Frank never tanked

AUBURN -- Give Frank Tolbert credit.

Teammates transferred, but "Floor-Burn Frank" kept diving on the floor.

Teammates stumbled academically, but Floor-Burn Frank kept hitting the floor.

Teammates got injured, and so did Tolbert, but Floor-Burn Frank?

Tonight, the Auburn senior guard -- playing his power-forward role for the shorthanded Tigers -- takes the Beard-Eaves-Memorial Coliseum floor for the final time. This as Auburn (14-13, 4-10 SEC) plays host to Georgia (12-15, 3-11).

Forgive him if he has a moment or two tonight to think about what could have been.

“It was tough as far as getting in the win column, but I wouldn't change it for anything," he said. "I had a lot of great experiences here. The coaches were great, and I met a lot of great guys with my teammates.

"Even though it was tough out on the court, it is getting better."

Tolbert arrived in the fall of 2004. He might have been a part of a competitive team that season, but Marco Killingsworth, Lewis Monroe and DeWayne Curtis had transferred after a coaching change, and Brandon Robinson left the program before his senior year.

That left Tolbert with a 6-foot-6-and-under team that had to scrap for most of its wins during Tolbert's freshman season.

After Tolbert's first season, leading scorer Toney Douglas transferred. Tolbert remained with a freshman-heavy team that took its lumps during his sophomore year.

Then came Tolbert's junior season. Freshmen like Korvotney Barber, Quantez Robertson and Josh Dollard became sophomores, and Auburn jelled for a late surge.

The Tigers went into their final regular-season game at Ole Miss in a four-way tie for the SEC West Division lead. They lost, but things looked up for a team that won 17 games and was to return its top eight players.

Even after guard Kelvin Lewis transferred and signee Tyrell Lynch failed to qualify, Auburn had a core that entered preseason practice with expectations of 20 wins and an NCAA Tournament berth.

Dollard took a medical redshirt for undisclosed reasons. Archie Miaway slipped up academically. Barber broke a hand in December and was lost for the season. Freshman center Boubacar Sylla sustained a season-ending injury in the first home game.

Tolbert found himself playing for a senior-year team that resembled his freshman-year team ... undermanned and undersized. He has had to play like a power forward on defense, guarding the likes of Mississippi State big man Charles Rhodes.

“I think I want to be the four man whenever I go to the pros," he joked this week. "No, I would like to play the one or the two and get back to my natural position."

Even playing out of position, Tolbert has gotten it done. He enters tonight's game just shy of 1,200 career points and the respect of his coach.

Auburn coach Jeff Lebo saw Tolbert shed 40 points after the player's initial weigh-in at Auburn. He saw Tolbert hustle fanatically, ultimately learning how to do it while playing under control.
More than anything, Tolbert stayed.

"I have a lot of respect for Frank because he chose to stay here," Lebo said. "He didn't have to. A lot of kids were leaving. This is where he wanted to be and where he wanted to play. He has had a very good career for us. I am sad to see him go."

Injury update

Besides defensive end Antonio Coleman (See blog below), Auburn had nine other scholarship players either sit out of Saturday's scrimmage or get hurt during the scrimmage. Here's where they stand, according to reports from Sunday's practice:

--RB/KR Tristan Davis (toe) is day to day.

--WR Robert Dunn (unknown) is day to day.

--RB/WR Mario Fannin (dislocated shoulder) is day to day.

--QB DeRon Furr (shoulder) is day to day.

--LB Bo Harris, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery, did non-contact drills Sunday.

-- WR Tim Hawthorne (broken arm) will undergo surgery and miss spring practice for the second year in a row.

--OG Chaz Ramsey (back) is day to day.

--WR Chris Slaughter (hamtring) is day to day.

--RB Ben Tate (hamstring) is day to day.

--QB Chris Todd (sore shoulder) did not practice Sunday and is day to day.

Coleman back at practice

Auburn junior defensive end Antonio Coleman was present at Sunday's practice, a day after sustaining a cervical sprain on the last play of Auburn's first scrimmage of spring practice.

Coleman was reportedly wearing street clothes and a neck brace. He is expected to make a full recovery, but it's uncertain when he will return to action.

