AUBURN, Ala. – Senior defensive back Malcolm Askew began begging his parents at the age of 4 to let him play little league football.
Askew grew up in McCalla, Alabama, a two-hour drive from Auburn's campus, where he was a multi-sport athlete. Askew excelled at baseball and basketball, but his football skills were even better. Playing quarterback for McAdory High, Askew completed 53% of his passes and threw for 17 touchdowns while rushing for three touchdowns and 238 yards, leading his team to an impressive 8-4 record and into the second round of the playoffs.
A quarterback growing up., Askew didn't realize that defense would be his ticket to a college education.
"I switched to defensive back and wide receiver during the offseason going into my sophomore year," he said. "I just started receiving a whole lot more scholarship offers. Coaches kept coming up to me and telling me that they saw me as either a defensive back or wide receiver.
"But playing quarterback at such a young age helped me understand and see different things that I would not normally have noticed playing defensive back. This made my mind sharper and sharper, which has helped me succeed the most."
Joining the Auburn football team in 2017, Askew redshirted before seeing first college game action in 2018 vs. Alabama State. A reserve safety and contributor on special teams, he faced his toughest opponent yet during the summer of 2020.
"I was diagnosed with Covid-19 coming into the fall semester," said Askew, who quarantined for 17 days before presenting symptoms again, leading to a second quarantine period. "Things got worse later when my family was also diagnosed with Covid-19."
That led to Askew's decision to opt out of the fall season. "My teammates were very understanding, and the leaders of the team were all supporting me with my decision," he said. "Everyone here on this team respected my decision. Sitting out made me that much more determined to return to the field this season.
"I just can't wait to get out there and enjoy my last year while playing ball with the guys. I love the game of football and I am looking forward to the new start with all the different coaches coming into Auburn.
"With all the new changes with the coaching staff, I think as a team, we are all just growing together and trying to better each other, which will grow our relationships going into fall camp. We are all just trying to build up our brotherhood and just figure each other out."
Masterful Malcolm: Askew completed his master's degree in adult education on the day Auburn's 2021 preseason camp began
While Askew prepares for his final football season, on the scholastic side, he already has passed many academic milestones. He completed his bachelor's degree in kinesiology with a minor in leadership from the College of Liberal Arts in December 2019, and completed his master's degree in adult education in August. This fall, he will continue taking classes while preparing his application to enroll for doctorate coursework next spring.
Askew intends to remain connected to football, planning to become a coach.
"I would prefer to stay around college athletics and would be blessed to get a position coaching job, but after a few years of coaching in college, I would be honored to go back and work at my old high school as the head football coach," he said.
Askew learned from good coaches and role models, including his father, James, and youth coach Terry Chapman, a life lesson he shares with younger players.
"Don't take these days for granted," he said. "These days will fly past you. I was actually just talking to some of the other guys who came into Auburn the same year I did, and we were talking about how it felt just like yesterday moving into the dorms back in 2017 and now it's 2021 and we are about to wrap it up and head into our next phases of life.
"I would tell freshmen to embrace the grind, enjoy and be blessed that God has put you in this position to be at Auburn as a student-athlete. There is going to be a lot of hard work, but that is the enjoyment and excitement of putting in that hard work and seeing the dividends. This time is an investment in your future, so just take it day by day, work hard and enjoy the moment."
His favorite moment as an Auburn Tiger came during November of his freshman year, when Auburn defeated No.1 Georgia and then No. 1 Alabama to capture the SEC West championship.
"That's something that had never been done – where a team defeated two No. 1-ranked teams in the CFP ratings within three weeks," he said. "The atmosphere around the campus was incomparable. I will be telling my family about this time for years to come."
Another important family to Askew is his Auburn Family.
"The Auburn Family to me means every person that is wearing Auburn gear, no matter where I am, they will always come up to me and make sure to say War Eagle," he said. "These relationships and saying War Eagle will stay with you for the rest of your life. It is truly a special place here at Auburn that you will never forget.
"I have enjoyed my time at Auburn. It was a blessing to be a part of this family and to be an alum getting both of my degrees here? It was fantastic.
"If I could do it all over again, I would definitely come back to Auburn in a heartbeat. Family really means something different here and I hope my kids one day can be Auburn Tigers. War Eagle!"
Nelson Garris is a student worker in Auburn Athletics media relations
