"Truckin' with the Tigers" is back this year. Senior writer Jeff Shearer will give fans a look behind the curtain this season as he tags along with Auburn football for road games.
This week, Auburn closes out the regular season with a short trip across the state to face rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl. The game is at 2:30 p.m. CT on CBS.
Stay locked here for updates from Auburn's trip throughout the weekend.
Wearing a "Go Crazy" t-shirt, Auburn captain John Samuel Shenker takes a picture with a young fan Friday at Reverse Tiger Walk
FRIDAY: GO CRAZY, CADILLACBIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Wearing t-shirts that depict an iconic Iron Bowl moment produced by their head coach 19 years earlier, the Auburn Tigers boarded three buses Friday afternoon for the two-hour ride to Birmingham.
Go Crazy.
In the first play of the 2003 Iron Bowl, interim Auburn head coach Carnell Williams raced 80 yards for a touchdown that set the tone for the Tigers' 28-23 victory.
"Go crazy, Cadillac! Go crazy!" exclaimed announcer Rod Bramblett, the football Voice of the Auburn Tigers from 2003-18.
On Saturday, Williams will lead Auburn into Bryant-Denny Stadium, looking to even the rivalry at 15-15 over the past 30 years.
Reverse 🐅 Walk, Iron Bowl edition (feat. @derick_hall9 in "Go Crazy" shirt & @CoachCaddy24)#WarEagle pic.twitter.com/26yqGSffwK
— Jeff Shearer (@jeff_shearer) November 25, 2022
Trovon Reed, Auburn's director of football and recruiting relations, was on the winning side of two Iron Bowls, in 2010 and 2013.
After helping the Tigers win a national championship and two SEC championships, Reed played four seasons in the NFL, returning to his alma mater in 2021.
"I'm like a Swiss Army knife," Reed said of his multifaceted role. "I do it all. A little bit of teaching football, a lot of life, having the coaching staff's back, checking on parents, making sure they're good. I'm a people person. I like to see other people happy, I like to see other people winning."
Reed often shares his Auburn story, hoping to inspire and connect with prospective student-athletes.
"I was a starter, lost my spot, went to defense (from receiver), didn't start, played six years of professional football," he said. "I can relate to those guys and they respect my story because I don't act like I'm too big to talk to them just because I played in the NFL.
"That's where you're trying to go, I've got a plan to help you get there. It's going to be better than my plan because I didn't have a plan, I just did it. You're going to have a plan.
"Being able to relate to those guys and relate to their parents on real-life situations, that's the key."
'I sell Auburn with my heart': Direcctor of football and recruiting relations Trovon Reed
Reed carries his people skills to social media, seeking to promote Auburn while connecting with users.
"We bring people together," Reed said. "Someone could be having the worst day ever and I post, 'We ain't done yet,' and they get to tweeting and I tweet them back."
Reed has earned a stellar recruiting reputation from prospects, many of whom mention him when listing what stood out on their visits to Auburn.
"When I sell Auburn, I sell Auburn with my heart," he said. "I sell it with everything in me. This is Auburn. We're the standard. We're the best. I wholeheartedly feel like that. I've been feeling like that since I came here. What Auburn did for me I can never repay.
"One, I got my degree. Two, I've met some of the best people I've ever met in my life. Three, it gave me the opportunity after the NFL to come back and start working. Auburn was there at the beginning and it's there now.
"We're coming. We're coming full speed."
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer