On The Plains with Eugene Asante: 'Establishing a winning culture'

AUBURN, Ala. – Football is all Eugene Asante has ever known. Technically, he started playing the game when he was 7 years old, but if it were up to him, it would have been sooner.

“I tried to play when I was 6 years old, but the rule was only 7-year-olds can play,” Asante said. “So, my brothers tried to sneak me onto the team. Coaches were asking me what my age was, and naturally I said 6 instead of 7. And they said I couldn’t play. I went home, crying because I couldn’t play.”

A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Asante grew up watching his brother, Larry Asante. The elder Asante played safety for the University of Nebraska and was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns. He played five seasons in the NFL for the Browns, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Indianapolis Colts and Oakland Raiders.

“That’s where I developed a love for football,” Eugene said. “It’s so surreal seeing your brother on television and the announcers saying his name. I was around 8 or 9 at the time, and I envisioned myself saying, ‘When I get older, I really think I can do that and try to be on that stage.’ It is surreal that I even got to that point.”

Like his brother, Asante earned a Division I scholarship to the University of North Carolina where he played three seasons and recorded 62 tackles. However, he took his own path after that, transferring to Auburn for the 2022 season. He had other interested schools, but what drew Asante to The Plains was the Southern hospitality.

“It’s different here in terms of how they treat people,” he said. “It’s the rich culture that’s within the university you see on a day-to-day basis, how much people care about Auburn athletics and how much people care about you. The traditions and history are strong here, so I gravitated towards that.

“The year before I came to Auburn was when they played Alabama in the Iron Bowl in a really close game that went into four overtimes – crazy! I was at home with my teammates from North Carolina at the time, just sitting there watching and naturally rooting for Auburn. Seeing that game and being here now is crazy to even put into perspective – that it all worked out that way.” 

Deal has also been successful off the field. After graduating from the College of Liberal Arts in 2022, Deal began doing graduate work in the College of Education.

“If you do things in advance and don't procrastinate, then things will be better. Being proactive instead of reactive -- that was always a big thing,” said Deal, a four-time member of the SEC academic honor roll.

Along with the high points last summer of his wedding and graduation, Deal experienced heartbreak when his beloved father Chris passed away from ALS in June, only a year after being diagnosed with the disease. During this tragic time, Deal’s teammates supported him, starting a GoFundMe page to help the Deal family acquire items to help Luke’s dad stay mobile and comfortable in his home for as long as possible.  

“I watched my best friend and my Superman go through things that I could not imagine,” Deal said. “Watching his strength through it all helped mold me into the man I am today.

“Having teammate support through it all was the closure I needed. I realized I have a football family that loves me and cares for me, even when times are tough,” he said. “The GoFundMe helped my family through the relentless struggle over the past couple years – the Auburn Family is so generous.”

The challenges faced in 2022 brought the current team, coaches and staff closer together than ever before, and the addition of head coach Hugh Freeze and the culture he’s brought with him has only made that bond stronger as the Tigers prepare for the 2023 season.

“The chemistry has really tightened,” Asante said. “I applaud Coach Freeze. His teaching has allowed us to become more family-oriented and one with one another. Those things translate to the football field, like loving your teammate like your brother. Everyone has each other’s best interest at heart.

“I am close with the other linebackers. We all want each other to be successful. We push each other in terms of our competition and our runs. I’m also close with our running backs; those are the guys I compete with in practice. It’s nothing but love in terms of wanting to be successful. They push me to a different limit in the weight room and on the field, and I push them as well. It’s a good dynamic.

“The staff here – equipment, video, nutrition – they’re all good. They’re really bought in and have our best interest at heart. It’s easy as a player to gravitate toward people like that.”

Asante has also gravitated toward Freeze’s message of faith and family.

“Coach Freeze is a big man of faith in Christ, and he speaks to the heart,” Asante said. “He is a strong leader. In the meetings, he says something quick and meaningful, and I have to write it down because it’s a little nugget that I need to incorporate into my own life. I’m grateful to have him.”

There's still a lot of new and unknown around this Auburn team heading into the upcoming season. Asante has a new defensive coordinator (Ron Roberts) and a new position coach (Josh Aldridge), but through it all, he has kept a positive mindset, showing passion for the game and dedication to his team. He’s also found the fun in football again.

“It’s a work environment that people want to be in and want to be a part of – it’s fun being out there and competing,” he said. “The biggest takeaway is that everyone has a role. We have fresh faces on our defense, and we are incorporating the new guys in our system. It’s just buying into what Coach Roberts’ vision is for our defense and trying to set up a standard where we are an elite defense in the SEC.

“We just want to play our best football and put our best foot forward for our fans. Throughout everything that has gone on, they have continued to support and love us. We have the leadership, the coaches, the scheme and the talent. It’s all about putting that to good use and going out there and playing every snap like it’s your last. We are establishing a winning culture.”

A psychology and computer science major, Asante hopes to follow in his older brother’s footsteps and hear his name called in the NFL Draft when he leaves Auburn. But more importantly, he wants to depart as an Auburn Man.

“I have experienced so much here, and I continue to experience so many things,” Asante said. “Going to work every day is something I don’t take for granted. I wake up every morning, and I'm excited. Though the work is hard, I embrace it with a smile on my face and I try to bring a positive attitude to uplift others around me. I want to inspire others and leave a positive impact on people and bring them back to Christ.” 

Liv Nay is a student assistant in Auburn Athletics Communications