On the Plains with James Ash: 'Can't ask for anymore more'

For James Ash, a certain phrase has been at the root of all he’s done and continues to do.

“Your best ability is your availability,” he said.

Ash transferred to Auburn after three seasons at Florida A&M. The defensive lineman was All-SWAC second team in 2024, finishing with 44 tackles for the Rattlers. Prior to FAMU, he spent one season at Wake Forest. 

Now on the Plains, he is gearing up for his final collegiate football season, his first as a Tiger, and his grit and love for the sport started long before he stepped onto the big SEC stage. 

“I’ve seen it a lot growing up from my brother,” Ash said. “He was always active in sports. He was a wrestler, he was a football player, he was a plethora of things. It was a lot to follow, and I just wanted to be the best at whatever I did. I fell in love with football and ran with it.” 

His brother, Chris Oliver, played football at Waldorf University in Iowa. Along with looking up to his brother, Ash spent his high school and early college years surrounded by coaches and mentors who helped him reach his full potential on and off the field. 

“High school coaches are really the foundation of a young man’s life,” Ash said. “They come in while a young man is still trying to find themselves. I was just fortunate enough to have the right set of high school coaches.”

Ash went to Chamberlain High School in Tampa, Florida, where he was team captain and a two-time all-conference selection. He credits his high school mentors for helping him get to where he is today.

“My head coach, Jason Lane, was the good cop, bad cop type of guy,” Ash said. “He had to bring the hammer, and he was the one who got me to really lock in.” 

The examples set before Ash in the years to follow eventually led him to the Plains to finish out his final season. 

“It was more seeing the value of myself,” Ash said. “I needed a change after spending time at FAMU. I needed to help my family and my mother and move from where I was comfortable and actually take that step. Luckily, that step took me here.” 

Despite fighting the urge to change, he ultimately took the leap and left his home state.

“It was just my word of the year, actually,” Ash said. “It was from church and that word was obey. I’ve just been trying to obey and listen to the voice. I would sometimes disagree, like ‘I don’t need to leave family,’ but family is why I need to finish. I listened to that voice.”
 
After earning a degree in interdisciplinary studies from FAMU, Ash plans to use his skills learned both in the classroom and in the sport to take him to the next level.
 
With the NFL in his sights, he’s also looking past his time in pads to hopefully a time with a headset and clipboard.

“It was a degree that I was able to take a lot of coaching skills and all that good stuff from,” Ash said. “And that’s eventually where I want to end up. I want to stay as close to this game as possible. This game has gotten me this far, I know it can take me further.”

Looking around now, the 6-3, 302-pounder can’t help but be grateful for where football has taken him. 

“I almost tear up because it’s surreal,” Ash said. “Sometimes I wake up in Auburn, Alabama, and I’ll be like ‘Dang, I don’t know how we’re here.’ I can’t ask for anything more.” 

As a key play on a talented and versatile Auburn D-line, Ash is getting excited and hopeful for the upcoming season. 

“Not one man can just run the show,” Ash said. “It doesn’t take one man. I’m thankful to have fresh bodies all time when it comes to this game because it’s not easy. With how Coach Vontrell (King-Williams) rotates us, it is pretty well organized for everybody to get a good amount of reps to play.” 

As the season approaches, playing in Jordan-Hare is something that Ash can’t wait to experience. 

“I’ve never seen that many people cheering for my team,” Ash said. “But now that I’m here and I see how many people really fill the stands, and how many people love Auburn and how many times I say ‘War Eagle’ throughout the week, I just can’t wait. I’m going to definitely have to take a stop at the 20-yard line when I come out for the first time and really take it all in.” 

But there is more to it than what we see on the field. Ash emphasizes the importance of being the best you can be and going above and beyond for the Tigers. 

“Stay hungry,” Ash said. “No matter where you fall on the depth chart, how you fall in the rotation, you better just know your stuff when your name called. That’s all I know. That’s all I can do. That’s all I can pray for.”