgia, Jim Hutchinson, 49, died last Wednesday.
(08/03/13 2:17am)
When the Auburn football team took the field for the first practice of fall camp on Friday afternoon, a new era officially began.
And although the faces of those in coaching apparel were new, most of the ones inside the helmets were not.
For the Auburn defense, Friday's practice was a day of moving on from last season's 3-9 disappointment and focusing on the near future.
"We've put last year behind us," defensive back Jonathan Mincy said. "We're ready for the new season to start so we could prove to everybody that we can be a great team."
From the senior leaders to the true freshmen, the focus was on an entire team looking to rebound from 2012.
Head coach Gus Malzahn said the practice was divided up two distinct periods--a fast-paced one that focused on the returning players and one that slowed down for quality attention to Auburn's newest players.
Senior defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker said he and the rest of his teammates on the defensive line were putting that same emphasis on togetherness at the start of fall camp.
"Our mindset is that we don't have No. 1's," Whitaker said. "Everybody is for each other. Everybody is rooting each other on, cheering for each other. We're trying to come together and do something special."
Whitaker also spoke about the time spent on the younger guys on the line, which includes highly touted freshmen Carl Lawson and Montravius Adams.
"You need the young guys," Whitaker said. "Like I was saying with some of the older guys, when you leave here, there's only team to watch...only one school to root for...it's Auburn. So it's important to see these guys progress."
One of the older players that were not in action for Friday's first practice was defensive back Demetruce McNeal. The senior from College Park, Ga. watched from the sidelines on Friday without a helmet, but the team expects him back on the field soon.
"He's got a medical issue he's working through," Malzahn said. ""It shouldn't be much longer and we really expect him to make a full recovery."
(07/29/13 8:00pm)
The University announced on Monday that the man who helped integrate Auburn athletics will be the guest speaker at the University's two summer graduation ceremonies this Saturday, Aug. 3.
Thom Gossom, Jr., the first black athlete to graduate from Auburn, will deliver the graduation address for both the 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. ceremonies at Auburn Arena.
The Birmingham native walked-on and later received a football scholarship as a wide receiver on the 1972-1974 teams. He was a member of "The Amazins," the 1972 Shug Jordan-coached squad that went 10-1 and is best remembered for the "Punt, Bama, Punt" victory in the Iron Bowl.
Gossom graduated with a bachelor's degree in mass communication in 1975 and later received his master's degree from the University of Montevallo.
In addition to his work as a writer and communications consultant, Gossom is an actor who has appeared in numerous films and television shows. He was a recurring cast member on the long-running Southern crime drama "In the Heat of the Night," which was on network television from 1988-1995.
Gossom wrote a memoir on his days at Auburn titled "Walk-On: My Reluctant Journey To Integration." The critically acclaimed book was released in 2008 and was featured on CNN and HBO's "Breaking the Huddle" documentary.
He now splits his time between acting, writing, speaking and consulting for Best Gurl Entertainment, a production company he started in 2005.
For those who are unable to attend the Auburn Arena on Saturday, Gossom's addresses and the entire graduation ceremonies will be available to be viewed live at auburn.edu/graduationlive.
(07/29/13 2:40pm)
A pair of high-profile Auburn alumni have teamed up to bring more attention to a pressing issue in Lee County and the entire state of Alabama--child hunger.
Professional golfer Jason Dufner, along with his wife, Amanda, met with Alabama Lieutenant Governor Kay Ivey Friday, July 26, to discuss their efforts to address child hunger in the local area.
The three were joined by Opelika Mayor Gary Fuller and several representatives from the University's Hunger Solution Institute at the Greater Peace Missionary Baptist Church in Opelika, which prepares food every day for more than 500 children in Lee County.
The Dufners and Ivey toured Greater Peace's facilities and joined other workers in preparing and serving lunch at the church's Summer Enrichment Program for children.
"For us to come down here and just provide information and get the awareness out there, I think that's the biggest thing," Jason said. "All these programs have done fantastic things to help feed children, but we need to make sure every child in Lee County and every child in the other counties in Alabama know about these programs."
The Dufners have partnered with the University in their Blessings in a Backpack Program, which provides food on the weekends for elementary and middle school children.
The Dufners pledged funding for three years of the program at Yarbrough Elementary School in Auburn and Carver Primary School in Opelika, but their involvement in the program goes beyond simply providing the monetary support.
