April 5, 2018
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Football is in the air again at Auburn. It's not September yet, but the fans can get their first look at the 2018 team this Saturday when the Tigers scrimmage at Jordan-Hare Stadium as part of the A-Day festivities.
For the fans, this will also be their first time back in the stadium since last November. On that night, they tore through hedges along the sideline -- some getting stuck along the way -- as they rushed the field following a 26-14 win over No. 1 Alabama, which ultimately clinched the division title and earned Auburn a spot in the SEC championship game.
On Saturday, the fans can simply walk down onto the field after the game where they can go and get autographs from Gus Malzahn and the players.
To get everybody ready, we talked to some of the players about Saturday's spring game.
How excited are you to get back in front of the fans for A-Day?
Derrick Brown: "I feel like it will be a real game because any time we step foot in Jordan-Hare, we want to treat it like that. The intensity level never goes down. I'm excited to get back in front of the best fans in college football and to hear the crowd roar and go out and give them a show."
Deshaun Davis: "I'm real excited. We get that football feel, and we haven't been in front of those fans in four months. With how we ended the season -- we kind of ended on a bad note -- so we want to get out there in front of those guys and just make some plays, get that bad taste out of our mouths and look forward to the future."
Marquel Harrell: "It's going to be amazing. The last time we were in Jordan-Hare, you know what happened. So it's going to be great playing in front of the fans again. I miss playing in front of the home crowd. I'm just ready to see everybody this Saturday, and I'm ready to go out and show out before the season."
Darius Slayton: "I'm excited to get back out there, to be in Jordan-Hare Stadium -- feel the fans, feel the energy, give everybody something to look forward to for this coming season. Obviously, everybody is just waiting around for August to get here again. The spring game gives us a chance to get a little glimpse of that. I'm excited."
What are your memories from the last game (Iron Bowl) at Jordan-Hare Stadium?
Brown: "Definitely the fans running on the field, just a big celebration in the middle of the field. Some random people scooping me up and putting me in the air. I was shocked."
Davis: "The last home game will always be remembered in my book and I'm pretty sure in Auburn history. It was a big win for us with the fans storming the field and everything. I always say that we have the best fans in the nation, and I actually believe that. I don't just say that because I go to Auburn. Every time we're in that stadium, they're extremely loud. On third down, we can't hear, so I know the opposing offense can't hear. We just want to get in front of those guys and make some plays for them, hear the cheers and get that football feel back."
Harrell: "That was crazy. Rushing the field. I won a state championship in high school, and nothing compared to playing in the Iron Bowl and especially winning the way we did. So just watching everybody, seeing all that hard work go in, and the fans in it -- it's one big family. It was a great experience."
Slayton: "It's surreal looking back on it. The energy in the building was unreal. The crowd noise was crazy. All in all, just the game itself -- I think it was a very competitive game. It was a lot of fun as a player to play in it."
What would be your message to fans about coming out Saturday?
Brown: "Come on out. We're going to be there, we're going to play, we're going to do autograph signing after, we're going to have fun. It's a big Auburn family. Rain or shine, we're going to do what we do and give them a show, and we're going to be able to hang out with them on the field after."
Davis: "I strongly encourage the fans to come out just to get a feel for what the team's going to be like and just to get that football atmosphere back. After this, we don't have football for another four months. I'm real excited about it, just to get out there and play in front of those guys. I'm a big energy guy, so when I get that crowd behind me, I try to make as many plays as I can. Just to see all that orange and blue in that stadium, I'm really excited for it. After the game, the events where we get to come down and actually interact with the fans and tell them how much we appreciate them, sign autographs and take pictures. I'm really looking forward to that, too."
Harrell: "I just say come out here, have a good time, enjoy some football and some food and family. You know Auburn is the place for all three of those things. So just come out, have fun and enjoy yourself -- and get ready for the show."
Slayton: "It's Auburn. It's a Saturday in Auburn. What better to do than to come out and watch football? Kids can come play. People are going to be out grilling. If it rains, it rains. We'll all be out there in the rain together. Just come have some fun."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf