Gameday Activities in and around Jordan-Hare

Transcription

1 September 6, Today in Jordan-Hare: Auburn vs. Southern Miss 8-9 Anders Cover Story: Robert Dunn 13 A Word From Auburn s Director of Athletics Jay Jacobs 49 Where Are They Now?: Ron Stallworth 57 Senior Profile: James Swinton 61 Tiger Tracks: AU Volleyball Setting A Foundation For Success 64 Tiger Tracks: AU Men s And Women s Golf Takes Aim At New Season Through The Lens (pictorial) 147 University News: Cooperative Extension: Making Knowledge Work 155 Where Are They Now?: Tiffany Krantz 159 Down Through The Years With David Housel 196 University News: All Auburn, All Orange Shows Your AU Spirit, Support Gameday Activities in and around Jordan-Hare 7:30 a.m. Coliseum Ticket Office opens 8 a.m Tiger Gear Store opens (West Side - Stadium) 9 a.m. Tiger Team Village opens Tiger Tailgate at Plainsman Park opens Suites open 9:30 a.m. Public Gates/ Stadium Box Office opens Tiger Walk 10 a.m. Spirit March 10:15 a.m. Pep Rally (Corner of Roosevelt and Donahue) 11:14 a.m. Get 10 Recognition 11:16 a.m. Coach Jack Meagher Award Presentation 11:18 a.m. Flight of the Eagle 11:21 a.m. Band Pre-Game Show 11:29 a.m. AU Rev-Up Video 11:31 a.m. AU takes the field 11:34 a.m. Kickoff Halftime Auburn University Marching Band Cheerleaders of America Performance

2 have all taken place in Auburn, dating back to Today s Game Presented by by Brad Gust Auburn hosts Southern Miss today in the first meeting between the schools since Both teams are coming off big victories in their respective season openers, as Auburn shut out Louisiana-Monroe, 34-0, and Southern Miss throttled Louisiana- Lafayette, Southern Miss Quick Hitters Head coach Larry Fedora is in his first Senior wide receiver Rodgeriqus Smith enters today s game 13th in Auburn history with 89 receptions Auburn Football Illustrated season as head coach at USM after serving the previous three seasons as an assistant coach at Oklahoma State, and the three prior to that as an assistant at Florida... The Golden Eagles opened the season with a victory over Louisiana-Lafayette... USM rolled up an impressive 633 yards of offense in the opener, including 427 on the ground, with both totals ranking third nationally... RB Damion Fletcher ran for 222 yards and two scores against Louisiana-Lafayette, while LB Gerald McRath led the defense with 15 tackles... Fletcher and McRath were named Conference USA s Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively... The Golden Eagles have six starters returning on offense and four on defense from last year s team that finished 7-6 overall, 5-3 in C-USA, and played in the Papajohns.com Bowl... Southern Miss was picked to finish third in the East in the C- USA preseason poll. AU-USM Connection Southern Miss defensive line coach Art Kaufman was the defensive coordinator and linebackers coach at Ole Miss from , which included Tommy Tuberville s stint as head coach at Ole Miss from Auburn assistants Don Dunn, Eddie Gran, Greg Knox, Hugh Nall and Terry Price were also part of that staff. Auburn-Southern Miss Series History Auburn leads the all-time series with Southern Miss 16-5, but the two teams have not met since The teams played four straight close games from , with each team winning two. Southern Miss won in 1990 (14-12) and 1991 (10-9), before Auburn earned victories in the last two meetings in 1992 (16-8) and 1993 (35-24). The last 18 meetings Against Conference USA Auburn has an all-time record of against the 12 schools that currently make up Conference USA, with 58 of those 78 games coming against Southern Miss (16-5) and Tulane ( ). The Tigers have also played against Houston (5-1), SMU (0-3), Rice (0-2), Memphis (0-2), UAB (1-0), East Carolina (3-0) and UCF (3-0). The only C-USA teams that Auburn has played during the Tommy Tuberville era are UCF (28-10 victory in 1999) and Tulane (38-13 victory in 2006). On This Date Auburn has only played twice previously on Sept. 6, with the last occurrence happening in 2003 when the Tigers fell at Georgia Tech, Auburn also played on Sept. 6 in 1986, defeating UT-Chattanooga, 42-14, in Jordan-Hare Stadium. In September Auburn is (.747) all-time in the month of September, including a 31-7 mark under Tommy Tuberville. The Tigers have won 17 of their last 20 games played in September, and are currently on a two-game winning streak during the month. First Timers Six players made their first career starts in the season opener against Louisiana- Monroe, and 19 players played in their first collegiate games at Auburn. Starting for the first time were DL Mike Blanc, RB John Douglas, DE Michael