Even with the busyness of life on the PGA Tour, both have taken time to have direct involvement with Blessings in a Backpack.
"The idea of children going hungry in our own backyard is unacceptable to Jason and me, just as it is to Lt. Gov. Ivey, the people of the Auburn community, and Lee County," Amanda said. "Through the Hunger Solutions Institute, we are working together to help address this problem for our children and give them the best chance to succeed in both the classroom and their physical activities with proper nourishment."
Ivey is the spokesperson for the Hunger Solutions Institute's "End Child Hunger in Alabama" campaign. The goal of the campaign is to move Alabama into the top 25 percent of states with the highest degree of child food security by 2020.
"I appreciate Jason and Amanda joining me in this effort to bring awareness to child hunger," Ivey said. "Most people do not realize that children in our own communities go hungry, so anything we can do to highlight the issue helps in the overall fight to end child hunger."
According to statistics from the Alabama Poverty Project, 21 percent of children living in Lee County are "food insecure," meaning they lack access at all times to enough food for an active and healthy life.
"This is a rather important, serious issue of child insecurity and food issues throughout the state," Ivey said. "In Lee County, 21 percent of our children have food insecurity issues. What does that mean? That means they don't know if they're going to get a next meal or where it's coming from."
Through programs like the ones at Greater Peace and Blessings in a Backpack, child hunger can be decreased in Lee County as Alabama pushes towards its goal of becoming a model state for the entire country.
(07/27/13 12:13am)
After receiving national attention in the last 72 hours, the City of Auburn has responded to allegations of a quota system from a former APD officer.
In an article released Wednesday, July 24, former officer Justin Hanners told libertarian magazine Reason that he was required to make 100 contacts--arrests, tickets, field interviews and warnings--per month after the recently retired Tommy Dawson became chief in 2010.
Hanners, who joined the force in 2006, was fired in January 2013. He claims he was fired for speaking out against the quota system.
In a recent interview with the Opelika-Auburn News, Dawson, who retired from the APD last month, denied the existence of the quota system and said no one had been fired over not issuing a certain number of tickets.
"You don't get terminated just because you don't have a certain amount of citations," Dawson said. "(Hanners) knows why he was dismissed and we'll leave it at that."
The City of Auburn also released a statement addressing the allegations.
"Unfortunately, a former Police Officer who was terminated from employment with the City of Auburn over three months ago has made false and unsubstantiated allegations surrounding the Auburn Police Division and the basis for his termination," City Manager Charlie Duggan said in the statement. "Although Mr. Hanners and his former counsel have a copy of his personnel file, which contains the basis of his termination, it is evident that he has not chosen to share that information with the media."
Duggan said the message of a quota was "wrongfully conveyed through supervisory channels" to at least one of the APD's patrol shifts.
"Chief Register, as well as former Chief Dawson, have made it clear that they do not require quotas in the Auburn Police Division," Duggan said.
According to Duggan, an almost 700-hour investigation by Bob Eddy, assistant director of the Alabama Department of Public Safety, was conducted when allegations of corruptions were first made in the APD.
"Mr. Eddy conducted an almost 700-hour investigation, including exhaustive interviews with Auburn Police personnel and found no corruption or wrongdoing," Duggan said.
Hanners's six minute interview with Reason was posted on the magazine's YouTube channel Wednesday, and as of Friday evening, it already had over 180,000 views.
"When I first heard about the quotas I was appalled," Hanners told the magazine. "I got into law enforcement to serve and protect, not be a bully."
Hanners gave Reason what he claimed were recordings of one of his superiors outlining the quota system and telling officers "don't be the one who doesn't get 100."
"It's Saturday night," Sergeant Trey Neal is allegedly recorded as saying. "Let's go out there and make some contacts, put some a---s in jail. Write some tickets and all that neat fun stuff we signed up to do when we signed up to do this job."
According to Hanners, who joined the force in 2006, 100 contacts per month for each officer come out to about 72,000 a year for the entire division. The population of Auburn is 56,902, according to the latest U.S. Census.
"There are not that many speeders, there are not that many people running red lights to get those numbers, so what (the police) do is they lower their standards," Hanners told the magazine.
Hanners, an Air Force veteran and Auburn resident, filed a grievance on the quotas in November 2012.
Reason says Hanners is still unemployed and plans to sue the APD.
(07/25/13 11:46pm)
Soccer fanatics in Auburn--come one, come all and come quickly.
The Auburn Latino Association of Students will be hosting World Cup Auburn 2013, a men's soccer tournament, this Sunday at Shug Jordan Field.
ALAS President Andrea Manjarrez said the association is seeking at least two more teams to compete on Sunday, but the deadline to signup is Thursday at 9:30 p.m.
Durango Taqueria y Carniceria, one of the tournament's sponsors, will host an informational meeting Thursday night for team captains and anyone who would like to learn more about the tournament.
The restaurant is located at 435 North Dean Road in Auburn.
"(Durango) is going to provide food for us tonight at 9:30, and the public is welcome to attend," Manjarrez said. "If people want to see what this tournament is all about, they are free to come by."
Manjarrez said the objective of the tournament is to bring the city of Auburn together through the world's most popular sport.
"One of the things the Auburn Latino Association of Students seeks to do is reach out to the community," Manjarrez said. "We are working with Welcoming Auburn, an organization that comes up with ways for people to come together and to get to know each other. We chose a soccer tournament because this is a sport people all over the world play. We are taking advantage of the Gold Cup currently going on here in the U.S., and the World Cup happening in Brazil next year."
The top three teams in Sunday's tournament will receive cash prizes--$500 for first place, $300 for third place and $200 for third place.
The registration fee for the tournament is $150 per team. Each squad must have at least 11 players, and they all must be over the age of 16.
And even if you are not going to strap on your shin guards or lace up your cleats Sunday, you are more than welcome to check out the action at 1520 Shug Jordan Parkway.
"We encourage the public to come out this Sunday and watch this tournament," Manjarrez said.
The first game on Sunday will start at 7:45 a.m., and the final is expected to end at 4:45 p.m.
To register a team for World Cup Auburn 2013, contact Manjarrez at 334-740-5157.
(07/21/13 10:37pm)
Former Auburn basketball star Korvotney Barber was confirmed dead on Sunday afternoon after apparently drowning off the coast of Panama City Beach, Fla.
(07/19/13 9:27pm)
Harvey Updyke may be out of jail, but there is a chance he could face more punishment for poisoning the oak trees that once stood at Toomer's Corner.
On Thursday, July 19, Elmore County Judge Jacob A. Walter III set a restitution hearing in Updyke's case for Sept. 18.
Walter will decide then if Updyke, the University of Alabama fan who pled guilty in March to poisoning the now-razed Toomer's oak trees, will have to pay the University more than $1 million.
The University claims the cost of the work associated with the trees' damage and the expenses paid by the Alabama Department Agriculture and Industries for soil analysis were $521,396.74.
According to Alabama law, anyone convicted of damage to animals or plants must pay double the amount of damages.
In an objection filed back in June, Updyke's current attorneys, Andrew Stanley and Margaret Young Brown, said the restitution amount was "unduly excessive, burdensome, and will result in unjust enrichment for the victim, Auburn University."
Updyke is reportedly living with his family in Louisiana and will not attend the restitution hearing.
The 64-year-old was sentenced to six months in jail under a three-year split sentence, but he was released to five years of supervised probation June 10--just 104 days of jail time.
Updyke poisoned the famous trees, which were cut down April 23, sometime after Auburn's 28-27, come from behind victory in the 2010 Iron Bowl. The poisoning was first brought to light in January 2011 when "Al from Dadeville" called into the popular Paul Finebaum radio show and admitted to the deed.
(07/17/13 3:20am)
The purchase of a new automated parking system for the downtown area was a topic of lengthy discussion at the July 16 meeting of the Auburn City Council.
The new system, part of Phase I in Auburn's Parking Project, is serviced by Ventek International and will manage 93 spaces in the recently constructed lot on Gay Street in the combined space from the old Colonial Bank and Auburn Bank drive-thru tellers.
Assistant City Manager Kevin Cowper explained that the system will use payment kiosks instead of traditional coin meters. For the past several months, there has been a test kiosk at the municipal parking deck behind Moe's Barbeque and Little Italy Pizzeria.
The seven new kiosks will accept coins, bills and credit cards, which Cowper noted would be a popular option for college students and other young adults. Users will walk to the nearest kiosk, type in their parking space number and pay for their time, which will be measured in normal 30-minute allotments.
The system will allow users to pay for up to four hours of parking time at once. The traditional parking meters have a two-hour time limit, and Cowper noted that those meters were not ideal for those working or staying downtown for extended times.
Most of the discussion involving the new parking system centered on its price tag. According to the City Manager's office, the system will cost $215,740.96.
"I understand what (the council members) are saying (about the price), but we think there will be a good return on this investment," Cowper said. "It's hard to say exactly how much money this system would generate--I am estimating around the $40,000 range annually, which would give us around a five-year payback for this system."
While the resolution was later unanimously passed by the Council, the financial concerns from several members remained.
"I would hope that, in the future, we look at more vital projects first," Councilman Arthur Dowdell said. "I'm going to go ahead and vote for it, but it's hard to digest the price of this system...I'm not saying this is not a good project, but it's hard to digest this. It seemed like the old system worked.
"I know we live in a modernized age, but we need to be good stewards of how we spend the city's money."
Dowdell raised more concerns right before the meeting was adjourned, but they had nothing to do with spending city money.
The Ward 1 Councilman read part of a letter he received from an African-American doctoral alumna of Auburn University who never received a response from the city's school system two years after applying for a job.
Dowdell called for a closer look into racial discrimination allegations all across the Auburn government, from the Auburn Police Division to the school board.
In other news from the meeting:
. The Council approved an alcoholic beverage license for Jenni's Kitchen on 901 South College Street.
. Supplemental law enforcement services were approved for Auburn University sporting events for the next year.
. A zoning ordinance for the Farmville Lakes area was approved.
. A contract was finalized with Dixie Electric Cooperative for underground electrical service and street lights at the Auburn Technology Park.
. Another contract was finalized with Machen, McChesney & Chastain LLP for an annual independent audit.
. A motion for a full-time school resource officer for Lee-Scott Academy was approved. According to the Auburn Police Division, the school will pay for the officer's salary, and the City of Auburn will provide 22 percent of the benefits.
. A mutual aid agreement was approved for the City of Opelika, the Lee County Commission and the Lee County Sheriff's Office.
. Two motions from the Water Resource Management Department were approved for the purchase of two clarifier drives for Thickener Drive and for Phase 2 of the City's Sewer Project.
. A motion for drainage and utility management acceptance across Lot 7 of J. Cary Woods Subdivision (Sanders Street) was approved.
(07/12/13 1:00pm)
When World War I is mentioned, images of soldiers battling it out in the trenches come to mind for many.
Although their introduction became a turning point in the war, the first military airmen and their aircrafts are usually neglected in people's knowledge of World War I.
Members of the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at Auburn University and other guests recently reminded people of the war's top flying aces at one of the institute's summer Brown Bag Lunch programs at the Clarion Inn & Suites.
John Tidwell, longtime OLLI member and popular lecturer, gave a brief history of aviation's role in The Great War before entertaining those in attendance with stories of over a dozen of the war's famous airmen.
Tidwell said he first became interested in a lecture on this subject while doing online searches about World War I, which began almost 100 years ago.
"While reading and thinking about the terrible tragedy of 'The War to End All Wars,' I wondered what role aircraft played in the conflict," Tidwell said. "Most of us have limited our knowledge to trench warfare, and I think it's time for us to look at what happened in the air--who the heroes were, where they came from, what kind of training they had and who designed and developed the planes that were used by both sides."
Tidwell began his lecture with a quote from Orville Wright, who invented the airplane with his brother Wilbur in Kitty Hawk, N.C.
"The sky is about to become another battlefield that is no less important than the ones on land and sea," Wright said in 1909, just six years after the brothers' first successful flight. "We had better get accustomed to this idea and prepare ourselves."
Tidwell then turned his attention towards other military aircraft pioneers such as French icon Roland Garros, who came up with the idea for a metal propeller.
The lecturer received a lot of feedback from his audience when he talked about the United States' late involvement in the war. Thirteen months after American planes first arrived in Europe, the war was over.
"This is what brought World War I to a screeching halt," Tidwell said.
The main portion of Tidwell's lecture was on the flying aces, those airmen who shot down five or more enemy planes during the war. While Tidwell spent time on legendary aviators such as Germany's Manfred "The Red Baron" von Richthofen and England's Lanoe Hawker, he focused on Eddie Rickenbacker, America's top ace in WWI.
Rickenbacker, who was a mechanic and race car driver before entering the Army, had 26 aerial victories in the war. He was later awarded the Medal of Honor and became a consultant for the U.S. military in the next World War.
Two audience members noted Rickenbacker had a connection to the University. Former history professor David Lewis wrote a biography on Rickenbacker, and the University libraries--ranked third in the United States for aviation history--have a large amount of information on the late flying great.
Tidwell, who ended his lecture by answering several questions from the audience, said he was pleased with the feedback he received.
"I want to share this information that I am interested in--I'm not trying to show people how smart I may think I am," Tidwell said. "I want to stimulate (the audience) so much that they'll say, 'I've got to learn more.'"
OLLI will continue its Brown Bag Lunches July 15 and 22 with programs on the 20th anniversary of the University's Rural Studio and Philip Henry Gosse's Letters from Alabama.
The institute is a membership program mainly for those interested in continued learning during their retirement years, but there are not any age or academic requirements to join.
For more information about OLLI or the remaining Brown Bag Lunch Programs, contact Linda Shook at 334-844-3105 or email olli@auburn.edu.
(07/11/13 12:35am)
Desmonte Leonard, charged with the murders of three people at an Auburn apartment complex, will not be able to visit the scene of the June 2012 shooting, a judge ruled Tuesday.
According to the Opelika-Auburn News, Circuit Judge Jacob A. Walker III denied a motion that would have allowed Montgomery native Leonard to visit Tiger Lodge, formerly University Heights Apartments. The apartment complex was the site of a June 9, 2012 shooting that resulted in the death of Demario Pitts and former Auburn football players Ladarious Phillips and Ed Christian.
In his order, Walker said there would be a safety risk in transporting Leonard to the complex, which is now privately owned. He also stated he could not recall a case where a defendant being held without bond was allowed to visit a crime scene.
Walker also said that a visit to the scene would jeopardize Leonard's chance at a fair trial. He noted cameras on cell phones would make it difficult to keep the investigation out of the public eye.
"Without a way to ensure the confidentiality of the defendant's investigative process, the ability of the parties to select an impartial jury may be compromised," Walker stated. "Furthermore, the Court cannot ensure adequate supervision of the defendant by law enforcement and simultaneously accommodate the defense counsel's request to safeguard attorney-client privilege at the scene."
Leonard's defense attorneys have said that it was crucial for Leonard to visit the complex, but the motion has been repeatedly objected by the state.
Leonard, 22, is charged with capital murder, attempted murder and assault. His status hearing is scheduled for Oct. 15.
(07/03/13 8:06pm)
Since track star Snitz Snider participated in the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, Netherlands Auburn University has seen more than 100 of its former athletes become Olympians.
And thanks to the efforts of those Olympians and the school of kinesiology, Auburn has a chance to become the home of dozens of first-time Olympic participants at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Representatives from USA Team Handball will visit The Plains July 12-13 to see if the University could become the new residency program for the United States' national handball teams.
The residency bid, led by former Auburn Tiger and handball Olympian Reita Clanton, could make Auburn the new home for Olympic team handball in the U.S.
"Essentially what they need is a gym to train in, adequate housing for their athletes and opportunities for their athletes to work or continue their education," Clanton said. "Auburn has all of these things and more. We have the infrastructure for support services like athletic training and strength and conditioning. Through the school of kinesiology and the Performance Optimization Center, we have possibilities to collaborate with the team and provide them new opportunities."
One of those new Olympians living and training in Auburn could be a current University student.
As part of USA Team Handball's visit, there will be an open tryout for the men's training squad for the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.
Participants will be evaluated on ball handling skills, throwing ability, physical abilities and teamwork.
Since team handball is a relatively unknown sport in the United States--no American national team has qualified since the 1996 Games in Atlanta--no experience with the sport is required to tryout.
"(The national team coaches) are always looking for great athletes," Clanton said. "Team handball combines all these skills we use in American sports--running, jumping, throwing and catching--so it could be something a really great athlete out there could play well. There might be some young people here that have what it takes to train with the national team."
Clanton, the director of the new Performance Optimization Center, would know what it takes to be a member of the national team. A native of nearby Lafayette, Clanton was one of the first multi-sport athletes in Auburn's budding women's athletics program.
After playing and coaching women's basketball, volleyball and softball at Auburn, Clanton received a letter from the United States Olympic Committee asking her to try out for the country's newly formed team handball program.
"I had no idea what team handball was--I thought I was going to go whack the little ball up against the wall," Clanton said with a chuckle. "When I got to Iowa State University and saw the sport for the first time, I was like, 'This is a gift from heaven!' It was all of my favorite sports rolled into one."
