AUBURN, Ala. – Jarrett Stidham never imagined that he would end up in Auburn. "Not in a million years," as he puts it. Sure, he followed the Tigers in 2010 when Cam Newton played. But he grew up in Kentucky pulling for Notre Dame because of former quarterback Brady Quinn. He then moved to Texas when he was in high school and played his freshman year of college at Baylor.
Now, three years later, Stidham is not only living in Auburn. He's the face of the football program and can't go anywhere in town without somebody recognizing him.
"Some guys just hate it," Stidham said of the spotlight. "I think it's always good to give back to the fans, give back to the people. I'm just as normal as anybody else. I just happen to throw a football on Saturdays."
But that's life as the starting quarterback at any major college football program. Auburn is no exception. Everybody knows who you are. When you win, you're the player who gets the most recognition. And when you lose, you typically take the most heat.
Stidham sees it as a tremendous honor and blessing to be the quarterback at Auburn. But while that might be how people view him, it's not what defines him.
"I'm not just a quarterback," Stidham said. "I feel like I'm much more than a quarterback. By the people that know me, a lot of people would say I'm a very loving and caring person. If you're in my corner, I'll do anything for you. That's just how I've always been."
'A different perspective'
In early August, Stidham sat at a table in the indoor practice facility where he signed autographs with the other quarterbacks. The line for their table went the full length of the football field and then snaked outside and around the corner. For two hours, he scribbled his signature and took pictures with fans – a smile on his face the whole time.
Last Saturday, following a road loss to Mississippi State, the mood in the visiting team's media room was much less jovial. But Stidham still came out, talked with members of the media like he does after every game and tried to remain positive.
That's because, regardless of the situation, he's getting to do what he loves.
"At the end of the day, we're still playing football at Auburn University," Stidham said. "Which is a tremendous honor and privilege. And not a lot of people get to do this.
"I just know from my perspective – if you're not having fun, it's going to be miserable. Just make it fun while you can. We're not going to be here forever. We're going to be done playing at Auburn at some point. I don't want to look back and think 'Dang, I wish I would've enjoyed it a little bit more.' I'm trying to enjoy it. Nobody said it was going to be easy. I'm just going to do my thing and love on my teammates and try and have fun."
Unlike most players, Stidham knows what it's like to go through a fall without football. He knows how it feels to sit back and watch while everybody else plays the game you love.
After his freshman year at Baylor, the top-50 recruit out of high school transferred to a nearby junior college in Texas and opted to take a season away from football. While all of his teammates, past and future, were going through fall camp or playing games, he was hanging out with family or watching his future fiancée, Kennedy, play soccer.
For the first time in his life, the fall wasn't booked. It was wide open.
"It definitely puts a different spin on things," Stidham said. "You play football, you play football, you play football, you just kind of get caught up in it and you don't really think about how not a lot of people get to do this. Some people can sit there and complain about practice or injuries. You step away from football, and it's like 'I'd kill to be sore right now. I would love to play on Saturday, wake up on Sunday and just be sore.'
"It was a good thing for me. I don't take it for granted now for sure. Not that I did before, but again, it just puts a different perspective on it."
'Grateful for this place'
To really know who Jarrett Stidham is, just ask his teammates. After all, they're the ones who spend almost every day with him and who get to see a side of him that most don't get to see. They know the jokester who's more laid back and likes to have fun.
"He's not like a lot of quarterbacks that are kind of out of the way and not really a part of everyone," wide receiver Ryan Davis said. "Jarrett's a guy that's a part of everyone. He likes to joke around. He's liked by everyone on the team and one of the team favorites. Everybody just likes being around him, and his presence is felt around the team."
"He's a talkative guy," added fellow receiver Darius Slayton. "Me and Ryan are more quiet. You really won't hear us saying too much. Jarrett's going to be bouncing around, trying to meet people and talk to people."
However, teammates also know that when Stidham steps on the field every Saturday, there's a switch that flips. It's not that his outgoing personality goes away. It's more so this intensity that takes over because he knows what's at stake.
Every player has something that drives them, something that makes them tick, and Stidham is no different. For him, there are two things. First, as a Christian who was saved eight years ago this November, it's to glorify Jesus Christ. "That's definitely No. 1," he says. And second, the junior signal caller views football as a way to provide for the family that he wants to have.
"Obviously, Kennedy and I are going to have a family one day, and everything I do is for my future family," Stidham said. "It's not necessarily for the fame or the glory or anything like that. As long as I'm able to take care of my family, that's what's most important to me."
It's the reason Stidham chose Auburn after transferring from Baylor and sitting out a year. Sure, he could've stayed in Texas where he would've been closer to his fiancée. In reality, he could have gone wherever he wanted. But he chose Auburn because it was the best fit for both Jarrett Stidham the quarterback and Jarrett Stidham the person.
"I'll be grateful for this place," Stidham said. "I didn't give much to Auburn, but they gave everything to me. Being an alumni now, I hope my kids come to school here. I love just being here, going to school here. The people that I've met here – some of my very best friends have come from Auburn.
"I just really appreciate the relationships and the friendships that I've built here, and like I said, I'll forever be in debt to Auburn."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @greg_ostendorf