Goggans, OL Byron Isom, S Mike McNeil and WR James Swinton. Douglas played in his first collegiate game, as did WR Darvin Adams, WR Quindarius Carr, DB Drew Cole, OL Jared Cooper, H Chas Crofoot, P Clinton Durst, RB Ryan Hastie, LB Adam Herring, DB D Antoine Hood, WR Philip Pierre-Louis, LB Spencer Pybus, DL Jomarcus Savage, DB Mike Slade, RB Eric Smith, TE Vance Smith, DB Christian Thompson, DB Neiko Thorpe and QB Chris Todd. Shutout City Auburn shut out Louisiana-Monroe in the season opener, 34-0, for its first shutout since a 27-0 win against Arkansas State on Nov. 4, It marked the ninth shutout by Auburn during the Tommy Tuberville era, and was the first shutout in a season opener since a 31-0 victory over ULM in the 2004 opener. Streak Snapped Entering the season, Auburn had the nation s longest streak for most games played without a punt return for a

3 touchdown (blocked punts excluded), which spanned 144 consecutive games. That streak came to an end on the first punt return of 2008, when Robert Dunn streaked 66 yards for a touchdown, which was the first for Auburn since 1996 when Dunn was just 10 years old. It was the 10th-longest punt return in Auburn history. Scoring From All Sides Auburn achieved a rare feat during the opener against Louisiana- Monroe, scoring touchdowns on offense, defense and special teams. The Tigers scored on a fumble return for a touchdown by Michael Goggans on their first defensive play, then added a punt return for a score by Robert Dunn later in the first quarter. When Brad Lester rushed for a touchdown in the third quarter, it marked the first time Auburn scored touchdowns in all three facets of the game since during a 73-7 victory over ULM in Climbing The Charts Senior Rodgeriqus Smith grabbed five passes during the season opener against Louisiana-Monroe, moving him in to 13th place in school history with 89 career catches. Smith needs just four more catches to move into the school s top 10, and 11 catches to become just the seventh player in school history with 100 career receptions. More Season Opener Notes Auburn improved to all-time in season-opening games with a 34-0 victory over ULM, including a 7-3 mark under Tommy Tuberville... Since 1977, Auburn is now 22-5 in season openers against non-conference opponents... Auburn s 89 season-opening victories is tied for second best in the SEC, just one behind Alabama. Senior nose guard Tez Doolittle returned from a season-ending achilles injury in 2007 to record three tackles with one tackle for loss last week. Tiger Grads Auburn began the season with eight graduates on the roster, which is tied for fourth most of any school in the country. The Tiger graduates include: OL Jason Bosley (finance), RB Tristan Davis (criminology), DL Tez Doolittle (criminology), OL Tyronne Green (criminology), LB Courtney Harden (criminology), LB Merrill Johnson (criminology), WR Rodgeriqus Smith (business administration) and WR James Swinton (public administration). (1-0, 0-0 SEC) Head Coach: Tommy Tuberville (Southern Arkansas, 1976) AU Record: (10th season) Career Record: (14th season) Aug. 30 LOUISIANA-MONROE W, 34-0 Sept. 6 SOUTHERN MISS [Raycom] 11:30 a.m. Sept. 13 at Mississippi State [ESPN2] 6 p.m. Sept. 20 LSU TBA Sept. 27 TENNESSEE TBA Oct. 4 at Vanderbilt TBA Oct. 11 ARKANSAS TBA Oct. 23 at West Virginia [ESPN] 6:30 p.m. Nov. 1 at Ole Miss TBA Nov. 8 TENNESSEE-MARTIN (HC) 1:30 p.m. Nov. 15 GEORGIA TBA Nov. 29 at Alabama TBA Auburn 2008 Stat Leaders All Times Central Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TD Ben Tate Kodi Burns Passing Yards Att. Comp. Yds. TD Chris Todd Kodi Burns Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Rodgeriqus Smith Chris Slaughter Tackles Total Solo Asst. Sacks Neiko Thorpe Jerraud Powers (1-0, 0-0 C-USA) Head Coach: Larry Fedora (Austin College, 1985) USM Record: 1-0 (1st season) Career Record: Same Aug. 30 LOUISIANA-LAFAYETTE W, Sept. 6 at Auburn [Raycom] 11:30 a.m. Sept. 13 at Arkansas State 6 p.m. Sept. 20 MARSHALL [CSS] 2:30 p.m. Oct. 4 UTEP 6 p.m. Oct. 11 BOISE STATE [CBS C] 7 p.m. Oct. 18 at Rice 2 p.m. Oct. 25 at Memphis [CBS C] 7 p.m. Nov. 1 UAB (HC) [CSS] 7 p.m. Nov. 8 at UCF 2:30 p.m. Nov. 15 EAST CAROLINA 2 p.m. Nov. 29 at SMU 2 p.m. USM 2008 Stat Leaders All Times Central Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TD Damion Fletcher Bubba Kirksey Passing Yards Att. Comp. Yds. TD Austin Davis Martevious Young Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD DeAndre Brown Shawn Nelson Tackles Total Solo Asst. Sacks Gerald McRath Chico Hunter Auburn Football Illustrated 5

