AUBURN, Ala. – For 16 Auburn seniors, Saturday's game against Liberty will be their final home game at Jordan-Hare Stadium. That means one last Tiger Walk, one more time getting ready in that locker room with teammates and one more time running out of the tunnel.
"It's crazy," senior defensive lineman Dontavius Russell said. "They always talk about how fast your senior year goes by, and it's ridiculous how it's almost like we just got done playing the first game. It doesn't even feel like I should be playing my last game here. It's kind of bittersweet."
This senior group has had some great memories over the years at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Going back to 2015, Auburn has won 20 games at home. Obviously, there were the wins over No. 1 Georgia and No. 1 Alabama last season, but even the comeback victory two weeks ago against Texas A&M will be a game that these seniors will remember for a long time.
So what stands out the most about playing at home? We asked some of the seniors.
Montavious Atkinson: "I'd say the fans. The fans are the No. 1 thing that makes it stand out. Just the energy they bring. And the second thing I would have to say the players, my teammates. Just being able to play with them and just creating that bond and that chemistry over the years has been one of the better moments since I've been here."
Tucker Brown: "Seeing it from the players' perspective after so long of being a fan, it's just been a whole different experience. I don't know if I'll see it from the fans' way again after I know what the players go through and just watching it from that perspective. We'll see in the coming years when I come just as a fan again if my perspective has changed since the last time I was a fan."
Chandler Cox: "Really just the fans. That's what made it special to me. I knew it was going to be like that when I first got to Auburn. That's the reason I came to Auburn because of the fans and the whole community and the family feel. I'm going to miss it like crazy. I'm going to miss the screaming, the live fans where you can't even hear yourself think. It's been special. It's a special place, and I'm just blessed to be a part of it."
Deshaun Davis: "Just the fans. Every Saturday they're going to come and they're going to be loud. They're going to support Auburn. It's going to be a packed-out house. I always tell people I enjoy just hearing the band strike. I enjoy hearing the chants, the Tiger Walk experience – I'm going to miss all that. I've had enough to make some memories and I'll always remember playing there, but I'm definitely going to miss it."
Ryan Davis: "Definitely the atmosphere. Just the energy that the fans bring each and every Saturday. There's no feeling like playing in Jordan-Hare, especially those night games and those big-time SEC games. There's nothing like an SEC game in Jordan-Hare. I'm definitely going to miss it, making those big plays. It's a feeling where you have to be in there, you have to be a player to actually understand it, but I'm definitely going to miss the fans.
"I'm going to miss Tiger Walk. Just all those little things that lead up to the game – the preparation, waking up in the hotel, eating breakfast with your teammates for the last time. And then the preparation in the locker room getting ready, listening to music for the game. There are so many things you're going to miss that you probably take for granted at times. When it's your last time, then you think about it. Like 'Woah, I'm going to do this anymore.' I'm just going to miss everything really, everything about the game day experience."
Dontavius Russell: "The most memorable thing for me is not Tiger Walk surprisingly. It's after the game. I always go down to the opposite end zone that we enter in, and I always make sure I go and shake the fans' hands regardless of whether or not we win or anything like that. A lot of times, I get to meet people who are coming to their first game – kids who come to their first game – and I just like to be able to have a memorable part on their life as they have a memorable part on mine."
Andrew Williams: "It's always an exciting atmosphere. Running out there and seeing all those orange and blue fans. It's bittersweet. It's been a long journey. But it's nice coming to a conclusion with the people I came here with."
Darrell Williams: "The years have flown by, but I just really enjoy the fans and the love you get running out of the tunnel at the beginning of the game. Right before kickoff – how loud the crowd gets. In crunch time – how loud the crowd gets. Playing in Jordan-Hare is just different than playing anywhere else, and I'm definitely going to miss that part. Tiger Walk is definitely a big part, too. Other teams do the champion walk or whatever they want to call it, but nothing looks like Tiger Walk."
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf
