We're back with some more in-depth news, notes and quotes from Tuesday's round of interviews with Auburn's players:
- Several players spoke highly of freshman wide receiver Trovon Reed, who could compete immediately for a role as a slot receiver. Cornerback Demond Washington praised the freshman’s route-running and speed. Quarterback Cam Newton likes his attitude. “Since the first day, Trovon has come in and pretty much kicked the door down,” Newton said. “Usually freshmen come in and try to do everything other than try to get better, but Trovon consistently (says), ‘Hey man, let’s go throw. Hey man, let’s go do this. What’s this, what’s that?’ He’s always a gnat to learn something new in this offense. With that attitude, a player like that will be great.”
- Running back Mario Fannin likes what he's seen out of freshman Michael Dyer so far. Fannin's the No. 1 tailback, although Dyer will be used in some capacity this year. How much will Dyer contribute? "You never know," Fannin said. "Freshmen, they come in, it's just a matter of learning the offense. That's the whole thing. If he does, he does and if not, we'll push him along and help him learn and hopefully he can still help us."
- Right guard Byron Isom thinks 361-pound freshman Eric Mack can be a player this year, even if his weight is way up there. "Eric Mack definitely has the size to contribute," he said. "I’ve seen him working out. He runs pretty well for his size. I think he’ll be all right. I think he’ll learn how to work with that. I’m sure Coach Yox will have something to say about that. But he moves pretty well for his size."
- Defensive end Antoine Carter likes how freshman Corey Lemonier looks. "He kind of reminds me of myself," he said. "I like his speed and his aggressiveness." He also said Jeffrey Whitaker -- who he dubbed "Big Jeff" -- has potential on the line.
- There will be 25 newcomers on the field tomorrow -- 24 freshmen and junior college DE Joel Bonomolo.
- Newton, who emerged from the spring atop the depth chart, used the summer to his advantage as well, forming a rapport with receivers while getting a better grasp of Gus Malzahn’s offense. “It’s a day-to-day thing,” he said. “I think I’ve got a grasp on it for the most part, but you never know with coach Malzahn’s offense.”
- With seven starters back on offense, including four senior offensive linemen, Newton feels comfortable in his position. “I feel protected,” he said. “With guys that have already been in the offense a year before I even came, they know the protections, they know the schemes, so it’s nothing new under their belt. Especially with them coming up to me and telling me they have trust in me. That plays a big role in the psyche of a player. With me knowing that in the back of my head, the sky’s the limit.”
- Wide receiver Terrell Zachery says Newton has turned down the speed on some of his passes. "When he first got here his ball was a little high, he was throwing it a little hard," Zachery said. "We just told him to get it down a little bit and take a little bit off of it."
- Center Ryan Pugh doesn't think being a senior this year will be too different. "We've played two straight years now, this will be my fourth year of playing. We've seen a lot. As far as being a leader … we've gone from being a leader to a mentor for these guys. We've seen winning season, we've seen New Year's Day bowl wins, you've seen overtime games, you've seen games in the rain. We've been through terrible seasons. We've been through a coaching change pretty much every year until this one. We've learned a lot that we can instill upon the younger guys."
- Pugh on the line's potential: "We feel like we want to be in the best in the country."
- Where are the areas of improvement Auburn is targeting? Pugh said discipline. Fannin said mental toughness. "Being able to finish a game strong, being able to have our swag back from the 2004 team," he said.
- It's going to be hot, really hot in these first few days. How do the players beat the heat? "All I can think of is drink more water," Carter said. "Keep drinking more water. It ain't going to kill you. As long as you stay hydrated and fed, you'll be all right."
- Here's Pugh's take: "You have some guys from California and Texas and Arkansas who have not been in this heat. It's brutal out there at time. If you don't manage your weight well, you can get in trouble at times and miss a day of practice."
- And Fannin's: "You just got to push through it. That's what camp's all about, pushing through it. Adversity. That's something we're going to do a lot this camp. It's going to help us out. Hopefully it won't be this hot during the season, if it is, we'll be prepared for it."
We're back with some more in-depth news, notes and quotes from Tuesday's round of interviews with Auburn's players:
3 comments:
Great job Andy!
It is way cooler inthe early morning. Why the late evening practices, AB?
Beats me. Tomorrow night's won't get done until 10:45-11 p.m. ET. Not fun when you're working with a deadline.
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