The Ole Miss Game October 27, 2007 Gameday Activities in and around Jordan-Hare 1 p.m. Tiger Tailgate at Plainsman Park (Right Field Patio Plainsman Park) Featuring a pre-game meal and college football on 10 televisions. Open to the public. Today in Jordan-Hare Auburn vs. Ole Miss...4-5 Anders Cover Story Quentin Groves...8-9 Down Through The Years With David Housel...13 Where Are They Now? Tim Baker...49 Senior Profile Zach Gilbert...56-57 Tiger Tracks The 2007 Walter Gilbert Award...61 Tiger Tracks Lee Carpenter Former Auburn Football Player Lives His Life Despite Having ALS...64 Through The Lens (pictorial)...104-105 University News Bald Eagles Removed From Endangered Species List...155 Olympic Sports Feature AU Men s/women s Golf...163 Tiger Flashback The 1957 Auburn/Georgia Game...167 University News Kinesiology s Sport Biomechanics Laboratory Helps Improve Performance...204 1 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. Coliseum Ticket Office (Will Call/Sales) opens (Coliseum 2nd level) 1:30 p.m. Tiger Team Village opens (Coliseum Lawn) featuring interactive games, sponsor sampling and the Auburn ISP Sports Network Tiger Tailgate Show (3 p.m. 5 p.m.) 3 p.m. Stadium Gates open Stadium Box Office (Will Call/Sales) opens (West Ticket Booth) Tiger Walk 3:45 p.m. Spirit March featuring the Marching Band, Cheerleaders, Tiger Paws and Aubie (Donahue Dr.) 4:44 p.m. Coach Jack Meagher Award Presentation 4:46 p.m. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Recognition 4:48 p.m. Flight of the Eagle 4:50 p.m. Band Pre-Game Show 4:59 p.m. AU Rev-Up Video 5:01 p.m. AU takes the field 5:04 p.m. Kickoff First and Second Quarter Break College of Engineering Recognition Halftime 2007 Walter Gilbert Award Presentation Auburn University Marching Band The 2007 season marks the 50th anniversary of Auburn s 1957 National Championship team. The team was recognized at halftime of the Vanderbilt game on October 6.
Auburn is back in Jordan-Hare Stadium today to play Ole Miss after a pair of down-to-the-wire finishes on the road the last two Saturdays. The Tigers will be looking to bounce back from a last-second 30-24 loss at LSU that snapped Auburn s four-game winning streak. The defeat came one week after a 9-7 win at Arkansas when Wes Byrum kicked his third field goal with just 21 seconds left. Ole Miss has dropped two in a row after falling to Arkansas 44-8 last Saturday. by Brad Gust Auburn-Ole Miss Series Notes This is the 18th consecutive year that the two schools have faced each other... Nine of the last 14 games have been decided by 10 points or less... The two teams have split the last four games played in Auburn... The two teams have combined to score at least 30 points in 17 of the last 20 games, including eight in a row, and at least 40 points in nine of the last 12 contests... The largest margin of victory in the series is 41 points when the Tigers defeated the Rebels, 41-0, in 1985... Auburn has scored a rushing touchdown in 24 of the last 25 meetings (1999 the only exception) in the series... The Tigers have thrown for at least 230 yards in each of the last four meetings... Montez Billings had career highs of six catches for 78 yards last Saturday at LSU, and scored his first career touchdown on a 17-yard pass from Brandon Cox. Auburn has had 18 rushing touchdowns in the last seven games against Ole Miss... The Tigers have held Ole Miss to less than 100 yards rushing in eight of the last 10 meetings, including an average of 54.5 yards over the last two seasons... The Rebels have been shut out by the Tigers three times in the last 31 years. Ole Miss Quick Hitters Ole Miss is 0-5 in the SEC for the first time since 1984... The Rebels 44-8 loss last Saturday to Arkansas marked the first time this season Ole Miss did not score at least 17 points... Turnovers have been a problem for the Rebels, who rank last in the SEC in turnover margin at -8... Ole Miss has allowed only 24 first-quarter points all year... Greg Hardy leads the SEC in sacks (eight) and tackles for loss (15.5, fifth nationally)... Senior RB BenJarvus Green-Ellis ranks fourth in the SEC in rushing (98.1) and has seven 100- yard games in his two seasons at Ole Miss... Senior QB Seth Adams has thrown for more than 200 yards five times this season... Junior WR Mike Wallace is third in the SEC averaging 81.8 receiving yards per game, and leads the league in yards per reception (21.8)... Junior LB Ashlee Palmer is second in the SEC in tackles (9.5)... Junior LB Tony Fein had a career-high 13 tackles last Saturday vs. Arkansas. Ole Miss Connections Auburn head coach Tommy Tuberville was the head coach at Ole Miss from 1995-1998 before arriving at Auburn. Tuberville tallied a 25-20 record in Oxford, including three winning seasons. Five Auburn assistant