Coleman will speak to media later this week, according to an Auburn spokesman.

Offensive tackle Lee Ziemba, who was involved in the play in which Coleman was hurt, was also off limits to media Sunday. It's unclear when he will be made available again.

Offenisve line coach Hugh Nall, who said Saturday that he had to watch film of the play, also did not speak to reporters Sunday.

Coleman and Ziemba were locked up on a pass play, the final play of a 126-play scrimmage. Some reports say action continued after the play.

Nall sent Ziemba to the bench immediately.

Ziemba will not be punished, Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville told reporters present at Sunday's evening practice.

"Anytime somebody gets hurt when you're trying to block them you kind of feel responsible," Tuberville said. "But there was zero intention.

"It was both guys competing all day. Each was punching each other right and left. That's football. You just hate something like that ever happens."

Defensive tackle Sen'Derrick Marks, one of Coleman's close friends on the team, said Ziemba apologized to Coleman after Coleman was released from East Alabama Regional Medical Center on Saturday.

Ziemba also planned to visit Coleman at Coleman's home Sunday night.

"There aren't any bad feelings against Lee," Marks said. "Everyone knows Lee goes one speed. He goes full speed. Walk-through, practice, game, that's just the speed he goes. He's always trying to do everything right."

Coleman expected to recover fully

This from Auburn University athletics media relations:

AUBURN -- Auburn junior defensive end Antonio Coleman has full mobility to all of his extremities after suffering a cervical sprain during Saturday's scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Coleman is expected to make a full recovery.

Coleman, a native of Mobile, Ala., was taken via ambulance to East Alabama Medical Center for evaluative purposes, where he was treated and released. EAMC personnel were on site within five minutes of the injury.

Coleman update: 'It's really tough to see'

AUBURN -- Still no word on the condition of Auburn junior defensive end Antonio Coleman, who was immobilized and taken from Jordan-Hare Stadium in an ambulance after the final play of Auburn's spring scrimmage Saturday.

He did not appear to move as he lie face-down on the field for 10-15 minutes, nor did he gesture as paramedics rolled him on a stretcher to the back of the ambulance.

Coleman was taken to East Alabama Regional Medical Center in Opelika.

"He doesn't have a lot of feeling right now, but it's starting to come back," Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said immediately after the scrimmage.

He said Coleman was conscious and talking to team medical staff and paramedics.

"It was kinda like getting a stinger," Tuberville said. "You get froze up there for a while, but everything was coming back."

Coleman went down after battling sophomore left tackle Lee Ziemba on a pass play. Auburn offensive line coach Hugh Nall said he didn’t see what transpired between Ziemba and Coleman.
Nall signaled for Ziemba to leave the field immediately after the play.

"Any time something like that happens, you worry about the kid getting upset or whatever, so we just took him out," Nall said. "That's hard to deal with sometimes. That shook everybody up."

Apparently anticipating a new play, Nall called Andrew McCain onto the field.

As the nature of Coleman's injury became apparent, Auburn's coaching staff called the end of a 126-play scrimmage. Ziemba stood on the field with the rest of the offensive players, watching as paramedics tended to Coleman.

A trainer patted Ziemba on the back as Coleman was rolled to the ambulance. Ziemba did not speak to media after the scrimmage.

"It's really tough," Auburn offensive guard Byron Isom said. "It's really unfortunate. He's a strong guy. It's really tough to see."

Scrimmage statistics, injury notes

Quickie stats from Auburn's scrimmage Saturday:

RUSHING (Att.-Yds.-TDs): QB DeRon Furr 10-57-0, RB Brad Lester 12-44-1, RB Anthony Jemison 6-35-0, RB Mario Fannin 3-12-0, RB Jason King 2-9-0, QB Kodi Burns 5-9-0, FB Ryan Hastie 4-7-0, QB Neil Caudle 4-(-2)-0.

PASSING (Comp.-Att.-Yds.-TDs-Int.): Neil Caudle 22-33-243-3-2, Kodi Burns 22-37-162-1-1, DeRon Furr 3-5-26-0-0.