4 Presented by by Maegan Moguel Senior receiver Robert Dunn is who he needs to be as an experienced team leader, son, brother and father. Which side of him you see depends greatly on what the moment calls for, whether serving as a vocal leader on the field or playing games with his two daughters. Free-spirited and serious are two sides to me that anyone who meets me can see, Dunn said. In the past three years, Dunn has kept in mind the initial reason why he began playing football for the love of the game. He also describes the sport as the best release of any stress and frustration he feels. Dunn finished second in the Southeastern Conference in punt return yards last season with 301. One of 15 seniors on the 2008 roster, the Augusta, Ga., native is vocal on the football field. I am known for speaking my mind and letting others know what I believe should be done to make our team better, Dunn said. I just say what needs to be said. Dunn s leadership will be of particular importance this season as the Tigers usher in a new offensive scheme. Named Mr. Football Player of the Year in Georgia for 2005, Dunn feels a connection with each of his teammates. Walk-on running back Justin Albert describes Dunn as a big brother. If I had to choose one person who gave me the best advice since I have been at Auburn, it would be Robert, Albert said. The freshman continues to support Auburn Football Illustrated Dunn by labeling him as one of the coolest dudes I know. He knows when to be serious and when not to. In the midst of early morning practices, Dunn enjoys telling jokes to keep good vibes between his teammates and the coaches. Just looking at him will put a smirk on your face, Albert said. Dunn has used his strengths to his advantage during his time at Auburn. In the classroom, he is on the cusp of earning his degree. Athletically, he has established himself as a threat on special teams as a punt returner. Against Kansas State last season, Dunn returned a punt 57 yards to set up an Auburn field goal late in the third quarter. The 57-yard return was the longest by an Auburn player in the Tommy Tuberville era. Along with the 57-yard punt return, Dunn helped the Tigers to a crucial road win over SEC foe Arkansas last October. With the Tigers trailing 7-6 and only 1:36 left in the game, Auburn was looking for a big play. On a second-and-10 play, quarterback Brandon Cox hit Dunn on a quick slant and Dunn reeled off 30 yards before being run out of bounds at the Arkansas 12-yard line. Four running plays set up field position for kicker Wes Byrum, who connected to give Auburn a 9-7 victory. With the switch to the spread offense prior to the Chick-fil-A Bowl game victory over Clemson, Dunn and the Tigers are hoping to carry the success from that game into Anything less than a combo Southeastern Conference and national championship will be unacceptable, Dunn said. With all the hard work we have put in as a team this past spring and summer, this has to be the year. Academically, Dunn plans to graduate in spring 2009 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration. As the first member in his family to receive a college degree, Dunn has high hopes for the future, whether he continues playing football or not. Getting drafted into the NFL would be a plus, but if not, I know that I am prepared to work in the field and support my family, Dunn said. Dunn takes a more serious approach to his family. One of the main reasons Dunn chose to play football at Auburn was because of the influence of his grandmother. When he was sizing up which school to attend, his grandmother stepped in and gave Dunn some simple, but powerful advice, Pray on it, baby. Dunn s Career Receiving Stats YEAR G/GS NO YDS AVG TD LP/OPPONENT / /Miss. State / /LSU / /Vanderbilt / Totals 33/ /Vanderbilt

5 One of the biggest positives about making the decision to attend Auburn was that Dunn would be close to his family in Augusta. Being close to his brother, Rodriguez, and mother, Sherrell, has been a blessing for Dunn as he accepts the responsibility of adulthood. Dunn quickly refers to his mother as his hero and credits her for helping him fight through difficult times. Without her, I would not be here today, Dunn said. She is the one who taught me to be tough. Dunn has even more motivation to continue on his accomplished path, calling them his two beautiful girls. daughters Raniya, 5, and Jazlynn, 3 months. These two girls are the reason I get out of bed every morning, Dunn said. Dunn plays for perfection every game, not just because his coaches expect it, but because he knows there are two sets of very important eyes glued to his every