coaches and an administrative staff member were on Tuberville s staff at Ole Miss. The coaches and staff include: Don Dunn (defensive tackles), Eddie Gran (running backs), Greg Knox (wide receivers), Hugh Nall (offensive line), Terry Price (defensive ends) and Andy Lutz (asst. to head coach). Each were at Ole Miss from 1995-98 during Tuberville s era, with the exception of Gran, who was at Ole Miss from 1994-98. Head coaches Tommy Tuberville and Ed Orgeron coached together at Miami (Fla.) from 1988-92. Tuberville was a volunteer assistant in 1988 before coaching the linebackers from 1989-92. Orgeron started at Miami in 1988 as a graduate assistant before coaching the defensive line from 1989-92. Ole Miss assistant head coach/offensive line coach Art Kehoe coached with Tuberville and Orgeron at Miami, having worked with the Hurricane s offensive line from 1981-2005. Ole Miss offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Dan Werner served as an offensive consultant to Tuberville on the Auburn staff in 1999, and previously worked with Tuberville and Orgeron at Miami from 1988-89 as an offensive graduate assistant. Auburn tight ends coach Steve Ensminger coached with Orgeron at McNeese State in 1985, when Orgeron was a graduate assistant coach. Captain Comeback Brandon Cox has led Auburn on scoring drives that gave Auburn the lead with less than four minutes left in the game five times this season. In the season opener against Kansas State, Cox capped a six-play, 57-yard drive with a 3- yard touchdown pass to Gabe McKenzie with just 2:01 left to give Auburn a 16-13 lead, before a defensive score made the final 23-13. The next Saturday against South Florida, a nine-play, 51-yard drive set up a 46-yard field goal with just 2:54 left that gave the Tigers a 20-17 lead, before the Bulls rallied to win in overtime. Cox took Auburn 35 yards in 10 plays to set up the winning 43-yard field goal on the game s final play during a 20-17 victory at Florida Sept. 29. At Arkansas Oct. 13, he drove Auburn 50 yards on eight plays to set up the winning 20-yard field goal with 21 seconds left in a 9-7 victory. Last Saturday at LSU, Cox drove Auburn 83 yards on nine plays before hitting Rodgeriqus Smith with a 3-yard touchdown pass that put Auburn ahead 24-23, although LSU would score with one second left for a 30-24 victory. Starting Strong Auburn has started each of its last four games with a lengthy scoring drive. At Florida 4 2007 Auburn Football
Sept. 29, the Tigers marched 86 yards on 14 plays and took 7:32 off the clock before scoring on a 6-yard run by Kodi Burns. Against Vanderbilt Oct. 6, Auburn went 80 yards on nine plays in 4:19 before Ben Tate scored from four yards out. On Oct. 13 at Arkansas, Wes Byrum s 22-yard field goal capped a 14-play, 67-yard drive that consumed 6:12. Last Saturday at LSU, Brandon Cox s 17-yard scoring strike to Montez Billings capped an 11-play, 63-yard scoring drive that took 4:50. In the last four games, Auburn s opening drive has averaged 12.0 plays for 74.0 yards while taking 5:49 off the clock. Fantastic First Halves Auburn has allowed just seven total points in the first half of the last four games, outscoring Florida, Vanderbilt, Arkansas and LSU by a combined score of 62-7. In the last four games, Auburn has gained 797 yards of offense in the first half, to just 431 yards for its opponents. Top Billings Sophomore Montez Billings has emerged as a steady complimentary receiver to Rodgeriqus Smith. Billings had just one catch in the first four games, but has 16 in the last four, including 11 catches in the last two games, which is two more than he had in his career prior to that point. Billings set career highs in catches (six) and receiving yards (78) and scored his first career touchdown on a 17-yard grab from Brandon Cox last Saturday at LSU. No Passing Zone Despite playing non-conference games against New Mexico State (No. 7 in the NCAA in pass offense, 316.9 yards per game) and Kansas State (No. 21 in NCAA, threw 58 passes vs. AU), Auburn ranks 23rd nationally in pass defense, allowing just 188.4 yards per game, and is ranked No. 21 in pass efficiency defense (108.31). The Tigers, whose defense ranks seventh nationally in yards per completion (9.9), held both Mississippi State (41 yards) and Vanderbilt (88 yards) to less than 100 yards passing this season. Josh Thompson had a career-high 10 tackles last Saturday at LSU. The senior has started every game over the past two seasons. (5-3, 3-2 SEC) Head Coach: Tommy Tuberville (Southern Arkansas, 1976) AU Record: 76-32 (9th season) Career Record: 101-52 (13th season) Sept. 1 KANSAS STATE [ESPN] W, 23-13 Sept. 8 SOUTH FLORIDA [ESPN2] L, 23-26 (OT) Sept. 15 MISSISSIPPI STATE [LFS] L, 14-19 Sept. 22 NEW MEXICO STATE W, 55-20 Sept. 29 at Florida [ESPN] W, 20-17 Oct. 6 VANDERBILT [LFS] W, 35-7 Oct. 13 at Arkansas [ESPN] W, 9-7 Oct. 20 at LSU [ESPN] L, 24-30 Oct. 27 OLE MISS 5 p.m. Nov. 3 TENNESSEE TECH (HC) 1:30 p.m. Nov. 10 at Georgia TBA Nov. 24 ALABAMA TBA Auburn 2007 Stat Leaders All Times Central Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TD Ben Tate 135 614 4.5 4 Mario Fannin 63 330 5.2 5 Passing Yards Att. Comp. Yds. TD Brandon Cox 188 112 1263 6 Kodi Burns 18 9 123 1 Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Rodgeriqus Smith 33 453 13.7 4 Montez Billings 17 206 12.1 1 Tackles Total Solo Asst. Sacks Chris Evans 47 25 22 0.0 Eric Brock 44 33 11 0.0 (2-6, 0-5 SEC) Head Coach: Ed Orgeron (Northwestern State, 1984) UM Record: 9-21 (3rd season) Career Record: Same Sept. 1 at Memphis [CSS] W, 23-21 Sept. 8 MISSOURI L, 25-38 Sept. 15 at Vanderbilt L, 17-31 Sept. 22 FLORIDA [LFS] L, 24-30 Sept. 29 at Georgia L, 17-45 Oct. 6 LOUISIANA TECH (HC) W, 24-0 Oct. 13 ALABAMA [LFS] L, 24-27 Oct. 20 ARKANSAS L, 8-44 Oct. 27 at Auburn 5 p.m. Nov. 3 NORTHWESTERN STATE 1 p.m. Nov. 17 LSU TBA Nov. 23 at Mississippi State [LFS] 11:30 a.m. Ole Miss 2007 Stat Leaders All Times Central Rushing Att. Yds. Avg. TD BenJarvus Green-Ellis 159 785 4.9 2 Bruce Hall 30 147 4.9 0 Passing Yards Att. Comp. Yds. TD Seth Adams 247 141 1720 12 Brent Schaeffer 18 6 157 2 Receiving No. Yds. Avg. TD Shay Hodge 31 360 11.6 3 Mike Wallace 30 654 21.8 6 Tackles Total Solo Asst. Sacks Ashlee Palmer 76 42 34 0.0 Greg Hardy 59 37 22 8.0 2007 Auburn Football 5
Every couple of years, Auburn fans go through the brutalizing agony of waiting for the Tigers best players to make a choice that could possibly alter the outcome of the following year s football season. It is a monumental decision that weighs heavily on the players, coaches, students and every true fan whose blood runs orange and blue. Do I stay or do I go? It is the question many star athletes find themselves pondering after completing a successful junior year in college football. Their dreams of reaching the NFL lie within their reach, and all they have to do is reach out and sign on the dotted line. What makes a person put this kind of future on hold? Visions of money and fame can be tempting to anyone, especially a college student who has felt the burden of bills stacking up until the top of the kitchen counter can t be seen. There are those, however, that take a look at the big picture and decide to put off the NFL another year. Quentin Groves just happens to be one of them. It was a glorious day for many in Auburn, when the Tigers notable defensive end made the decision not to enter the 2007 NFL Draft in order to finish out his senior year. I wanted to spend another year with my homeboys and my friends, Groves said. I know if I d gone to the NFL, it would have stayed business and only business. I never really got a chance to enjoy a year of football, and I am enjoying this year. After receiving an NFL evaluation, Groves was predicted to be drafted anywhere from the third to fifth round. While that may have been enough for some, Groves knew his chances for being drafted in the first or second round would increase if he spent another year improving mentally and physically. In the meantime, this senior has every right to enjoy his last collegiate football season. He has reached his goal of becoming one of the best and is currently the NCAA active career leader in sacks. It s no surprise to those who know him since Groves determination has shown through since day one. He was an eager young man, said defensive ends coach Terry Price. He didn t weigh a whole lot, probably 210 or 215 by Rachel Gordon Presented by pounds when he came to Auburn. He was eager to learn football and was hungry for knowledge. He was a joy to be around and a guy who enjoyed football, but he didn t have the physical size and strength he has now. He worked to get it. Overcoming obstacles to achieve what he wants has become second nature to Groves over the years. Life wasn t always easy growing up as part of the Groves 8 2007 Auburn Football
family, who followed his uncle s military career through approximately 17 different states. When he finally landed in rural Mississippi, Groves never felt as though he had many people to look up to. There were hard times, but landing a scholarship at an SEC school was a sign this football player was going to succeed on his own. For me, it s more of a perseverance thing, Groves said, with a rough voice edged with pride. To come from Greenville, Miss., and to become a football player at any university means I ve made it somewhere. According to senior defensive back Jonathan Wilhite, Groves has done more than just make it he motivates others to make it as well. He s that guy, Wilhite said. He s that guy who comes out and leads the defense everyday. He prepares hard, and he inspires the guys that are behind him and playing on the same defense as him. Off the field, he s just always trying to do the right thing. Sophomore defensive end Sen Derrick Marks shares the same sentiments. For me, he s like a role model, Marks said. A lot of stuff he did, I came in and did the same thing. Basically, I just try to walk in his footsteps and learn from him. While Groves teammates can t say enough about the man he has become, Groves passes the credit along to someone who may not have been part of his past but now holds the keys to his future...his wife. Originally from Trinidad & Tobago, Treska Baptiste arrived on campus after Auburn recruited her as a 400-meter runner. She eventually earned All-American honors, a fact that Groves never hesitates to proudly announce when asked. The two athletes met in 2003 and got married at the Lee County Courthouse in July 2006. The couple is now building their future in their own way and on their own time. It s difficult, Groves said. You have to be a husband, then you have to be an athlete and then you have to be a student. It s kind of hard, but at the same time, she (Treska) did a great job of adjusting with me. Using the term adjusting is putting it mildly. Since entering his senior year, Groves constantly finds himself in the spotlight, and it is something both he and his Quentin Groves Quick Facts Height: 6-3 Weight: 254 Hometown: Greenville, MS High School: Weston Personal: Born July 5, 1984... Son of Barbara and Bennett Groves... Two siblings, Antonial and Bennett... Graduated with a degree in criminology in Fall 2006. wife have had to grow accustomed to. Again, Groves acknowledges his other half. She keeps me grounded, Groves said. She keeps me from getting too high and not too low. She s that factor that keeps me rooted. She helps me remember where I come from. It s no wonder as to why Groves considers his wife to be his hero, but there were also those who came before her. There were those who took the time to nurture Groves as though he were their own. On Groves 2004 player information sheet, the names Carlos and Jackie Thompson are listed as the people to contact in case of an emergency, and that should say it all. They were really the ones that introduced me to being a real Christian and a great man of God, Groves said. That s why I ve labeled them as my godparents. They took me from a little boy in Mississippi that needed his hair braided and taught me etiquette and stuff like that. The Thompsons seem to have made a lasting impression. Groves is now co-president of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and the player radiates a charisma that never fails to uplift those around him. It s just the job of a leader, you know? Wilhite said. He just has it inside of him. Quentin says the right things all the time. Before the games, he knows what to say. He brings the best out of you, and he s just the big brother on the team. It is a presence that Groves coaches think will take him a long way in the upcoming years. I don t know what s going to happen past tomorrow, Price said. But I know right now he s got a very bright future. For an individual with such humble beginnings, Groves now has the attention of thousands. Whether it is his teammates, coaches or supportive fans, Groves wants those who glance his way to see more than just the next NFL first round draftee. He wants to be seen for the man he has become. I pray to God people view me as a Christian first and as a great man second, Groves said. I bring joy to people. I bring cheerfulness, laughter and they ll never see me down. That s what I want people to notice when they see me. 2007 Auburn Football 9
We buried John McAfee a few days ago. Good man, Big John. Good Auburn Man. He died from one of those rare and ravaging diseases that we can t spell or pronounce and even if we could, we wouldn t know what it was. We might know what it did, see the effects of it, but we wouldn t know what it was and we wouldn t understand it. Suffice it to say, Big John died before his time. But this is not a piece about death. It is a piece about living, about how John McAfee lived his life to the fullest and, in doing so, enriched and made fuller the lives of those he touched. John first came here in the fall of 1962 as a freshman. It was by no means certain that he would come to Auburn. Nobody was beating down his door in Lawley, the tiny Chilton County community of which he was so proud, when he graduated from high school. He did, however, get invited to the Alabama High School All-Star Game that August in Tuscaloosa, and it was there he made his mark. The next day recruiters from Auburn and Alabama were on his doorstep, scholarship offers