'Something I always hoped for' - Auburn receiver Will Hastings

'Something I always hoped for' - Auburn receiver Will Hastings'Something I always hoped for' - Auburn receiver Will Hastings

Sept. 2, 2017

By Jeff Shearer
AuburnTigers.com

AUBURN, Ala. - His first three catches moved the chains. His last reception changed the scoreboard. Just another night in the slot for Auburn's former walk-on turned receiving leader Will Hastings.

"It was awesome," said Hastings, who led Auburn with four catches for 68 yards and a touchdown in the Tigers 41-7 win over Georgia Southern. "I always say it's a dream come true, and it really is. It's something I always hoped for.

"When I was younger, I watched college football every Saturday and was like, 'Man, it's cool to be them.' Now, I have the opportunity to be one. Just being a hope for other people and having people look up to me is awesome."

Hastings' first reception went for 19 yards on third-and-9. His second catch came on third-and-7, picking up 15 yards over the middle. Kam Martin scored on a 36-yard run on the next play.

"Some people worry about third downs," said Hastings, whose high school team, Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Ark., rarely punts, electing to go for it on fourth down. "I try not to worry too much, because at PA, we ran it on fourth down, so really to me [third down] is like second down. I try to keep that mentality in the back of my head and just make sure that I catch the ball and get a first down for us."

In the third quarter, Jarrett Stidham found Hastings on second-and-10 for 15 yards, setting up Daniel Carlson's second field goal.

"He's obviously a really quick, fast guy," Stidham said. "You put him in space against a linebacker, he's usually going to win."

Stidham and Hastings connected for the game's final score, a 19-yard touchdown pass with 9:18 left in the fourth quarter.

"When I faked like I was doing a post, then I went back out, I didn't see the ball and I thought, 'Oh, he's not throwing to me,'" Hastings said. "Then I saw the ball pop out, and I was like, 'Oh gosh, here it comes.' I thought I was going to run out of bounds, but I slowed down a little bit. It was a perfect throw, right in the corner. You can't get better than that."

"He ran a great route," Stidham said. "Just trying to put the ball in a place that he could catch it."

Hastings and Stidham have worked on their timing since the quarterback's arrival at Auburn in January.

"It a real connection," said Hastings, who received a scholarship during Auburn's preseason camp. "Love that guy to death. He's like a brother to me. He works hard and he pushes me to be better. I'm just glad that we have that connection. That he can trust me well enough to just throw it up, and I'll get over there wherever it is."

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @jeff_shearer