Live from SEC Media Days in Atlanta

Opens in a new window SEC Media Day Transcript
Live from SEC Media Days in AtlantaLive from SEC Media Days in Atlanta

ATLANTA – Auburn takes center stage at SEC Media Days on Thursday, live from the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, and we're here to bring you all the action.

 

This year's contingent includes head coach Gus Malzahn along with quarterback Jarrett Stidham, defensive lineman Dontavius Russell and linebacker Deshaun Davis. The quartet will go room to room, doing a series of interviews and previewing the upcoming season.

 

(7/19/2018) 2018 SEC Media Day

In just 44 days, the Tigers will open the season down the street in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium where they will face Washington as part of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.

But for more from Thursday's SEC Media Days, check back here throughout the day and also be sure to follow Auburn football on Twitter and Instagram. You can also follow Greg Ostendorf and Jeff Shearer on Twitter for real-time updates from the event.

 


11:05 a.m.
 
What's SEC Media Days without the fans? And while it might have been a new city and new venue, the Auburn faithful still showed up Thursday to support their team.
 
Davis said it best when – even after a morning full of interviews, fielding question after question – the senior linebacker said, "We have to show love to the fans." So he, Stidham and Russell took pictures and signed autographs with the fans on their way out.
 
Davis and Stidham also made sure to stop and spend some time with "Tiger Jake."
 

 
Malzahn met with the Auburn fans earlier in the morning on his way to the main stage.
 


10:40 a.m. 

After sitting down with CBS, ESPN and other electronic media, it was time for the players to head over to the College Football Hall of Fame where they took the podium to field questions from an anxious group of media members.
 

 
Here are few of the better soundbites from the players.
 
Jarrett Stidham
 
"I love Auburn. I love everything about it. I'm an alumni now, which is kind of weird to think. It's a good place with a lot of good people, and I'm just trying to do my job and make friendship and make lifelong relationships along the way and just help the team win."
 
"I feel really old. Especially when you have guys on the team now that were born in 2000. It makes the 90s babies – it makes us feel weird. I don't even know if they know what Lion King is. It's a little concerning for the team. No, it's good. I feel older, feel like a veteran. Obviously had three starts at Baylor, started every game last year. I'm really just looking forward to becoming more of a veteran this year and being the leader of the team."
 
Deshaun Davis
 
"I think we have national championship potential. Our strong suit is going to be experience. We have a lot of good players coming back in some key spots. Our entire coaching staff is back except for one coach. We know what our coaches expect of us. We know how to operate around them and how to operate for them. Handling adversity is going to be different this year. I look forward to seeing how we handle adversity when we get put in that situation."
 
"My expectation is to win it all. I'm not strapping up every day to do nothing less. I don't want to win 10 games, I don't want to win 11 games. However many games it takes to win a national championship, that's what I want to do. That's my expectation."​
 
Dontavius Russell
 
"You've got to put (last year) behind you. Our success from last year can't push us forward into a new season, just like our pitfalls from that season can't harm us in this coming season. So I always try to put the season behind us and move forward game by game."
 
"[Jordan-Hare Stadium] one of the best atmospheres I've seen in college football. And that's another reason why I flipped (my commitment) – just being a part of that. The games that I was able to visit, it was one of the best atmospheres I saw and that matched me personally. The eagle flying. The authenticity that they have going on. I just really like it."

9:30 a.m. 

Malzahn started the day on the blue carpet signing autographs for fans before taking the main stage. Meanwhile, the trio of players are bouncing around various rooms and talking to ESPN, CBS and other electronic media.

Some of the better questions for Davis included – what's your favorite Thanksgiving food? Who's your favorite superhero? And what's your spirit animal?

9:15 a.m.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn commented on college football's new redshirt rule, which allows student-athletes to play in up to four games while still redshirting, a change that might be helpful to players returning late in the year from spring injuries.

"That is something we've thought about, that wouldn't hurt them, eligibility wise," Malzahn said. "That's been in the conversation."

Malzahn said the new rule might also allow Auburn's newcomers to gain experience.

"This is the first year you have it. I think it's a positive rule, there's no doubt about that," Malzahn said. "It gives you a lot more flexibility from a coaches' standpoint. You're always thinking about a depth standpoint, too. That could definitely help you."

Non-conference games could present such an opportunity.

"Anytime somebody has the idea that they could be playing on the field, their attention to detail is going to be higher," he said. "Outside the two-deep, that's what you usually go with, but the fact that it will allow you depth, I think is a positive."

8:50 a.m.

Auburn coach Gus Malzahn selected two seniors on defense, lineman Dontavius Russell and linebacker Deshaun Davis, and junior quarterback Jarrett Stidham to represent the Tigers at SEC Media Days.

"Jarrett Stidham had a phenomenal year last year," Malzahn said. "One of our team leaders. Deshaun Davis led us in tackles last year. Really our leader on defense. Really proud of him. And Donvtavius Russell, three-year starter, fixing to be a four-year starter. I feel like he's one of the more underrated players in our league, if not the most underrated.

"All three of these guys are quality young men, great character. Jarrett and Deshaun have their degrees. Dontavius is going to have his degree in about two weeks. It's as good as it gets with the guys who are representing us today."