AUBURN - It’s DeAngelo Benton’s time. He’s either going to seize it, or let it pass him by.
Benton, a 6-2, 203-pound junior wide receiver for Auburn, has traveled a long road to have a chance to play a meaningful role for the Tigers.
“You really can't help us if you're on the sideline watching,” said Auburn wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor. “God has blessed DeAngelo with a lot of ability. He gives him the tools. Now it's up to him to go out there and use it. If anybody's time is due, it's definitely his.”
Benton is 23 years old. He’ll turn 24 in November. He knows it’s pretty much now or never.
“There's a lot of pressure,” he said. “It's not really pressure. It's just motivation for me to work hard every day knowing a position is open - somebody is going to get the chance to play week in and week out.”
Thus far in his career, Benton has played in 21 games in a reserve role over the last two seasons, with seven receptions for 103 yards.
This, from a 6-2, 203-pound receiver who was one of the most highly-touted recruits in the nation coming out of Bastrop, La., High School in 2006.
He was selected as a high school All-American by both Parade Magazine and Super Prep and ranked as the seventh best receiver in the nation by Rivals.com.
After a celebrated recruiting battle between LSU and Auburn, Benton committed to Auburn but failed to qualify academically and went to a prep school in 2007.
Since coming to Auburn, he has battled hand, wrist and finger injuries – and himself.
SEE SUNDAY'S ANNISTON STAR FOR THE REST OF THE STORY
Saturday, August 6, 2011
Malzahn talks about the offense
Auburn practiced Saturday and afterwards, Auburn's coordinators plus selected players spoke briefly with the media.
Here's what offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn had to say:
How was practice tonight?
"We were in shells again. Just emphasis on run the football, pad level and getting after it - the physical part of the game. Second practice in a row that we’ve had the same mentality and the same focus. So as coaches, it’s given us a lot of information. Especially on the young guys, the ones that’ll bite, the ones that need a little more time. Good information. It was a really good two days of practice from a coach’s standpoint. They’ll get a day off tomorrow, we’ll come back and get after it again."
Having four days on, one off. is it a good idea?
Yeah, I think so. You can really strain them and give them the day off, and do it again. It’s good. We really strain them, so their bodies need a day for relaxing. Throwing a lot at them, on the offensive side as far as installing goes, it’s a good day to rest them mentally too. I know for the young guys, a lot of things are happening. It was better today. The young guys, it seemed like a lot of them slowed down mentally even though we were going fast, they were able to slow down and process things. That’s good to see a learning curve. We made a lot less mistakes."
Anything on the QBs?
"I feel like all three are throwing the ball well right now. Throwing a lot at (freshman) Kiehl (Frazier. We’ll give him quite a few reps with that young group. It’s good for him. Each day you can see him understand the process better, the communication that happens before the play and then be able to execute a play. Real proud of him. Throwing a lot at him, which we need to. We need to figure out where he’s at.
Time-table with Kiehl?
"Kind of like what we said: As soon as possible, we’d like to name a starter. At the same time, there’s a process you’ve got to go through. We’ve got so many young guys and so many inexperienced guys, kind of like in the spring, we need to get to a point where we feel very good about everything around him so we can properly evaluate him. So as soon as possible. We’re trying to give all three of them reps and hopefully we can figure that out in the near future."
Ho about the young offensive linemen?
"Well they’ll bite. They’ll fight. It’s real encouraging. We’re real excited to see the physical part. Those are Auburn offensive linemen in this class. Their heads are spinning, they’re making mistakes, but when they’re making mistakes, they’re trying to put people on the ground. So that’s very encouraging."
What does “they’ll bite” mean?
"Well, they’ll stick their head in there. They’ll get after it. They’re not scared, they’re not timid, not turning their head. There’s some really good battles. From a coach’s standpoint, those are fun to watch. You can teach them the technique, you can teach them what to do and all that, but teaching them to really get after it - that takes a while. Unless they’ve already got it."
DeAngelo Benton is a wide receiver who has been here for awhile. Has he got a chance to play this year?
"Yeah he’s got a great opportunity right now. We need him to rise up. So far in camp, he’s off to a very good start. Like we told him: He needs to be consistent. So far so good. Just keep getting better and keep improving.
What you're impression of the young running backs, wide receivers and tightends?
"Talented. Talented. You can really see that they’re very talented like we thought. Just a matter of everything clicking. From an offensive standpoint, you have to have all 11 guys doing their job. If 10 of them do their job and one of them doesn’t, it makes everything ugly. So it’s a matter of time of how quickly they can process and learn defenses and coverages and assignments. There’s a lot to it. But it’s encouraging that they’re very talented.
Have you talked to Cam?
"About a week ago."
Here's what offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn had to say:
How was practice tonight?
"We were in shells again. Just emphasis on run the football, pad level and getting after it - the physical part of the game. Second practice in a row that we’ve had the same mentality and the same focus. So as coaches, it’s given us a lot of information. Especially on the young guys, the ones that’ll bite, the ones that need a little more time. Good information. It was a really good two days of practice from a coach’s standpoint. They’ll get a day off tomorrow, we’ll come back and get after it again."
Having four days on, one off. is it a good idea?
Yeah, I think so. You can really strain them and give them the day off, and do it again. It’s good. We really strain them, so their bodies need a day for relaxing. Throwing a lot at them, on the offensive side as far as installing goes, it’s a good day to rest them mentally too. I know for the young guys, a lot of things are happening. It was better today. The young guys, it seemed like a lot of them slowed down mentally even though we were going fast, they were able to slow down and process things. That’s good to see a learning curve. We made a lot less mistakes."
Anything on the QBs?
"I feel like all three are throwing the ball well right now. Throwing a lot at (freshman) Kiehl (Frazier. We’ll give him quite a few reps with that young group. It’s good for him. Each day you can see him understand the process better, the communication that happens before the play and then be able to execute a play. Real proud of him. Throwing a lot at him, which we need to. We need to figure out where he’s at.
Time-table with Kiehl?
"Kind of like what we said: As soon as possible, we’d like to name a starter. At the same time, there’s a process you’ve got to go through. We’ve got so many young guys and so many inexperienced guys, kind of like in the spring, we need to get to a point where we feel very good about everything around him so we can properly evaluate him. So as soon as possible. We’re trying to give all three of them reps and hopefully we can figure that out in the near future."
Ho about the young offensive linemen?
"Well they’ll bite. They’ll fight. It’s real encouraging. We’re real excited to see the physical part. Those are Auburn offensive linemen in this class. Their heads are spinning, they’re making mistakes, but when they’re making mistakes, they’re trying to put people on the ground. So that’s very encouraging."
What does “they’ll bite” mean?
"Well, they’ll stick their head in there. They’ll get after it. They’re not scared, they’re not timid, not turning their head. There’s some really good battles. From a coach’s standpoint, those are fun to watch. You can teach them the technique, you can teach them what to do and all that, but teaching them to really get after it - that takes a while. Unless they’ve already got it."
DeAngelo Benton is a wide receiver who has been here for awhile. Has he got a chance to play this year?
"Yeah he’s got a great opportunity right now. We need him to rise up. So far in camp, he’s off to a very good start. Like we told him: He needs to be consistent. So far so good. Just keep getting better and keep improving.
What you're impression of the young running backs, wide receivers and tightends?
"Talented. Talented. You can really see that they’re very talented like we thought. Just a matter of everything clicking. From an offensive standpoint, you have to have all 11 guys doing their job. If 10 of them do their job and one of them doesn’t, it makes everything ugly. So it’s a matter of time of how quickly they can process and learn defenses and coverages and assignments. There’s a lot to it. But it’s encouraging that they’re very talented.
Have you talked to Cam?
"About a week ago."
Whittaker taking on leadership as a sophomore
Auburn defensive tackle Jeffrey Whittaker looks to be a likely starter this season after performing well in a reserve role as a freshman.
He spoke with the media Friday night after practice.
Here's what he had to say:
How have things been going?)
“Things have been going good. I’m excited. To be honest, I’ve got a lot of work to do. But excited to just learn from the teaching, and the details of Coach (Mike) Pelton. Just can’t preach how much I feel just more confident just being around him each day, being myself and getting better and better. Not there yet. Not where I want to be. But I’m getting better and better.”
Are you defensive linemen good friends?
