AUBURN, Ala. – They are different in the way they play. They have different personalities off the field. But when it comes to how they want to be remembered by the Auburn Family, Daquan Newkirk and Tyrone Truesdell want the same thing. They want people to know they never quit.
Truesdell is more of the bruiser on the field. He was a three-star recruit who came to Auburn with little to no fanfare. However, he was thrown in the defensive line rotation as a freshman and has played every year. He even earned a starting job last year. But playing next to Derrick Brown, Truesdell still flew under the radar. It didn't matter. He kept fighting, kept competing.
"It's the Auburn way of doing things," he said. "Relentless effort. What those before me did to get Auburn the way it was, that was the standard. I basically had to come in and make sure I did the same thing and keep that standard."
Newkirk is more similar to Brown in the fact that he's more athletic and has more of the quick-twitch tendencies. He's also more outgoing than his counterpart Truesdell. But the term "never quit" takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to his journey.
Shortly after Newkirk arrived at Auburn as a junior college transfer in January 2018, he tore his Achilles. It was a long, grueling recovery process. Then, almost a year later to the day, he tore his other Achilles. It's rare to see somebody come back from one torn Achilles, let alone two, and after the second one he gave serious thought to giving up the sport.
"I just thought college football wasn't for me," Newkirk said. "I've got all this talent, but I keep getting hurt. Why me? That was a question for me, but I turned it into positive energy and just pushed through. I just thought about 'Why am I here at Auburn? What did I come to this school for? To get an education and to better my life.' And I just couldn't give up on that."
The perseverance and determination Newkirk showed during the rehab and the recovery, it was an inspiration to all of his teammates but especially Truesdell.
"With everything he's been through and not giving up, I'm proud of him," Truesdell said. "To have the same thing happen to you twice in different years? That would probably hurt anybody's spirit. But the fact that he stayed strong through it and continues to fight through all the adversity, it definitely shows me he loves Auburn and loves football.
"Seeing what he does, it makes me grind harder. And also, I keep him on his toes."
The two have always pushed each other, always strived to play to the standard set by Auburn defensive line coach Rodney Garner. That's no easy task, but this year Newkirk and Truesdell are reaping the rewards of their sacrifices.
The two have started next to each other on the defensive line in every game this season, and in the season opener against Kentucky, Newkirk proved he was finally healthy with his first sack.
"It felt amazing, honestly. Because that's something I haven't done since I've been here," Newkirk said. "I haven't been able to prove myself because I've been injured. So it definitely felt good just being out there, playing ball, doing what I love and making plays."
Gameday Program
This year is different, too, in the sense that Newkirk and Truesdell are seniors. They are now the leaders in their position group. In the same way the Auburn standard has been instilled in them by the likes of Dontavius Russell, Brown and others, it's now their responsibility to pass it on to the next crop of players on the defensive line.
For Truesdell, it's his way of giving back. This senior year is all about giving back to Auburn.
"For the past three years, Auburn has blessed with me so much and helped me become the man I am today," he said. "So my thing is what can I do to give back to Auburn this year? Help the football program and keep the tradition going of a dominant defense."
Newkirk is just happy to be playing again with everything he's been through.
"It almost brings tears to my eyes because I look back at the Kentucky game and I see those spurts of what (Coach Garner) has seen in me," Newkirk said. "My confidence isn't always there yet, but when I go back and look at some of the film, I see what I can do. I just need to bring it on every play and every down."
The two might be different in a lot of ways, but there's a connection between Newkirk and Truesdell. A connection formed through hardships and adversity, and this year that connection is serving as the anchor for Auburn's defensive line.