Despite missing out on the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and the 1980 Olympics in Moscow, Clanton and her teammates qualified for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. At those Games, the United States women's handball team placed fourth in a campaign that included an opening-round upset of No. 1-ranked China.
Clanton went on to coach the national team at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta, just 100 miles from her hometown. After her coaching days were over, Clanton continued her close ties to the program, which led to Auburn's bid for the residency program.
"One of my former coaches, Javier Garcia Cuesta, called me back in late April to tell me he was back in the States and that he had taken the men's national team coaching job," Clanton said. "We were just chatting, and I asked him where the national team was now. He said they were kind of in limbo at that point, and they were looking for a residency program for their men's and women's national teams."
Clanton said her wheels started turning when Cuesta, who will be at the open tryout July 13, described the places the national team was looking at for the residency program. While he named off places such as Boston, Los Angeles and Colorado Springs, Clanton decided to throw Auburn's name into the hat.
"Auburn can offer just as much more than a regular training center because we are a university," Clanton said. "We have one of the top schools of kinesiology in the country and we have a Performance Optimization Center. We have cutting edge research, expert skills and emerging technology to help the national teams with performance enhancement."
Clanton went over the plan with Mary Rudisill and David Pascoe, the head and assistant head of the school of kinesiology. They and the rest of the school thought the bid would be great for Auburn, and a date was set.
During the visit, USA Team Handball will outline their vision for the national team in 2013 and beyond. Clanton believes Auburn could play a huge role in the future success of the program.
"I've always said that handball doesn't have to be a major sport in the United States in order to be successful," Clanton said. "It could be just a regional sport because we have enough good athletes around that if we built a culture of team handball here in the Southeast, we could gain an international level of competitive excellence.
"A residency program here in Auburn would be great for the game at the national team level and at a grassroots level. It's all about building awareness and developing that culture."
(07/02/13 6:08pm)
Graduate students, please take out your theses.
See the tens of thousands of words you have typed out and think about the countless hours you have poured into creating this thesis.
Now take that vast amount of research and condense it into a three-minute presentation.
Five master's students and 19 doctoral students recently performed that tough task as part of the University's first Three Minute Thesis competition Thursday, June 27.
While a typical thesis or presentation is presented in a nine-hour period, all 24 competitors were able to share their research with the audience in less than 180 seconds.
"3MT allows the public to see how Auburn's graduate students are addressing real-world problems through their research while also giving the students another platform to hone their presentation skills and showcase their work," said George Flowers, dean of the Auburn Graduate School.
Chemical engineering student Shaima Nahreen won first prize in the doctoral category for her presentation on producing jet fuel from biomass.
"Everyone tries to learn what you are working on in a very short time," Nahreen said. "It is really helpful to be able to explain your research to a general audience in three minutes, so this competition was very interesting to me."
Thomas Reid Nelson, a student in fisheries and allied aquacultures, took home the top prize in the master's student category. Nelson presented his research on using ear stones in breeds of Gulf fish for differentiation purposes.
"This competition was a really neat opportunity to get my research out to a general audience and practice talking to people other than my small group of fish people," Nelson said.
Nelson also won the master's student People's Choice award, which was voted on by members of the audience. Doctoral student Ian Cero won the doctoral student People's Choice award for his presentation titled "Puttin' on a clean shirt to rassle a hog: old problems and new solutions for reliable psychological management."
The competition's runners-up were engineering students Nikhil Jha and Naved Siddiqui.
Students from a wide range of disciplines participated in the inaugural event, which was held inside the Shelby Center. Topics included parasitic wasps, warehouse management, high comfort contact lenses, remedial mathematics and Android apps.
The winners, chosen by a five-person panel of judges from the Graduate School, received cash prizes and plaques. Participants were judged on communication style, comprehension and engagement with the audience.
The Three Minute Thesis competition began in Australia at the University of Queensland. The concept spread across that region of the world, and universities from Australia, Fiji and New Zealand came together for an international competition in 2010.
The 3MT concept, now in 10 different countries, began in the United States two years ago. Auburn became the fourth American school to hold a 3MT contest, joining Purdue University, Emory University and the University of Georgia.
An abstract of each competitor's presentation is available online at bit.ly/AU-3MT.
For more information on the competition around the world, visit ThreeMinuteThesis.org.