Just finished a pretty useful round of interview, which should supply us with plenty of feature stories the next couple days. Here are a few quick notes before I get to transcribing stuff:
- Gene Chizik thought today's practice was much more spirited. The team will be in full pads tonight.
- Strangely, Chizik singled out freshman defensive end Corey Lemonier as standing out so far. He said the 6-foot-4, 227-pound freshman could compete for a position right now. "I usually don't say that too early," Chizik said. Rare praise indeed.
- Wide receiver Darvin Adams told reporters that DeAngelo Benton has a broken bone around his hand. Not sure exactly where, but that doesn't sound good.
- Daren Bates said he's 100 percent after sitting out the spring following offseason shoulder surgery. He started lifting weights again in May and has been able to bulk up to play linebacker. He's on the strong-side.
- Eltoro Freeman sighting! We rarely, if ever, get to talk to Eltoro. He was a good interview. Interestingly, he said he wouldn't change a thing about his erratic '09 season. "It made me the player I am today," he said. Freeman's working on the weak-side with Craig Stevens.
- Asked how much he wants to get back on the field and contribute, he said, "I'm starvin'."
- We also got a rare appearance from WR Philip Pierre-Louis, who is back only four months after ACL surgery. He said he's not quite all the way back but will be when the season starts.
- He also talked candidly about how tough it was to work himself back into the good graces of the coaching staff, admitting that he showed up late quite a bit and didn't have a great attitude when the new staff was hired. He didn't participate in summer workouts last year, asked to take some time off by Chizik. "It was the worst summer ever," Pierre-Louis said. How did he fill the time? He painted houses.
Back with more once I type some stuff out. I hope to have a video as well.
4 comments:
good stuff andy.hope freeman can get it together.thanks for all the updates,i am absolutely dying for football season.war eagle
If Bates can play linebacker that is going to be huge for us. It will be like having a Nickel package on the field at all times without losing our ability to load against the run. I think I found my new favorite player. Beautiful.
Hey Doc, if Freeman is allowed to talk to you, does that mean he is out of the Tommy Tuberville Memorial Doghouse? If so, do you expect him to be back in the starting lineup?
What are the odds Auburn goes to a 3-4?
I think it means he's doing what the coaches are asking him to.
Don't think he'll be a starter. He's at WLB behind Craig Stevens. And Bates looks like the guy at SLB. Going 3-4 would be a major scheme shift. I can't see Auburn installing that in such a short time.
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