in hand. He had never really considered going to Auburn or Alabama, never thought he would have the chance to make that decision. But now he did, and he didn t know what to do. After hearing presentations from both coaches, he went outside and sat down by his uncle Curtis Smith who had driven the Auburn coach to the McAfee farm. You make the choice you want to make, his uncle told him. You go where you want to go and where you ll be happy. Whatever you decide, we ll support you... Then, as an afterthought, certainly not intended to be part of the recruiting process, he added, But I will say this: I went to Auburn. I got a good education and I enjoyed my time there. Auburn s been good to me... John didn t say anything. Not long after he got up, he went into the house and told his parents and the two coaches that he was going to Auburn. The Alabama coach, venerable old warhorse Clem Gryska, wished him well, and Auburn s Dick McGowen handed John the scholarship papers that would change his life. For John McAfee, it was the road less traveled, the road that made all the difference. He had a good football career, starting most of three years, 1963-65, and playing on the 1963 Orange Bowl team. His best game came against Tennessee in his senior season when he intercepted a pass, a rarity for a defensive lineman in those days, to set up a touchdown in a game that ended in a 13-13 tie. He was also a four-time conference wrestling champion a heavyweight at 210 pounds. He found a bride here and earned a degree in education, one of the first in his immediate family to earn a college degree. A full, good story. But what sets John McAfee apart is his love for Auburn, his feeling of a debt of gratitude for Auburn and the difference Auburn made in his life. He spent a major portion of that life trying to repay that debt, always and ever a goodwill ambassador for the school and its athletic program, in particular its football program, any and everything Auburn. Big John had that rare ability to uplift and encourage all around him, not by what he said or did, but just by being himself. One simply couldn t be around him without feeling better about one s self and about life in general. He never met a stranger, and he never met a man he didn t like unless it was an Alabama fan on the day of the Auburn- Alabama game. But even then, those differences were quickly resolved. It was not in his nature to be mean or demeaning. Life was good, meant to be enjoyed by all. His funeral was, as all good funerals should be, a celebration of life. It began with Elvis Presley singing Peace in the Valley as only Elvis could sing it. There were smiles, chuckles and lots of outright laughs in the hour that followed, lots of hunting and fishing stories, lots of Auburn stories, all full of life, love, and vigor. And that s the way it should be for a life well-lived and a man well-loved. John McAfee lived such a life, a life filled with all the things that matter, joy, happiness, goodness, mirth and humor. And he shared them freely. I am not one who would conclude these thoughts by writing or saying Ole John s up in Heaven looking down on us...got the best seat in the house today... There has to be more to the hereafter than that, more than we can comprehend or even imagine. But this much is certain: John McAfee was a good man, and he went about making people smile and feel better about themselves by sharing his positive, optimistic outlook on life. We are happier and perhaps better people because he passed our way. Another case of being blessed. Richly blessed because one man shared his blessings with us. 2007 Auburn Football 13
In honor of the 50th anniversary of Auburn s 1957 National Championship season, this is the sixth in a series of Where Are They Now? articles spotlighting a particular player/coach from that season. When asked to describe Tim Baker, former teammate Oscar Knox said, He s just a good ole country boy. Baker, now 50 years removed from the glory days of Auburn football, has been spending his time raising a family, running his own construction business and a 300-acre farm. Now in his early 70s, Baker is retired from everyday work and spends most of his time at his home in Decatur, Ala. He says he is able to get up when he wants to, even though most of the time it is early, before sunrise and enjoy the morning paper. Baker noted the he can t help but to stop and think about the glory days on the gridiron with his teammates sharing the camaraderie of what could have been the most cohesive unit to come through Auburn University. Baker was one of the smaller players on the team weighing in at 170 pounds, but still seeing action on both the offensive and defensive lines. He was tough, said Knox. He was little, but he was tough. Eddie Pittman, a