Aug. 2, 2017
By Reed Shiver
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. - After starting his college football career away from Auburn, playing at Ole Miss as a true freshman, center Austin Golson soon knew where he needed to go and where he truly belonged.
A senior on the Rimington Trophy preseason watch list for the award given to the nation's top center, Golson grew up in Prattville, Ala. After his grandfather, Patrick Trotter, suffered two heart attacks, Austin knew he wanted to be closer to home.
"I always grew up an Auburn fan, and I just felt like I was in the wrong place, and I needed to be in Auburn," said Golson, who transferred following the 2013 season and redshirted the 2014 campaign.
In addition to moving much closer to his own family, Golson also inherited another - the Auburn Family.
"Everybody loves everybody here; there are no cliques," Golson said. "Everybody's got his own personality, but everybody can hang out with each other. We just treat each other like one big family."
Golson, who has started 24 games for Auburn over the past two seasons on the offensive line, relishes the opportunity to return to playing center after spending time at tackle earlier last season.
Golson wants to go out with a memorable senior season. "I want to win the SEC, most importantly," he said. "I want to be a leader and a captain of the team. A personal goal would be all-conference and to be up for the Rimington Trophy."
After graduating last December with a bachelor's degree in public administration, Golson is now a graduate student working toward a master's degree in adult education. A multi-year member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, he knows his Auburn education will get him ready for whatever lies ahead, NFL or not.
"I want to play in the NFL; I want to give that a shot. If that doesn't work out, then I have some other options," Golson said. "Auburn has really taught me how to be a family man, and helped me be responsible for my own actions. It's given me great communication skills for dealing with a lot of people. It will go a long way."
Golson always knew he wanted to be a leader, but offers some different advice for the young, up-and-coming freshmen. "What I would say is just enjoy your time - it's going to be over before you know it. You can only play this game for so long, so you need to enjoy your first years as well."
Even with a possible NFL future, Golson isn't taking his remaining days at Auburn for granted. "I'm going to miss walking out of that tunnel every Saturday. The grind, the blood, sweat and tears that I've spilled with my brothers - just being around the guys and just working," Golson said.
"I'm going to miss playing in front of the fans every weekend, but I'm also going to become a fan when I'm done. I will always be an Auburn Man."
Reed Shiver is a student assistant in Auburn athletics communications.