What's it like to travel with Auburn football? Senior writer Jeff Shearer is giving fans a look behind the curtain this season as he tags along with the team for road games in a new series called "Truckin' with the Tigers."
This weekend, it's out to Texas for a top 15 SEC West showdown with Texas A&M. The game kicks off at 2:30 p.m. CT(CBS), but stay locked in here for updates as Auburn visits the Lone Star State.SATURDAY: THE PERFECT CHEER
In her 22nd season directing Auburn's cheerleading program, director of community relations Latisha Durroh has been on the sideline for SEC championships, national championships and college football's wildest ending, the Kick Six in 2013.
"I love all of it," said Durroh, who graduated from Auburn University in 1993 and worked in the admissions office before becoming Auburn's spirit program coordinator in 2000. "Game day is our favorite, getting the squad ready in the summer and preparing them to start our year together.
"I think the most rewarding thing is to see them when they come in their first year and to watch them mature over two or three years, and graduate."
The Auburn cheer squad returned to traveling to away games this season after pandemic protocols limited the cheerleaders to home games and cheering from the stands in 2020.
"Being a part of the Auburn spirit, and us being able to influence games, along with the marching band, Aubie and the Tiger Paws at home games," Durroh said. "It's exciting to know that we can influence our crowd to cheer for our team to help win games.
"An experience unlike any other."
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) November 6, 2021
After not traveling in 2020, @aucheerleading is back on the road. @codydiemont & Izzy Smoke & their squad are ready to cheer for @AuburnFootball at Texas A&M ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/zfaWAucTCj
Like the football team they cheer for, the Auburn cheerleaders practice throughout the week to make sure they're sharp on Saturdays.
"We practice two hours every night, Monday through Thursday," Durroh said. "We come in for two-a-days in August. Practicing, meetings, uniform fittings. Everything involved in getting ready for our season."
In addition to cheering at Auburn games, the cheerleaders promote Auburn University and the athletic department at alumni events and appearances.
"It's really important to me that we are out in the community," Durroh said. "Elementary schools, daycares, retirement homes, Auburn club appearances. If it's local, we try not to turn it down. If it's out of town, we try to do anything that's Auburn related."
The cheerleaders bused to LSU and will drive again to South Carolina, but for road games at Penn State, Arkansas and Texas A&M, they flew on the team charter.
"That's been exciting to see a little different side of travel," she said. "We love it. To be able to show every day how much we love Auburn and how hard we work for Auburn."FRIDAY: LOGISTICS
Director of football operations Joshua Thompson assists with check-in before Auburn's fligt to College Station, Texas
When the Auburn football bus caravan arrived at Columbus Airport Friday afternoon for the flight to College Station, Texas, Joshua Thompson was waiting.
Auburn's director of football operations, Thompson assisted while a TSA agent checked IDs and highlighted the name of each student-athlete, coach, and support staffer on the charter flight manifest.
It's one of hundreds of logistics Thompson coordinates for each Auburn road trip, along with associate athletic director Jeremy Roberts, football chief of staff Brad Larrondo, director of sports nutrition Lauren Silvio and director of player development Jorrell Bostrom.
"It's like being an event planner or a travel agent for 208 people," Thompson said. "People ask me all the time why I pack so light. It's because I only want one bag because I'm worried about the other 208 people's bags."
Auburn's Kyle Field clash represents a homecoming for Thompson, a 2011 Texas A&M graduate who began his career with the Aggies in operations and recruiting before working for football programs at Louisiana and Arkansas prior to joining Bryan Harsin's Auburn staff this year.
"When this opportunity arose, I had to jump on it," Thompson said. "It's great to work with a head coach who understands logistics and operations, and has a set plan of the way he wants things to be done. That way there's no guessing.
"Details are the most important thing for us because there are a lot of small things that can become a big issue. To be focused on the small things so that we can ultimately win the game on Saturday, because you don't want something that you're in charge of to slow down the team."
For those aspiring to work in operations, Thompson offers advice.
"Leave no stone unturned," he said. "Make sure you know if there's a train track intersecting the route from the hotel to the stadium, because a train could come and it throws off your entire pregame.
"The details are very important, and something exciting about the job for me because I like to challenge myself, and every day is a challenge. I'm tested 365 days a year."
Thankfully for Thompson and the Tigers, the team hotel is two miles from Kyle Field, and there's not a train track in sight.
"It's great to be back here as a graduate after spending 10 years, the majority of my adult life, working here in College Station," he said. "But I'm really looking forward to winning this game tomorrow as an Auburn Tiger."
'Leave no stone unturned': director of football operations Joshua Thompson