Pro day update

A few things that caught my eye from Pro Day:

• DB Kevin Hobbs, who played sparingly at Auburn, put up some great numbers. He had an 11-1 broad jump (tops among players) and a 4.34 time in the 40-yard dash. Pretty impressive stuff. He'll get in someone's camp based on what he did today.
• WR Ben Obomanu posted a 4.37 in the 40, and hit a 41-inch vertical jump. He said he's gotten as high as 42" before, but seemed happy with the 41".
• DT Wayne Dickens wasn't spectacular, but he bench pressed 225 pounds 28 times. It's amazing how strong kids can get.
• Former Tigers Junior Rosegreen, Travaris Robinson and Philip Yost were on hand as well, trying again to woo scouts. Kendall Simmons, a starting guard for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was there. He's already a millionaire, though. Street clothes for him!
• DE Stanley McClover opted out of most drills. He said his work at the NFL Combine was his statement. McClover participated in a position-specific exercises later in the day.
• OL Marcus McNeill also opted out of most drills, but participated in some shuttle runs and position-specific exercises. He's expected to go in the first or second round.
• There were dozens of scouts there. Attendance was off from 2005, when Auburn had four players go in the first round, but the dropoff wasn't as significant as I expected. This program clearly has plenty of prestige in the eyes of NFL executives.

EDIT: I'm adding a few things ...

Saw two of my favorite former Auburn players today: Adlai Trone and Kendall Simmons. They were there to watch the Pro Day goings-on. Here's a quote from each.

• Trone, who now is a financial planner in Atlanta, on how the program has changed since he graduated in 2001: ``(Tuberville) has taken that long-term prestige of this program to another level. Four guys went in the first round last year. If we get four or five more guys drafted, that'll just add to it."
• Simmons said he's glad he doesn't have to go through the combine process again: ``I had a hard time sleeping during those weeks before the draft. I didn't know what was going to happen and nobody could tell me with any certainty what would happen to me. I'm glad to have what I have. I don't miss the worry."

Those are two of my all-time favorites. And that got me thinking: Who are my favorite interviews?

The list (remember that I've been on this beat since 10/23/98):

• 1.) Adlai Trone, football, 1999-2001. Self-made man. Walk-on who became an important part of Auburn's secondary. Always willing to talk. Always had a good quote. I think he's the guy who should be in the videos that promote Auburn athletics. He's a star.
• 2.) Marquis Daniels, basketball, 2000-03. Another self-made man. Came in as an academic risk. Graduated in 3.5 years. Always played intelligently, never got into trouble, always a gracious guy to interview. I always felt like he was thankful that Auburn took a chance on him -- even after it became obvious Daniels was going to be a star.
• 3.) Hayden Gliemmo, baseball, 1997-2000. Really nice person. Got hurt and never complained about it. Even as it became apparent that he'd never be the great player everyone expected based on his great freshman season, Hayden remained a happy person who cared about everyone around him.
• 4.) Tommy Slater, Auburn baseball coach, 2005-. The guy always seems content with his life and the job he's doing. He tells things straight without a bunch of nonsense. Coaches don't play that game very often, but it's not a game with Slater. He's just that way.
• 5.) Eddie Gran, Auburn football assistant, 1998-. He is unfairly maligned at times for what some people interpret as a disinterested approach. I think people just misunderstand his delivery. Gran is a cool guy who has handled some serious personal adversity with a grace that a lot of people find inspiring. Count me in that group. He also is direct with his answers, and takes credit when something in his control goes awry.

Least favorite is Chris Porter. I never understood why he was angry ... every single day.

Interesting Auburn reference

The guys over at College Football News recently published their annual breakdown of SEC football coaches, and Auburn fans will like what they read.

Most Underrated – Tommy Tuberville, Auburn – Tuberville never gets mentioned in the same sentence with the nation’s top coaches, but that might change in the near term. His response to nearly getting run off the Plains by the administration a little more than two years ago? A perfect season in 2004, 22 wins and a mind-blowing 16-1 mark against the SEC. Tuberville recruits quality assistants as well as anyone and has created a relaxed, low-key atmosphere around the program that is obviously being well-received by the players and the staff.

I'd agree with this assessment. The attitude around the program is pretty low key, though it gets paranoid at times. It seems like a very harmonious group of coaches. It's rare that I hear about or sense internal hosility among coaches or players.

The author, Richard Cirminiello, also shows love for Al Borges later in the article.

The rest of the analysis seems credible for the most part. I do not believe Ed Orgeron is upwardly mobile. I think his next job will be at a smaller school, or as a second-tier assistant at another college program, or in pee-wee ball after a graphic sideline meltdown.

Update

I have several things to mention, some about Auburn and some not:

• I had a good trip to San Diego. Some Auburn fans gave me some trouble via email about why the Auburn beat guy would cover Alabama. I went because it's San Diego (a wonderful city) and I grew up there. It was an easy decision. I don't have some secret allegiance to Alabama -- for those of you who keep trying to find one!
• I attended the Cuba-Domincana semifinal for the World Baseball Classic, which was played in San Diego at Petco Park. That's the Padres' home. I happened to wear a royal blue shirt to the game, that's one of Cuba's main colors, and landed in a Cuba section. The people were very accepting and friendly. They shared cold beer (Natty Light, nach) from this massive cooler. Since coolers aren't allowed in Petco, I have NO idea how they got it in. If you want it badly enough...
• Oh, I had to work later that day. I didn't imbibe, in case you were wondering.
• We had a great experience flying Continental. No delays. Nothing bad happened. That's what I call a good experience.
• The Auburn women's swimming and diving team won the NCAA title last week. Amazing, isn't it, that coach David Marsh keeps doing this stuff every year? I know swimming isn't exactly SEC football in terms of fan interest, but it's still challenging to build a good program. Much less John Wooden-esque situation like the Tigers have in the pool. The men go for their fourth consecutive NCAA title this weekend in Atlanta.
• Auburn baseball is not healthy right now. 11-12, and there are a lot of SEC losses to come. Last in pitching. Last in defense. Tenth in hitting. I know coach Tommy Slater pretty well and I'm sure he's the right guy for this job. I just didn't know how low the program would have to sink before some improvement would be made. Auburn always is competitive, at least. Except for now.