move. While catching a breather on the sidelines during games, Dunn will also sneak a peek into the stands to look for his daughters and come away rejuvenated and grinning after spotting them. His oldest daughter, Raniya, praises her father as her hero. Despite his hard work on the field, it s Dunn s work off the field that earns the most praise from Raniya. My daddy is the best daddy in the world because he buys me toys and makes me spaghetti, Raniya said. When Dunn is not stirring a pot of spaghetti for his daughters, he manages to find a few minutes to cook for himself, which usually involves flipping pancakes or cracking eggs for an omelet. Whether it is 10 a.m. or 10 p.m., I can eat breakfast all day, every day, Dunn said. When not in the classroom or on the field, Dunn enjoys taking the girls to the water park for a day full of laughs and love. Family is how Dunn defines his seriousness. His mother, brother and daughters form the permanent support net for Dunn. Family is what keeps Dunn going. With his senior season under way, Dunn continues to keep his priorities in mind: family, school and football. With his teammates and his daughters counting on him, Dunn has to live up to many expectations. I do not want to let them down, Dunn said. If I do that, I will also be letting myself down. Dunn returned a punt 66 yards for a touchdown last Saturday vs. ULM. It was the first punt return for a TD by an Auburn player since Auburn Football Illustrated 9

6 We have five fundamental goals for Auburn Athletics. They are winning, graduating our student-athletes, abiding by the rules, managing our fiscal affairs and providing a professional game-day experience. We will win doing it the right way, but at the end of the day winning is what competing is all about. Auburn has a long history of winning, and our recent success across multiple sports continues to build on that legacy. Consider some of these recent statistics: Auburn has won 16 SEC titles since 2002, fourth most in the conference. This is a noteworthy accomplishment when you compare our program to others in the conference, especially in states where larger institutions benefit from bigger and more prosperous populations with higher levels of financial support and other benefits such as state-funded scholarships. In the last three academic years, Auburn has won seven national championships, including, men s swimming and diving (3), women s swimming and diving (2), equestrian and women s outdoor track and field. Auburn won two SEC championships in the academic year, in men s and women s swimming and diving. It marked the 12th consecutive men s SEC title and 14th over the past 15 years. Auburn football s 42-9 record over the last four seasons is the fifth-best record in the country during that span. No other SEC football team has won more conference games than Auburn since the 2000 season. Auburn has won 47 conference games since In , we won a National Championship in Equestrian in the Hunt Seat competition and claimed seven other top 20 finishes. Auburn brought home national runner-up trophies at the 2008 NCAA Championship in men s outdoor track and field and women s swimming and diving nationals. Sixteen of Auburn s 21 teams made appearances in the post-season last year. For the 11th time in the last 12 years, Auburn finished the season ranked in the top 25 in the final U.S. Sports Academy Director s Cup standings, which measures success across men s and women s sports. Current and former Auburn Tigers competing in Beijing showed the world why Forbes magazine recently listed Auburn as one of America s Top 10 Olympic Schools. The prestigious listing came out shortly after Auburn s record-setting performance at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Auburn swimmers and track and field Olympians won a total of 18 medals, shattering Auburn s previous record of six medals. As our goals clearly indicate, winning is our major focus. Looking ahead, we want to get our football team back to Atlanta, and we want to see all of our teams compete in the post-season. Coach John Pawlowski is already hard at work to get our baseball team back to the SEC Tournament, and our men s and women s basketball teams are focused on getting to the NCAA Tournament, which Coach Nell Fortner s team did last season. From an administrative standpoint, we have made enormous investments in facilities across many of our sports the past several years with the support of the President and Board of Trustees. We will continue to build and maintain world-class facilities and support our coaches and student-athletes at the highest level so that our student-athletes can continue to add to Auburn s legacy of winning Auburn Football Illustrated 13