RECEIVING (Rec.-Yds-TDs): SR Terrell Zachery 9-84-1, SR Robert Dunn 8-63-1, WR Montez Billings 6-57-0, TE Tommy Trott 5-33-0, WR Charles Olatunji 4-34-0, WR Quindarius Carr 2-59-1, RB Brad Lester 2-31-1, FB John Douglas 2-21-0, TE Brent Slusher 2-7-0, RB Anthony Jemison 2-4-0, WR James Swinton 1-20-0, WR Zack Shaw 1-12-0, TE Gabe McKenzie 1-5-0, WR Rod Smith 1-4-0, FB Jeffrey Tarver 1-(-3)-0, FB Ryan Hastie 1-(-2)-0.

TACKLES: S Zac Etheridge 8, S Mike Slade 8, LB Josh Bynes 8, LB Craig Stevens 8, LB Merrill Johnson 7, LB Courtney Harden 7, LB Tray Blackmon 6, CB Aairon Savage 5, DT Jake Ricks 5, LB Wade Christopher 5, DE Antonio Coleman 5, DT Mike Blanc 4, DE Sen'Derrick Marks 4, CB Walter McFadden 4, DT Zach Clayton 3, CB Jerraud Powers 3, CB Ryan Williams 3, S Mike McNeil 3, DE Antoine Carter 3, DE Michael Goggans 3, DE A.J. Greene 3, S Brian Anyadike 2, S Jeremy Flowers 2, LB Jacob Shirey 2, S Jonathan Vickers 1, LB Da'Shaun Barnes 1.

SACKS: DE Antonio Coleman 1, DT Mike Blanc 1, DE Sen'Derrick Marks 1.

INTERCEPTIONS (No.-Yds.-TD): DT Jake Ricks 1-0-1, LB Wade Christopher 1-6-0, S Jonathan Vickers 1-36-1.

INJURY NOTES: Besides Antonio Coleman's cervical sprain (see other blog entries), running back/slot receiver Mario Fannin left Saturday's scrimmage with an apparent separated left shoulder. ... Wide receiver Tim Hawthorne sat out of the scrimmage with a broken arm and will miss the rest of spring practice; he missed spring practice last year after injuries sustained in an automobile accident. ... Running back Ben Tate (hamstring) also sat out of Saturday's scrimmage. ... Same for starting guard Chaz Ramsey, though Nall offered said he didn't know the nature of the injury. Ramsey was in uniform but did not play. ... Quarterback Chris Todd (shoulder) suited up and took "mental reps," taking signals from the sideline while true freshman DeRon Furr took snaps, but did not participate in plays. Tuberville said Todd should be back in action soon. ... Furr sustained what offensive coordinator Tony Franklin called a sprained AC joint in his right shoudler but could be back within a week, Franklin said. ... Running back/kick returner Tristan Davis (toe) sat out of the scrimmage but is expected back in action soon.

Scary injury in Auburn scrimmage

AUBURN -- Auburn junior defensive end Antonio Coleman was immobilized and taken from Jordan-Hare Stadium in an ambulance after the final play of Auburn's spring-practice scrimmage Saturday.
He did not appear to move during his 10-15 minutes on the field, nor did he gesture in response to fans applauding and calling his name as paramedics rolled him on a stretcher to the back of the ambulance.
Auburn coach Tommy Tuberville said Coleman was conscious and talking but did not have much feeling. Tuberville said Coleman started to get more feeling while down on the field.
Coleman was taken to East Alabama Regional Medical Center in Opelika. Auburn athletics spokesman Kirk Sampson anticipates releasing a statement later this afternoon.
Coleman went down after battling sophomore left tackle Lee Ziemba on a pass play.
Auburn offensive line coach Hugh Nall signalled for Ziemba to leave the field immediately after the play. Apparently anticipating a new play, Nall called Andrew McCain onto the field.
As the nature of Coleman's injury became apparent, Auburn's coaching staff called the end of a long scrimmage. Ziemba stood on the field with the rest of the offense, watching as team medical personnel and paramedics tended to Coleman.
A trainer patted Ziemba on the back as Coleman was rolled to the ambulance.
Updates coming as soon as more information can be obtained.