“Yes. I think the offensive and defensive lines have got to be the two closest groups on the team. That’s the definition of working together, those two groups. The D-line, lot of camaraderie, we hang out a lot. Got to start doing a better job at that. We get to know each other. The crazy thing is we actually helped recruit every freshman D-lineman that is here. We’ve been knowing them since before we got here. So we’ve been knowing each other for awhile. We’re kind of getting to see how everybody plays. It’s exciting.”
How are the young ones?
“They’re doing good. The deal is today’s the first day of pads. I know how that goes. When I first got here, it was going 200 miles per hour. And I said to myself, ‘Did Coach Rocker lie to me when he was recruiting me, saying I was going to be a good player someday? Because I don’t see it right now.’ That’s the kind of mentality I had, then I got confident. The thing that encouraged me, the freshmen we have in are confident, focused, going at it 100 percent. Me, the quote, unquote ‘older guy,’ we understand we all have a part-time job. We’re all fighting for our job. I can say watching these guys … because I know what I see now, it’s not going to be like that four weeks from now. They’re going to be much better. You just know that you’ve got to do your job. For the future, we know we’re going to have a lot of ballers on the defensive line.”
Does it feel weir to be one of the 'old guys?'
“When I was recruited, one deal Coach Rock brought to me was I was going to have to be different. It was OK to be different. I was going to have to be a leader. I was going to have to get with all my teammates, that’s the job I was going to have to do. I had to do all that and at the same time play ball. I’ve been on this deal since they recruited me that way. Now that I’m going into my second year, Coach Pelton’s getting on me about, ‘It’s OK to say something. If you’re doing something good, somebody come and do something wrong, it’s OK to come and correct. We’re all in this together.’ My deal is I’m still working on the leadership skills, and I know I learned from the Zach Claytons of the world. The vets I had around me helped so much going into this year. It was not a normal year. I actually think I went up against the best offensive line every day. I had a chance to go out and do something a lot of people don’t have a chance to do. I got to go out and win a national championship. That whole year helped me right now starting my second season.”
What's the potential of this defensive line?
“Great potential. Gabe, Angelo, Niles, Sigler, all of them have great potential. Just sitting back as an older guy, you look back and you know this is what Auburn is about. It’s about competing every day, because just like that, if you go down, somebody’s going to take your spot and do it well. Just like that. You can’t slip up. But it’s in a family environment. We love each other, we all joke around, but when we’re out on the field, we realize it’s all business. I am excited. I’m not saying we’re there. I’m just saying I’m excited to be a football player at Auburn.”
Do you make fun of Angelo (Blackson)?
“He’s a freshman. They did it to me so I’ve got to keep the tradition alive. But it’s good teasing. He always complains, says, ‘Man, why is it so hot? All the time?' I’m like, ‘Hey, it’s the South, baby. It’s Mother Nature welcoming you in.’”
He spoke with the media Friday night after practice.
Here's what he had to say:
How have things been going?)
“Things have been going good. I’m excited. To be honest, I’ve got a lot of work to do. But excited to just learn from the teaching, and the details of Coach (Mike) Pelton. Just can’t preach how much I feel just more confident just being around him each day, being myself and getting better and better. Not there yet. Not where I want to be. But I’m getting better and better.”
Are you defensive linemen good friends?
“Yes. I think the offensive and defensive lines have got to be the two closest groups on the team. That’s the definition of working together, those two groups. The D-line, lot of camaraderie, we hang out a lot. Got to start doing a better job at that. We get to know each other. The crazy thing is we actually helped recruit every freshman D-lineman that is here. We’ve been knowing them since before we got here. So we’ve been knowing each other for awhile. We’re kind of getting to see how everybody plays. It’s exciting.”
How are the young ones?
“They’re doing good. The deal is today’s the first day of pads. I know how that goes. When I first got here, it was going 200 miles per hour. And I said to myself, ‘Did Coach Rocker lie to me when he was recruiting me, saying I was going to be a good player someday? Because I don’t see it right now.’ That’s the kind of mentality I had, then I got confident. The thing that encouraged me, the freshmen we have in are confident, focused, going at it 100 percent. Me, the quote, unquote ‘older guy,’ we understand we all have a part-time job. We’re all fighting for our job. I can say watching these guys … because I know what I see now, it’s not going to be like that four weeks from now. They’re going to be much better. You just know that you’ve got to do your job. For the future, we know we’re going to have a lot of ballers on the defensive line.”
Does it feel weir to be one of the 'old guys?'
“When I was recruited, one deal Coach Rock brought to me was I was going to have to be different. It was OK to be different. I was going to have to be a leader. I was going to have to get with all my teammates, that’s the job I was going to have to do. I had to do all that and at the same time play ball. I’ve been on this deal since they recruited me that way. Now that I’m going into my second year, Coach Pelton’s getting on me about, ‘It’s OK to say something. If you’re doing something good, somebody come and do something wrong, it’s OK to come and correct. We’re all in this together.’ My deal is I’m still working on the leadership skills, and I know I learned from the Zach Claytons of the world. The vets I had around me helped so much going into this year. It was not a normal year. I actually think I went up against the best offensive line every day. I had a chance to go out and do something a lot of people don’t have a chance to do. I got to go out and win a national championship. That whole year helped me right now starting my second season.”
What's the potential of this defensive line?
“Great potential. Gabe, Angelo, Niles, Sigler, all of them have great potential. Just sitting back as an older guy, you look back and you know this is what Auburn is about. It’s about competing every day, because just like that, if you go down, somebody’s going to take your spot and do it well. Just like that. You can’t slip up. But it’s in a family environment. We love each other, we all joke around, but when we’re out on the field, we realize it’s all business. I am excited. I’m not saying we’re there. I’m just saying I’m excited to be a football player at Auburn.”
Do you make fun of Angelo (Blackson)?
“He’s a freshman. They did it to me so I’ve got to keep the tradition alive. But it’s good teasing. He always complains, says, ‘Man, why is it so hot? All the time?' I’m like, ‘Hey, it’s the South, baby. It’s Mother Nature welcoming you in.’”
Friday, August 5, 2011
Wright is Fairley ready
By Charles Bennett
AUBURN – He’s already wearing defensive lineman Nick Fairley’s No. 90 jersey, and if Gabe Wright plays anything like him, Auburn’s questions at defensive tackle will be all but answered.
A 6-4, 310-pound freshman from Columbus, Ga., Wright is eager to emulate Fairley’s success, but for now, he’s taking things one step at a time.
“To tell you the truth, I just want to take things slowly,” Wright said, when asked if he were ready for Friday’s first practice in pads. “I really do. Pads are something that everybody in camp is going to look forward to, especially somebody who thinks that they're ready to play or definitely look forward to playing. But I'm still a freshman.”
Auburn coach Gene Chizik said Wright is off to a good start.
“The thing I like about Gabe is he is really, really working everyday like he is going to take someone’s position,” Chizik said. “That appears to be to be his mindset. That’s what every young guy out here, that’s the way every one of them needs to think. So he’s confident and he’s working hard in that direction. In terms of just trying to learn and listen to what coach Pelton is asking them to do, I think he’s doing a real good job.”
READ THE REST OF THE STORY IN SATURDAY'S ANNISTON STAR
AUBURN – He’s already wearing defensive lineman Nick Fairley’s No. 90 jersey, and if Gabe Wright plays anything like him, Auburn’s questions at defensive tackle will be all but answered.
A 6-4, 310-pound freshman from Columbus, Ga., Wright is eager to emulate Fairley’s success, but for now, he’s taking things one step at a time.
“To tell you the truth, I just want to take things slowly,” Wright said, when asked if he were ready for Friday’s first practice in pads. “I really do. Pads are something that everybody in camp is going to look forward to, especially somebody who thinks that they're ready to play or definitely look forward to playing. But I'm still a freshman.”
Auburn coach Gene Chizik said Wright is off to a good start.
“The thing I like about Gabe is he is really, really working everyday like he is going to take someone’s position,” Chizik said. “That appears to be to be his mindset. That’s what every young guy out here, that’s the way every one of them needs to think. So he’s confident and he’s working hard in that direction. In terms of just trying to learn and listen to what coach Pelton is asking them to do, I think he’s doing a real good job.”
READ THE REST OF THE STORY IN SATURDAY'S ANNISTON STAR
Auburn puts on the pads
By Charles Bennett
AUBURN – Auburn added a little pop to practice on Friday, working out in shells for the first time this fall.
