A day to remember: Auburn seniors celebrate win in final home game

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AU Athletics

AUBURN, Ala. – On Saturday night, the locker room celebration would have to wait. 

Derick Hall, Owen Pappoe, John Samuel Shenker, Colby Wooden, Brandon Council and some of the other seniors sat on the midfield logo at Jordan-Hare Stadium taking it all in one last time. The final whistle had blown. They had already shaken hands with the other team. They swayed together one last time for Swag Surf, celebrating a 41-17 victory. They posed for a senior picture. It was now time to leave, and they couldn't do it. 

"I sat down with those guys for about 15 minutes, just enjoying the moment," Pappoe said. "Jogging down memory lane, thinking about the times on the field, it really hit hard. That's the last one we're going to play in Jordan-Hare."

"I was just overcome with emotion," said Wooden, who took part in Senior Day even though he's a redshirt junior. "I know what all the senior class has been through. We went through it all. We went through COVID, head coaching changes, another change in the middle of the season, losing seasons – words can't describe it. But it's like a breath of fresh air to know that the way we came in, we're going out on a high (note) as well."

Slowly, players started trickling out and made their way to the locker room. 

"War Eagle," senior edge Marcus Bragg said as he walked away. 

Bragg, a graduate transfer who played against his old team Saturday, was only at Auburn for one season. It didn't matter. He'll forever be part of the Auburn Family. 

Hall was one of the last to leave the group at midfield. He still had one last thing to do, however, before he walked through the tunnel for the last time. He pulled out his keys and started cutting out a square of grass from Pat Dye Field.



"That was a very special moment for me," he said. "I shed a few tears cutting that turf out on the field. I feel like I put my heart and soul into this program and into this university. Every time I stepped out on that field, I gave my best. It was tough for me to walk off.

"That's the last time I'll ever play a football down on that field. I tried to delay it as long as I could. Obviously, it hit tonight. I couldn't sleep (Friday) night. This morning, I was very anxious. When I got here, it hit me going down Tiger Walk and (seeing) all those fans, the Auburn Family. It meant a lot to get that win, to get the last one in Jordan-Hare."

A win was no guarantee on Saturday against a Western Kentucky team that was 7-4 coming in. The two sides were tied at 17 through the first two quarters. But the seniors were not going to let this Auburn team lose. Not on that day. 

Interim head coach Carnell Williams knew that. So, at halftime with the game tied, he let those seniors rally the troops and get the Tigers ready for the second half. 

"I know you want to talk about what we did in the second half and what the adjustment was that was so great. I honestly left the room and let them handle it," Williams said. 

"There are always people that say they want a player-led team, and it was time for that to happen," Council said. "Everybody stepped up. The leaders stepped up. We came together and were like, 'We have got to come together, and we've got to finish this game strong, especially for the seniors out there.' That's what we did."

Auburn outscored Western Kentucky 24-0 in the second half.

There was a sense of finality as the seniors walked off the field Saturday, but the season is not over. With back-to-back wins at home, the Tigers can now become bowl eligible with a victory this coming week against archrival Alabama. 

However, just like the locker room celebration had to wait, thoughts of the Iron Bowl would have to wait, too. Saturday night was about those seniors. 

"I know the Auburn Family is going to remember this day. We're for damn sure going to remember this day, too," Pappoe said. "It's time to go roll Toomer's."