AUBURN, Ala. – Creeping up from his safety position, Jamien Sherwood lined up to the left of Derrick Brown, expecting Auburn's opponent to account for his blitz.
"Since I lined up in the gap, I was assuming they were going to adjust their blocks and work their way in to out, so the guard or center was going to pick me up," Sherwood said. "But they ended up not and I just ran through."
A clear path to the quarterback, every defender's dream.
Sherwood's first sack, a 10-yard loss on third-and-goal, forced Ole Miss to kick a field goal in the Tigers' 31-16 victory.
"That just opened my eyes a lot," Sherwood said. "I feel like that gets me going."
A freshman from Jensen Beach, Florida, Sherwood and fellow safety Smoke Monday enrolled in January, benefiting from spring practice.
"Coach Steele told me on my visits that he was going to give me my opportunity," Sherwood said. "Coach Brown said they were going to give me a fair opportunity, Smoke and me, and that's exactly what they did, and I just ran with it."
Sherwood's impact was immediate. In his second game, he made an interception against Alabama State.
"Getting to play so much as a freshman is a huge honor," he said. "I worked so hard for this from sophomore year all the way up to now. Getting my chances in the game, showing my family what I can do, my friends, coaches here, back home. I didn't want to let anybody down. Getting a chance to play, I'm going to get better and better each time."
Observing seasoned safeties Jeremiah Dinson and Daniel Thomas and defensive back Javaris Davis helped expedite Sherwood's transition from high school to the SEC.
"Those guys inspire me to be the best I can be every day, help me anytime I can," Sherwood said. "That's really the highlight."
In Sherwood and Monday, who are both 6-foot-2, the Tigers have a pair of freshman safeties who could anchor Auburn's secondary for three more seasons.
"We knew this was where we wanted to be," Sherwood said. "We hang out often. We had a lot of classes together. Somebody who's like me, unique. Long, skinny and plays the same position as me.
"He'll always be my brother from now to forever. It's just great to have someone like that. Like two brothers, one will be more outgoing and one will be more in the back. That's exactly how we are. I like to be in the corner. He's front and center. I can't do that."
Making plays and making friends, Jamien Sherwood is making a difference at Auburn.
"It's great playing on the field, everything that comes with football, but just the bonds that I've made since I've been here," he said. "I'm very shy and not really outgoing but they took me in as one of their own, like an actual brother, and I feel like that's the best thing."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer
