AUBURN, Ala. – Six former Auburn Tigers are at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis, Indiana, the next step on their journeys to professional football careers.
Pass rushers Derick Hall and Eku Leota, defensive lineman Colby Wooden, linebacker Owen Pappoe, running back Tank Bigsby and kicker Anders Carlson will try to impress NFL personnel, both with their athleticism during drills and their football IQs and character in interviews.
Hall, Wooden, Leota and Pappoe will test their skills on Thursday when linebackers and defensive linemen lead off the event.
Carlson and the kickers join defensive backs and special teamers on Friday. After quarterbacks, receivers and tight ends compete on Saturday, Bigsby will get his turn on Sunday when running backs and offensive linemen close out the combine.
Pappoe was a two-time captain for Auburn in 2021 and 2022. After injuries limited his 2021 season, Pappoe returned with a vengeance last season, recording 91 tackles with three TFL and two sacks.
"Auburn is going to have a special place in my heart for the rest of my life," said Pappoe Wednesday at his Combine press conference. "Building a relationship with everybody there. Great town, every time I'm walking around, people show love all the time, taking pictures and giving me words of encouragement. I learned a lot while I was there and I'm never going to forget it."
Pappoe reached out to former Auburn teammates Daniel Thomas and Derrick Brown for advice on succeeding in the NFL.
"It's amazing talking to them, getting tips from them about things they went through their rookie years and trying to apply to mine this year," said Pappoe, who made eight career sacks, 15 TFL and 256 tackles from 2019-22.
"They're looking at a guy who's very serious about his craft. I'm going to be putting in extra work to make sure that I'm going to be the best I can be for the team. I'm looking forward to my rookie season, earning the respect of everyone in the organization knowing I could potentially be a guy to help lead that defense.
"Just put my head down and work, earn the trust of the vets around me. Let them know I'm serious about my craft. The sky's the limit from there."
A three-year starter, Hall served as team captain in 2022, earning all-SEC first team honors from Southeastern Conference coaches while winning the national Freddie Solomon Community Spirit Award.
The 6-3, 256-pound Hall made 19.5 career sacks and 29.5 tackles for loss among his 146 career tackles.
Wooden started three seasons for the Tigers, recording 152 career tackles, 30 tackles for loss and 17 sacks. At 6-5, 285 pounds, Wooden displayed versatility by starting at end and tackle during his career on the Plains.
Leota played two seasons for the Tigers after transferring from Northwestern where he earned all-Big Ten honors. He made seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss in 2021, then added two more sacks last year before suffering a season-ending injury vs. LSU. In four seasons, the 6-4, 257-pounder recorded 64 tackles, 25 TFL and 15.5 sacks.
Carlson kicked for Auburn for five seasons, taking over from his brother, Daniel, who now stars for the Las Vegas Raiders.
His 79 career fields goals rank second in program history. Carlson also excelled off the field, becoming the second two-time Academic All-American in Auburn history and being a finalist for the Campbell Trophy, one of 15 national scholar-athletes.
Bigsby started for three seasons, rushing for 2,903 yards to rank No. 7 in Auburn history. He scored 25 touchdowns and produced 13 100-yard games.
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer