Franklin article now up

Hey everyone. Sorry for the late post. I've been battling with LAX and flying to Memphis since 5 a.m. PDT. So it goes.

I know many of you have read Josh Moon's fine story on Tony Franklin. If you haven't, here is your chance.

LINK: The full Tony Franklin story

Interesting quotes? You betcha.

"That's all they do is pray -- and talk about praying and religion," Franklin said. "It's a constant thing with them, and it's just overwhelming at times. A lot of people use religion as a crutch, and I think that's the case there. Every word coming out of their mouths is something about religion, and most of it is just a joke.

"There were two factions butting heads -- the new guys around Tommy and those who supported him and the old-school Auburn guys who wanted something different -- you know, the people with all the money," Franklin said. "I guess those (money) guys eventually won out. They say a coach loses 10 percent of his popularity every year. Tommy was there 10 years, so I guess that's about right."

Big deal? Your call. I don't think it's exactly ground-breaking, but Franklin's comments provide an unusually clear view into the Auburn world.

ALSO: Misidentifying the story as "tabloid journalism" doesn't hurt my feelings. If the Advertiser is so anti-Auburn with its bias, why didn't you all discuss this with me before now? The blog has been active since 2006, we've held approximately 15 campfires, we have a Facebook group, many of you are my Facebook friends and I answer email pretty promptly.

I lead the industry in accessibility. Why hasn't this been discussed before?

Tony Franklin speaks

Hey everyone. Josh Moon, my uber-talented Advertiser cohort, recently spoke with former Auburn assistant coach Tony Franklin about the circumstances surrounding his October dismissal from the program.

The interview then extended into several areas you'll find interesting.

Before we get into this, and you'll hear plenty about it during the next week, understand that I consider Franklin a credible source of information about what happened last fall. Is he a pariah? His reputation among Auburn fans probably isn't the best, but he's an honest guy who isn't bethrothed to anyone ... aside from his wife.

Franklin's comments are worth reading and considering.

The Advertiser has posted a short preview of the full story, which will run on Saturday morning.

"It was the most unusual place I’ve ever been," Franklin said of the Auburn program. "No one liked anybody else. There was this deep distrust of everybody. The coaches didn’t trust the administration, the administration didn’t trust each other or the coaches. It was very strange and very unnerving. You would walk down the halls and there would be tension you could just feel. No one would speak to you or even look at you. The coaches were all paranoid and didn’t trust anyone in the administration. They all felt like the administration was out to get them and they stressed out over everything that happened."

LINK: Ex-coordinator Tony Franklin breaks silence

Photo credit: Todd Van Emst/Auburn University

Springville WR commits

Jeremy Richardson, a senior-to-be at Springville High, has committed to play football at Auburn beginning in 2010.

We know this because AuburnSports.com, AUTigers.com and AuburnUndercover.com say so.

Richardson is ranked as the nation's No. 26 wideout by Rivals; No. 81 by Scout. He stands 6-foot-4, weighs 220 pounds and has competing offers from LSU, Tennessee and Alabama.

Auburn now has five players committed to its 2010 signing class.

They are:
OL Shon Coleman, Olive Branch, Miss.
LB Jake Holland, Pelham
ATH Shaun Kitchens, Atlanta, Ga.
K Cody Parkey, Jupiter, Fla.
WR Jeremy Richardson, Springville

Thursday update

Hey everyone. I figured we'd lose a ton of traffic during the summer months, but that was an erroneous premise. Traffic has been surprisingly steady.

I am grateful for your continued support of the HABOTN. I'm glad you likey.

My California vacay is nearing its conclusion. We'll be flying back Saturday morning aboard a spacious Airbus 330, which means we'll resume daily updates in short order.

For you local peeps:

The Montgomery Auburn Club is holding its annual summer shindig on Tuesday. I will be attending. There is such a high concentration of quality Auburn peeps at these events. How could I miss it?

WHEN: Tuesday beginning at 5 p.m.
WHERE: Embassy Suites, Montgomery
ATTENDING COACH: Gene Chizik, possibly some assistants
COST: Buffet is $15 per adult; $6 for children. You must be a member of the organization. Annual dues are $30 per family or $25 for a single membership.
WEBSITE: Montgomery Auburn Club

Coaching Spotlight: Tracy Rocker

TRACY QUINTON ROCKER
Age: 43 (born 4/9/66)
College: B.A. from Auburn, 1992.
Playing career: Spent his career at Auburn, signing in 1986 and earning a slew of awards for his work. He later spent time in the NFL with Washington and spent a short period of time with Orlando of the World League.

Coaching career:
•Auburn, defensive line (current)
•Ole Miss, defensive line (2008)
•Arkansas, defensive line (2003-07)
•Cincinnati, defensive line (2002)
•Troy State, defensive line (1997-2001)
•West Alabama, defensive line (1995-96)
•Auburn High, defensive coordinator (1992-94)

Mentor:
Rocker has identified several. It was Larry Blakeney, though, who gave Rocker the biggest lift -- including a job (in 1997) at Troy University.

Previous Auburn experience:
Rocker was an outstanding defensive tackle for the Tigers and was the first lineman to win the Lombardi and Outland awards in the same season.

Coaching philosophy:
Rocker is a tough guy. That's the bottom line. It's not born out of hostility. Rocker played under Pat Dye and the two men use a similar approach toward football. They want results. In Rocker's mind, all the talking in the world can't touch the value of trial-and-error experience on the field.

To that end, Rocker is more motivator than strategist. Several defensive linemen spent the spring telling tales of how different things had become. Gone are the days of technique-oriented assessments. Rocker isn't too worried about hand placement or leverage. He'll adjust them if necessary, but he's not grading on that. He believes each player has his own way to best affect the offensive. Rocker gives his players the freedom to find that avenue and perfect it.

Mike Blanc provides an ideal example. Blanc is a bull rusher. That's his thing. Former assistants Don Dunn and Terry Price pushed Blanc to develop different methods to pressure quarterbacks and disrupt rushing lanes. Rocker, though, has worked with Blanc to enhance his bull rush -- believing the bull rush provides Blanc his best chance for a positive outcome.

Rocker doesn't make players conform to his specifications. He adapts to theirs.

Like most position coaches, Rocker is keen on building personal relationships with his players. Players say he's remarkably blunt behind closed doors and on the field, but doesn't embarrass players in front of their teammates. He screams rarely -- even on the field.

Personality profile:
Nearly 20 years after his career ended, Rocker still is an imposing presence. He's a big man, a strong man, a heavy man. He has a look that screams: I'd hate to be a bouncer if this guy goes off in a club.

He's careful with his words. He doesn't believe in criticizing players publicly, so it's rare that reporters get a glimpse of Rocker's true opinions. He speaks highly of everyone.

With that said, he's not a happy-go-lucky guy. Rocker is task-oriented. I don't see him laugh very often.

He's an important cog in the Tigers' recruiting enterprise. Rocker plays the realist role, meaning he works opposite of Trooper Taylor and his remarkably sunny demeanor. Rocker tells recruits that being great requires a ton of work. Recruits often see him as the anchor -- the guy whose opinions are most real and, to many, most valuable. Recruiting is 90% flash and 10% substance.

Rocker provides most of that 10%.

Checking in from L.A.

Hey everyone. As I discussed in a recent thread, The Tate Family is on vacation in southern California.

(Photo taken approximately 36,000 feet above Arizona.)

Just wanted to make it clear why I was not blogging and providing the swell Auburn information you expect from the HABOTN. I'm planning to do a few Coach Spotlights this week, but I'll be working them around trips to Disneyland, the San Diego Zoo and Sunset Blvd.

Take care.