With the Auburn football team losing last Saturday at home against the unranked Arkansas Razorbacks, the Hugh Freeze-led team is now 8-9 under his guidance. More importantly, the Auburn Tigers have been 25-28 since 2020, making three bowl appearances but losing them all. With the loss, Auburn is dangerously close to their fourth straight losing season, a nonfulfillment the SEC power has not done since the late 1940s. With the Tigers scheduled to face the Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday, one team captain is ready for his teammates to strive for more urgency at practice.
In a Q&A with the media following last weekend’s conference defeat, Auburn football star defender Eugene Asante emphasized the importance of the team “up the ante” regarding preparation and increasing the intensity at practice.
Auburn Football LB Euguene Asante Speaks Urgency
According to Auburn football linebacker Eugene Asante through Justin Hokanson of On3 and Auburn Live:
And I continue to try to convey that to guys, if you think you’re doing enough, you’re not. And just, you know, quite frankly, college football has become something where, you know, players are now compensated through NIL. This is a job; this is not a joke. I don’t take it that way. I try to convey to the team that it’s a serious deal. So, just trying to get them to understand this is serious. And it’s not just something we do for fun, you know, take it as a job and go out there and try to execute.
In 2021, college football shifted closer to the NFL model by legalizing player compensation through NIL. Meanwhile, player payment took another massive step forward this offseason with a ruling in House vs. NCAA allowing schools to revenue share with student-athletes. Asante believes that this new era of college football should reflect in the players’ preparation during game week, treating each practice, workout, and film study as a job.
Asante, who spent his first three seasons with the North Carolina Tar Heels from 2019 to 2021, joined the Auburn football program in 2022. He posted his best statistical season last year, tallying 86 tackles, nine TFLs, five sacks, and a fumble return touchdown.
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