7 by Gary Thorne Touted as the top defensive prospect of 1983 by USA Today and Parade magazine, senior Ron Stallworth of Woodham High in Pensacola, Fla., was a well-publicized signing. In 1984, Stallworth was redshirted after his first season on the Plains left him limping off the practice turf virtually every day due to nagging injuries from everything including pinched nerves and a pulled groin. Weight was also an issue as he walked into camp at 6-5, 225 pounds not exactly the stature of your typical Southeastern Conference defensive lineman. He was highly recruited coming into Auburn, former Auburn defensive coordinator and line coach Wayne Hall said. Just like all highly recruited players, everybody tells them how wonderful they are and they want to play defensive lineman in the SEC as a freshman at 225. That just doesn t happen. Brighter days waited for Stallworth as he began to amass playing time during the 1986 campaign, earning the starting position. Everything seemed to be falling into place. After my first two years, nothing seemed to be going right and I got to a point where it was either going to get better or something was going to have to change, Stallworth recalled. By my sophomore season I had gained a little weight and my grades started to improve. I guess I got over being homesick and it all just sort of clicked. All of a sudden it was like the light came on. Just as quickly as the switch was flipped on, the lights would go right back out again. Set to fight for his newly earned spot at the top of the depth chart on the first day of spring drills, tragedy struck. In what was referred to as a brutal and pounding opening session, Stallworth found himself on the wrong end of a pile up in a routine three-on-three drill. He was wheeled out of practice with torn ligaments in his left knee. It s a devastating thing, Hall said. I m sure he planned on playing pro football and moving on to do great things. Then, all of a sudden, everything he had planned was in question. Luckily, damage was limited to interior ligaments, leaving likelihood for a return to action sometime midseason. After I walked out of surgery, Stallworth said, I said to myself, You can take a medical redshirt and maybe never play again and always wonder what could have happened or you can get over it. The first really wasn t an option. I came to Auburn to get an education and I was progressing on that end. I felt like I was finally starting to figure out what I needed to do on the football field to be successful. It was just a matter of applying it. I decided very quickly to get back into it. For the remainder of the offseason, Stallworth attacked his rehabilitation with such intensity that coaches and athletic trainers frequently found themselves holding him back. Expected to see action sometime midway through the 1987 season, Stallworth made his return for the third game, a tie against Tennessee in Knoxville. Coming back off of a total knee surgery like he had is very difficult, Hall noted. He came in and worked extremely hard to be a dominant player in the SEC his senior year, especially down the stretch against Georgia and Alabama. In the victory over Alabama, a game that sent the 1988 SEC champion Tigers to play Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, Stallworth was dominating. While the Tide doubleteamed Outland and Lombardi Trophy winner Tracy Rocker, Stallworth was free to wreak havoc on the Alabama backfield. Stallworth finished the affair with a career best 13 tackles, that included four sacks of quarterback David Smith, one of which resulted in a safety late in the first quarter. Following the game, Alabama head coach Bill Curry was quoted in the Birmingham Post-Herald dubbing Stallworth as probably the best athlete on the Auburn front and a heck of a pass rusher. When the NFL Draft came along in the spring of 1989, Stallworth was picked as a fourth round selection of the New York Jets. In his rookie season at defensive end, he accumulated 49 tackles, two sacks, two blocked kicks and a forced fumble. Stallworth would play for the Jets during the seasons. Now living in Montgomery, Ala., Stallworth is married to former Auburn track star Sheryl Glenn. The parents of four met during his first semester at Auburn but, according to Stallworth, never dated much until While a member of the Auburn track team, Sheryl was a highly versatile sprinter and held a top-five spot in the record books for every indoor and outdoor sprint event, including school records for the 50- and 500- meter dashes. To date, her 1986 indoor 400- meter time of sits seventh all-time at Auburn. Stallworth graduated from Auburn with a business management degree and after leaving the NFL, he moved to Montgomery to work with Colonial Bank from 1992 to In 2000, he moved to the local Merrill Lynch branch where he continues work to this day as a senior financial advisor Auburn Football Illustrated 49

8 by James Etter Senior wide receiver James Swinton has made a hobby out of making a name for himself in the video game world, but he has made a collegiate career for himself on the football field. Hailing from Tucker, Ga., Swinton decided to attend Auburn after a few visits and camps on the Plains, where the national prestige of the Tigers made an immediate impact on the then-high school senior. I was down here basically for football alone, but it was a nice scene and it was a big school, Swinton said. It was the first Division I school that I was able to go to and see how a big-time school really looks and how it feels. Auburn was the first school to offer me and that played a big part in it too. After redshirting his first year, Swinton began seeing time on the gridiron, appearing in four games during the 2005 season and in seven games in 2006, five of which were Southeastern Conference games. After appearing in nine games last year, four of were Mississippi State, LSU, Florida and Clemson, the wide receiver had his eyes set on the 2008 season with new offensive coordinator Tony Franklin. He came in last year and I could tell that I could be pretty good in this offense, Swinton admitted. I didn t know that it would lead me to becoming a starter and all the magnificent things that come with that, but I was just happy with finally getting an opportunity to get on the field and make some plays. Determined to make the best of his senior season, Swinton keeps a reminder to himself on his wristband with the words, Don t let anybody out-hustle you. Playing till the whistle during each down, the wide receiver knew exactly how to approach the tough 2008 schedule. You play every game like you want to win, Swinton stated. If you play like you re not even ranked and you want to get ranked, then you ll have a good season and have a good time. Through his constant drive on the football field Swinton has learned more than how to improve his football skills. Auburn really helped me become a man after all the struggles that I ve been through, Swinton expressed. Just by believing in myself and knowing that whatever I want to do, I can do. It may take some time, but I can get it done. Swinton has taken that same approach to his academic career and has put an eye on a non-football career plan Even though I will graduate in public administration, I d love to be on TV, Swinton revealed. I know that it s easy to say and hard to do, but that would be one Swinton s Career Receiving Stats YEAR G/GS NO YDS AVG TD LP/OPPONENT / /Ball State / /Buffalo / /Kansas St / /ULM Totals 21/ /Kansas St. of the things that I d love to do besides football. However, his desire to be involved in television may not match his love to be in front of the television. Swinton s enjoyment for video games keeps him relaxed when he s away from the field. I enjoy beating people in Madden and 2K8, Swinton boasted. I have a reputation. Ask Rod Smith, he doesn t like to play me. Ask Tyronne Green, he doesn t like to play me either. The real-life wide receiver has been known to take care of business when it comes to the realm of video games. He started what he called the Red Alerts, which are his Madden and 2K8 victims, and those who play him have learned to give him the credit that he deserves. That s what I do, I have a lot of fun doing that, Swinton said. It keeps me away from doing the wrong things and so that s how I use my time. Swinton plays his video games with his best friend and fellow Auburn wide receiver Rodgeriqus Smith. The two are usually relaxing and playing video games together, which keeps Swinton away from his other, lesser known hobby. He thinks he can sing, Smith stated jokingly, but he really can t. I have to tell him to be quiet every once in a while. The two receivers have grown to become best friends ever since playing football together in the ninth grade at Tucker High School. With their friendship, Swinton and Smith have been able to fully enjoy their time at Auburn. We had always planned on coming and playing in college together, Smith said. Being on opposite sides of each other makes it great. We ll be friends for life Auburn Football Illustrated 57