“It was great,” said Auburn coach Gene Chizik. “Both sides of the ball were very eager. Again, being physical is what our emphasis is every day and they tried to take that from the meeting rooms out to the field. Again, I think the younger guys, it got their attention a little bit when they realized what’s happening and how fast the game moves. Again, I thought the whole team embraced the concept of being physical today and they tried to do it.”
The Tigers went inside the new indoor facility for the last portion of practice.
“It was pretty hot and we stayed (outside) long enough to get a good feel for the temperature,” Chizik said. “At that point we went inside and finished practice. I was really wanting them to focus in and try to get better at their trade, so that’s what we did. I think it worked out well. So I think they were excited about it and again I think the tempo went up when we went in there and they did a nice job.”
McCalebb still lean
Tailback Onterio McCalebb said recently he has bulked up to 180 pounds, but running backs coach Curtis Luper says that’s simply not true.
“He's stretching it,” Luper said. “And I stretched it too. He's about 172. “
Phillips ready to roll
Fullback Ladarious Phillips, a redshirt freshman who played at Handley High, has looked good thus far in practice according to Luper.
“He's athletic,” Luper said. “He's tough and he really wants to do well. He's conscientious. He's got the tools physically. He just needs reps.”
Phillips, who sat out last season with a severe ankle sprain, is weighing in at 285 after reporting at 293.
“He looks good,” Luper said. “He's at 285. Can probably get him down a little bit, but he's active. “
It’s not about fame
Freshman tailback Tre mason is the son of Vincent Mason, a member of the Hip Hop group De La Soul.
Mason says there’s no competition for the limelight between father and son.
“I try not to get into my dad's shine,” Tre said. “I try to make a scene for myself. I congratulate him on everything he's accomplished in his life. I try to do the same for mine.”
AUBURN – Auburn added a little pop to practice on Friday, working out in shells for the first time this fall.
“It was great,” said Auburn coach Gene Chizik. “Both sides of the ball were very eager. Again, being physical is what our emphasis is every day and they tried to take that from the meeting rooms out to the field. Again, I think the younger guys, it got their attention a little bit when they realized what’s happening and how fast the game moves. Again, I thought the whole team embraced the concept of being physical today and they tried to do it.”
The Tigers went inside the new indoor facility for the last portion of practice.
“It was pretty hot and we stayed (outside) long enough to get a good feel for the temperature,” Chizik said. “At that point we went inside and finished practice. I was really wanting them to focus in and try to get better at their trade, so that’s what we did. I think it worked out well. So I think they were excited about it and again I think the tempo went up when we went in there and they did a nice job.”
McCalebb still lean
Tailback Onterio McCalebb said recently he has bulked up to 180 pounds, but running backs coach Curtis Luper says that’s simply not true.
“He's stretching it,” Luper said. “And I stretched it too. He's about 172. “
Phillips ready to roll
Fullback Ladarious Phillips, a redshirt freshman who played at Handley High, has looked good thus far in practice according to Luper.
“He's athletic,” Luper said. “He's tough and he really wants to do well. He's conscientious. He's got the tools physically. He just needs reps.”
Phillips, who sat out last season with a severe ankle sprain, is weighing in at 285 after reporting at 293.
“He looks good,” Luper said. “He's at 285. Can probably get him down a little bit, but he's active. “
It’s not about fame
Freshman tailback Tre mason is the son of Vincent Mason, a member of the Hip Hop group De La Soul.
Mason says there’s no competition for the limelight between father and son.
“I try not to get into my dad's shine,” Tre said. “I try to make a scene for myself. I congratulate him on everything he's accomplished in his life. I try to do the same for mine.”
Dyer looking forward to big year
Auburn running back Mike Dyer sat down with reporters after practice Thursday night and discussed a variety of subjects, from how practice is going to where he fits in among the current crop of SEC tailbacks.
Here's what he had to say:
How’s it going?
“Good. Offense is doing good, defense is doing an excellent job making sure they’re in the right spots. Us as a whole team is getting better every day.”
What are you working on without pads?
“Just going over the plays, going over what we can go over as far as timing, stuff like that when we work out without the pads. Just getting the feel for being out there again, little stuff like that before we get the pads on.”
