The Auburn Tigers and Georgia Bulldogs got a jump on the rest of the Southeastern Conference when the two teams reported to the campus for the beginning of fall football practice on July 31.
The Tigers actually opened drills on Wednesday, while the Bulldogs begin fall practice on Thursday.
It is understandable that Auburn would be the first team to go through workouts since the Tigers, just one year removed from their 2010 national championship, open the season in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic against Clemson in the Georgia Dome on September 1.
After surrendering their designation as the defending national champion to its bitter rival Alabama, Auburn is out be become a player on the national level again this season.
“I’m ready. I’ve been at the house all week this week just thinking and just ready to go. It’s been a long wait,” wide receiver Travante Stallworth said. “I haven’t had any classes the second mini-semester, so I’m ready to get started.
“It’s very exciting. I’m just ready to see some of the young guys like Sammie (Coates) for example, get out there and play. It’s my senior year. Me, Lutz (Philip Lutzenkirchen) and Emory (Blake) have been talking a lot; we just want to go out with a bang and try to do something real special for Auburn.”
Auburn is excited about unveiling new offensive coordinator Scot Loeffler and his pro-style offense that will feature many different looks and formations.
“We tried to install something every week because Coach (Scot) Loeffler told us at the end of the spring that when we picked it back up during fall camp, it’s going to move fast. We were just trying to get out there with the quarterbacks and trying to get timing down and just learning different routes and learning different concepts to be sure that we’re ready for tomorrow,” Stallworth said.
But the mystery and excitement at Auburn has as much to do with the defense as the offense. Brian VanGorder, former defensive coordinator with the Atlanta Falcons, is in charge of an Auburn defense that needed a boost after a disappointing season a year ago.
“These two weeks are going to be very important everywhere around the whole college football nation. I think we’ve just got to continue to build on the pace we’ve been going,” defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker said. “(We need to continue) being very attentive in meetings, and knowing when we get on the field to make the right calls, and shoot the right gaps.”
Whitaker is primed to be one of the leaders of the new-look defense.
“It’s finally here — the year of (our recruiting class) all coming together for our junior season, being leaders. After the Chick-fil-A Bowl, we started taking that role and making some decisions. Now we’re the ‘old heads’ on the block. I love it.”
“It is going to be awesome. You will have guys competing for jobs, and having guys go out there doing whatever they can do to get their role on this team. It is going to be a great two weeks before we get back into school, and I know everybody is going to go out there and compete,” defensive tackle Nose Eguae said.
“It is about competition. This is the best,” Eguae added. “We haven’t had this kind of depth since I have been here. We are looking forward to competing, and I think that is our big thing. When everyone sees us competing, everyone will follow.”
Eguae was dogged by injuries last season and is anxious to be out on the field knocking heads again.
“I have been waiting for it for a long time,” he said. “When you have been injured and out of the game for eight months, you don’t understand how much you miss it. I am just looking forward to it, and I know my teammates are, too.”
Defensive back T’Sharvan Bell sensed the hard work for this fall got a good start in the summer.
“I think it was the leadership, and the guys that are willing to follow the leaders. Everyone got to work. This year there is no gray area,” Bell said. “Everybody knows what to expect. When you are a freshman or sophomore, your head is still spinning, but now that you have more juniors and seniors, there is a better foundation. Guys are willing to be leaders.”
Oh yes, football is in the air. It got under way on Wednesday at Auburn and it gets underway around the rest of the Southeastern Conference over the next three days. Are you ready?