manager for the 1957 team recalled one memorable game where Baker was knocked out. In the Georgia Tech game, Baker was hit hard in the head and the well known Dr. Brown was looking at him when Baker went into convulsions. Pittman was sent by coach Ralph Shug Jordan to go to the Tech side and get their doctor. After both doctors worked on Baker, they took him to a local hospital where he spent the night. I ran across the field while the game was being played on the north side of the field, said Pittman. I m from Atlanta so I knew Tech coach Bobby Dodd well. I asked him if we could see his doctor and coach Dodd slung around and grabbed him off of their bench. I took his bag in one hand and had the doctor in the other, and we took off across the field. The whole time I kept saying to myself, I hope nobody intercepts a pass, cause then the doctor and I would be in the middle of the play. After spending the night in the Atlanta hospital, Baker rode back to Auburn the next day with his parents. I remember in the Georgia Tech game that I was knocked out, Baker said. All I remember was waking up the next day in a hospital and having to ride back with my parents. Baker, being the tough guy that he was, would be fine and played the following week. Another notable game for Baker as a nose guard came at the 1956 Georgia game. He lined up across from Georgia center Harold Dean Cook. There was one play where I got by Cook easily, but I was blocked by the halfback, said Baker. The quarterback was able to throw the ball down field for a big gain, but when Cook got back up he was by John Roberts mad that I got by him and he started to fight me. So, on one end of the field was the play and the other end were me, Cook, the halfback and the quarterback fighting. When everyone else noticed what was going on, it turned into a bench clearing event. Auburn went on to a 6-0 victory. We had many close games, said Baker. It was always someone different who stepped up and made the play that helped us win. The senior captain played in every game during Auburn s championship season, starting for a defense that was very stingy about giving up points. We knew what we had to do, Baker said. We just went out and got the job done. The most memorable thing about the season, other than the national championship, was the fact that the defense only allowed 28 points (four touchdowns) all season long. Also, not to be over-shadowed, was the fact that his team beat cross-state rival Alabama, 40-0. Baker graduated from Auburn with a bachelor s degree in building construction. He went on to work at Pierce Grisham Construction, a commercial construction firm where projects included the building of hospitals, schools and office buildings. Baker later started Baker Construction Inc., where he not only ran the business, but a 300-acre farm with 250 head of cattle and 225 hogs. When Baker decided he didn t want to work anymore, he retired. He still visits both businesses that he helped start while continuing eight or 10 projects that he had to put on hold during his busy employment period. Baker recently had double bypass surgery to clean an 80 percent blockage in his heart and now has a stint in his heart. I ve gone through the ups and downs in life, Baker commented. I ve even had major heart surgery, but I m still kicking. 2007 Auburn Football 49
by Gary Thorne Senior defensive back Zach Gilbert used his inclination toward hard work and dedication to accomplish the things he put his mind to over four years ago as a small and injuryprone high school senior. No one thought I would come to Auburn and earn a scholarship, said Gilbert. No matter what I do, I m going to make it through faith and hard work. I know the underdog will prevail. I m going to have a story one day. Auburn University was lucky enough to add a few chapters to that story that were written in its classrooms and athletic facilities. Zach is a fighter, said defensive end Quentin Groves. He seemed like he was the smallest guy out there but he was always fighting. He is not the kind of person to be denied. Gilbert received scholarship offers from various smaller schools but turned them down. He wasn t getting the offers he wanted. He knew all the talk of being injury-prone or not big enough were outrageous, and he could make his way onto a team like Auburn. Faith is really tested when you don t know what s going to happen, said Gilbert. That s the situation I was in during high school. I didn t really know where I was going to go or what I was going to do. The time to make a decision was nearing. Scholarships and automatic playing time were for the taking, but Gilbert looked internally and found that the path he needed to take would not be the easiest of his choices. I prayed about it, commented Gilbert on his decision to come to Auburn. I was hurt in high school and a lot of things weren t going right. There was a spirit inside of me saying, Go to Auburn. You re going to get a scholarship. All the negative things people said about me I used as foot stools. Gilbert would do just that. He walked on in 2003 and was red-shirted by thendefensive coordinator Gene Chizik. Gilbert saw action in 11 games during the undefeated 2004 season, registering eight tackles and two broken-up passes. He is one of the leaders on this team, both spiritually and mentally, said strong safety and roommate Eric Brock. I knew he was a competitor when he first got here. There was something about him that was different than the other walk-ons in his class. Selflessness is another quality that is strongly present in Gilbert s persona. To get an idea of how truly selfless he is, when you ask him what his favorite onthe-field moment is, he tells you about a moment when he wasn t even on the field. It had to be in the 2004 season when we were driving on LSU at the end of the game, he said. It was fourth and long. 56 2007 Auburn Football
Jason Campbell completed that pass to Courtney Taylor, and we went on to score a touchdown. That was the best game I ve ever been a part of. The chemistry and sense of camaraderie on that 2004 team is still something that lives in his memories. Nothing was like that season, said Gilbert. It was so special because we knew that LSU game was the hump, and everything else was in our grasp from there. The unity of that team was special. Nothing can be more thrilling for a defensive back than laying down a big play to break up a pass in a big game. No game is bigger than the Iron Bowl, where Gilbert found another personal highlight. I went in on a nickel package, he said. Alabama was driving, and they threw to my side. I broke up the pass. I can t tell you how exciting that was. Gilbert s appreciation of Chizik has not faded over time. My red-shirt freshman year was probably one of my best years here. Coach Chizik counted on me and trusted me. He was one of the first coaches that gave me a shot. After the 2004 season, Chizik spoke to head coach Tommy Tuberville about putting Gilbert on scholarship. It was the moment he had been waiting for. I took a pretty large course load every semester because I knew my family had only given me so long to earn a scholarship, said Gilbert. It was a lot of hard work. Unfortunately, Chizik left Auburn after the 2004 season to take the defensive coordinator position at Texas. After he left, I had a new position coach come in and had to start over again, said Gilbert. I almost had to earn it twice. The 2006 season saw Gilbert finally get the payoff he knew he could achieve all along. Defensive coordinator Will Muschamp saw a deserving player in Gilbert and gave him his well-deserved scholarship. All I felt was relief, said Gilbert. There was so much stress before I finally got it. It just really made me into the man Zach Gilbert Quick Facts Height: 5-10 Weight: 188 Hometown: Florence, AL High School: Bradshaw Personal: Born March 27, 1985... Son of Tia and Larry Gilbert... Has one brother, Marques, and a twin sister, Tabatha... Graduated with a degree in public administration in August 2007. I am today. If it doesn t kill you, it will make you stronger. I know if I am in the business world or the NFL, I am going to take the hard work mentality I learned at Auburn to earn my scholarship, and apply it wherever I am. Gilbert does not get the starting role that many would be frustrated about. As a natural leader, he understands the importance of not letting frustrations, if any, become evident. I know that I am not a starter, and it is important for me to not let that affect me and for other people to think it bothers me, he said. That kind of attitude affects the whole team. After this season comes to a close, Gilbert is poised to enter the business world if professional football is not an option. He currently plans to take the lessons he learned from his trials on The Plains and put them to work in the business world. It s good to be a team player, he said. I look at it like a company, and everyone has a role in order for it to be successful. You can t sit there and pout because you never know when your number is going to be called. Gilbert graduated with a bachelor s degree in public administration this past summer and is currently interning at the Auburn Chamber of Commerce. Since beginning his work there, he has had his hands in projects ranging from city sign ordinances to the Tiger Trail of Auburn. Whatever I do, I am going to give 100 percent, said Gilbert. That s just who I am. Whether it s school or on the field, I m going to grind and give it all I have. 2007 Auburn Football 57