Are you surprised it has been so crisp?
“A lot of guys have been in the playbooks, and when you go out there, you can tell. It makes everything go smooth.”
How do you compare it to a year ago?
“I feel like I got better in a lot of areas, just really trying to go out there and showcase what we have for our team. For myself, I’ve gotten better in a couple of areas. We’re just ready to go out there and play.”
Are you excited that it's probably going to be a more tailback-oriented offense this year?
“We’re going to miss Cam because he brought a lot to our offense, but I think a lot of guys on this team are ready to show what they have and really think they can step up. Everybody’s talking about how we’re going to miss Cam, but a lot of guys are going to step up in areas he did, and we’re going to put it all together and be one team.”
Outside expectations seem to be a bit low. Your thoughts?
“People have their opinions, and they’re welcome to them. I just think that a lot of people think it was Cam and Nick, it was all them, they made big plays, but I feel like we had a lot of people on that team that were really good players, that were talented last year. They could do it. That’s what happened. This year, they’re saying we’re going to win six, or four, I don’t pay too much attention to that.”
What’s a good year for you?
“Just going out there and doing exactly what my coaches need me to do. I have some personal goals for myself, you know, try to break some records, just be a team player at the same time. Try to do a lot for my team, try to be as helpful as I can be.”
Are you the best running back in the SEC?
“I don’t really watch TV, so I don’t really know. I’m just the type of guy that plays football. We get out there on that green grass, we go out and play, I’m that type of guy. But I don’t care very much about being compared to other running backs, stuff like that. That’s not the type of player I am.”
Have you talked with (South Carolina running back) Marcus Lattimore?
“I really haven’t talked to him much. I talked to him at the beginning of the season. But other than that, I haven’t. I want to say I talked to Lache Seastrunk a couple weeks ago.”
How do you see things going with you and Onterio this season?
“It’s gonna be great. He brings a wide-open game, in our offense especially, and our kickoff returns. We know each other well, we’ve had a year together, so we know our don’ts and our do’s. We know where we’re supposed to be. We know a lot of different things that are going to help us this year to be quicker with the runs and passes and all that stuff.”
Of the young players, who has impressed you?
“Quan Bray is just doing a tremendous job back there. He’s been stepping up, doing exactly what the coach asks him, always being in the right spots, catching everything. I haven’t seen him drop a pass yet. But all our young guys are working hard: Sammie (Coates), all those guys I’ve been around the past couple days. Defense, they’re working in, doing exactly what they’re told. They’re coming together. Right now, we’re going in the right direction.”
Quan's at WR?
“I know they’re moving him around. He’s doing whatever the coaches ask him. That’s the type of guys we need and that’s the type of guy he is.”
Is the competition going to be fun?
“It’s going to be real fun. Everybody’s anxious to see where they’re going to fit in, a lot of people seeing whether they’re going to stay at this position, stuff like that. When you go out there, everything’s open. You just have to go out there and play, show what you can do. If that’s your job, take it, and if not, try to find another spot on the team or try to fill in. Right now we’re just all in it together trying to figure out where we’re going to go from here.”
Here's what he had to say:
How’s it going?
“Good. Offense is doing good, defense is doing an excellent job making sure they’re in the right spots. Us as a whole team is getting better every day.”
What are you working on without pads?
“Just going over the plays, going over what we can go over as far as timing, stuff like that when we work out without the pads. Just getting the feel for being out there again, little stuff like that before we get the pads on.”
Are you surprised it has been so crisp?
“A lot of guys have been in the playbooks, and when you go out there, you can tell. It makes everything go smooth.”
How do you compare it to a year ago?
“I feel like I got better in a lot of areas, just really trying to go out there and showcase what we have for our team. For myself, I’ve gotten better in a couple of areas. We’re just ready to go out there and play.”
Are you excited that it's probably going to be a more tailback-oriented offense this year?
“We’re going to miss Cam because he brought a lot to our offense, but I think a lot of guys on this team are ready to show what they have and really think they can step up. Everybody’s talking about how we’re going to miss Cam, but a lot of guys are going to step up in areas he did, and we’re going to put it all together and be one team.”
Outside expectations seem to be a bit low. Your thoughts?
“People have their opinions, and they’re welcome to them. I just think that a lot of people think it was Cam and Nick, it was all them, they made big plays, but I feel like we had a lot of people on that team that were really good players, that were talented last year. They could do it. That’s what happened. This year, they’re saying we’re going to win six, or four, I don’t pay too much attention to that.”
What’s a good year for you?
“Just going out there and doing exactly what my coaches need me to do. I have some personal goals for myself, you know, try to break some records, just be a team player at the same time. Try to do a lot for my team, try to be as helpful as I can be.”
Are you the best running back in the SEC?
“I don’t really watch TV, so I don’t really know. I’m just the type of guy that plays football. We get out there on that green grass, we go out and play, I’m that type of guy. But I don’t care very much about being compared to other running backs, stuff like that. That’s not the type of player I am.”
Have you talked with (South Carolina running back) Marcus Lattimore?
“I really haven’t talked to him much. I talked to him at the beginning of the season. But other than that, I haven’t. I want to say I talked to Lache Seastrunk a couple weeks ago.”
How do you see things going with you and Onterio this season?
“It’s gonna be great. He brings a wide-open game, in our offense especially, and our kickoff returns. We know each other well, we’ve had a year together, so we know our don’ts and our do’s. We know where we’re supposed to be. We know a lot of different things that are going to help us this year to be quicker with the runs and passes and all that stuff.”
Of the young players, who has impressed you?
“Quan Bray is just doing a tremendous job back there. He’s been stepping up, doing exactly what the coach asks him, always being in the right spots, catching everything. I haven’t seen him drop a pass yet. But all our young guys are working hard: Sammie (Coates), all those guys I’ve been around the past couple days. Defense, they’re working in, doing exactly what they’re told. They’re coming together. Right now, we’re going in the right direction.”
Quan's at WR?
“I know they’re moving him around. He’s doing whatever the coaches ask him. That’s the type of guys we need and that’s the type of guy he is.”
Is the competition going to be fun?
“It’s going to be real fun. Everybody’s anxious to see where they’re going to fit in, a lot of people seeing whether they’re going to stay at this position, stuff like that. When you go out there, everything’s open. You just have to go out there and play, show what you can do. If that’s your job, take it, and if not, try to find another spot on the team or try to fill in. Right now we’re just all in it together trying to figure out where we’re going to go from here.”
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Frazier gunning for starting QB job
By Charles Bennett
AUBURN – The advantage for Auburn quarterbacks Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley is that they’ve been in offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s offense for two years.
Freshman Kiehl Frazier’s advantage is that he’s a five-star talent who was in the seventh grade when he first met Malzahn and has already played in a simplified version of the offense.
What it all means is anybody’s guess as Frazier tries to play his way into the starting lineup for the Tigers.
Two days into practice, Auburn coach Gene Chizik says it’s too early to tell whether Frazier will be able to factor into the competition for the starting job.
“I just think that’s hard to answer because so many people click or the light comes on or the game starts to slow down for them at different times,” Chizik said. “So I don’t know when that will be for him or any of our freshmen. But when that happens, that’s generally when they start to take advantage of their skill set. Right now, they’re just all over the place. A lot of moving parts and they’re moving faster. But he’ll catch on.”
READ MORE IN FRIDAY'S ANNISTON STAR
AUBURN – The advantage for Auburn quarterbacks Barrett Trotter and Clint Moseley is that they’ve been in offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn’s offense for two years.
Freshman Kiehl Frazier’s advantage is that he’s a five-star talent who was in the seventh grade when he first met Malzahn and has already played in a simplified version of the offense.
What it all means is anybody’s guess as Frazier tries to play his way into the starting lineup for the Tigers.
Two days into practice, Auburn coach Gene Chizik says it’s too early to tell whether Frazier will be able to factor into the competition for the starting job.
“I just think that’s hard to answer because so many people click or the light comes on or the game starts to slow down for them at different times,” Chizik said. “So I don’t know when that will be for him or any of our freshmen. But when that happens, that’s generally when they start to take advantage of their skill set. Right now, they’re just all over the place. A lot of moving parts and they’re moving faster. But he’ll catch on.”
READ MORE IN FRIDAY'S ANNISTON STAR
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