< Previouslegacyofhope.org Have a HEART. When you become an organ donor, you’re helping people in need. Please register today. It’s quick, it’s easy and it could save up to eight lives. Scan the code to register now!SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: JALIL IRVIN 61 Senior offensive lineman Jalil Irvin came to the Plains to fulfill his dream of playing football for a Division I program and will leave Auburn with an unforgettable experience that goes beyond the field. A self-described ‘mama’s boy’ from Stephenson High in Stone Mountain, Georgia, Irvin originally committed to Michi- gan, but ultimately chose Auburn his junior year of high school. The decision came down to wanting to stay close to his ‘heart’ and the one who raised him, his mother, Chantay Irvin. Originally from Detroit, Jalil and his mother moved to the south when he was around six years old. “My mom’s about two hours away,” he said. “She’s a single parent, so I was wanting to stay close to her.” While the shorter distance was nice, it wasn’t the sole factor in Irvin’s decision. During visits and offers, there was something about Auburn that was special in the eyes of his mother. “Mama knows best, so I’m listening to her,” he said. “I know she had my best interest at heart. This is the only school my mom liked, out of all the schools I visited. I really do think that’s why I came here.” Growing up, Irvin admittingly didn’t know much about Auburn, but he remembers when the Tigers first appeared on his radar. “Cam Newton. I remember seeing him play in 2010,” he said. “I was probably watching every single game. It was cool. At 10 years old, you see a guy jumping over the line of scrimmage at 6-5, 250 pounds, and just think, ‘That’s not normal.’” Along with Newton, Irvin names Nick Marshall as one of his all-time favorite Auburn athletes. Fast forward to his freshman year, Irvin found himself in the same orange and blue as some of his favorite players, making memories of his own wearing an Auburn jersey. One of Jalil’s favorites is beating Alabama in the 2019 Iron Bowl. Another unforgettable experience for Irvin was beating LSU on the road during the 2021 season. Some of his favorite moments occurred across the street from Jordan-Hare Stadi- um in Neville Arena, watching basketball. “I came here at the right time,” he said. “They got really good. My first year we went to the Final Four. We had Bryce Brown and Jared Harper. Then Jabari Smith and Isaac Okoro, just all that talent. I’m happy they all came here when I was here. I get to tell my kids, ‘I went to the same school as him,’ or ‘I got to see him play in person.’ That’s pretty cool.” Irvin’s support for fellow student-athletes exemplifies what it means to him to be a part of the Auburn Family – togeth- erness. “People here are really genuine, that’s just a part of the culture,” he said. “They care about you, on and off the field, which is probably the most important thing to me. “It’s been like that since I was even just committed here. In high school, when you’re committed to a big school like this, you want to show off your gear. I can vividly remember walking into an airport and people saying ‘War Eagle’ to me. Everywhere you go, there’s some type of Auburn alum. Everywhere. The Auburn Family really is something else.” Love for the Auburn Family and his ‘hard work’ mentality is what motivated Irvin to keep developing and challenging himself throughout the years on the field. “I’ve been here a long time. I never left. I never gave up. After putting in all that work, I finally got my chance,” Irvin said, recalling his first career start at center in the 2021 Birmingham Bowl against Houston. Off the field, Irvin, who has earned a spot on the SEC Academic Honor Roll, values education, crediting Auburn’s academic programs as another reason he came to the Plains. Majoring in business administration, Irvin will graduate this summer and hopes to take what he’s learned at Auburn with him to Houston, Texas, where he hopes to live after the season. “I could see myself being a project manager or something like that. I just like helping people,” he said. “That fits the mold of who I am. I’d like to travel first though before I settle down.” The life of a student-athlete can be demanding at times, but Irvin admits the structure helps him stay on task. “I’ll miss having a regular day-to-day schedule mapped out for me,” he said. “When you get in the real world, you have to figure stuff out on your own. You don’t have coaches telling you, ‘Okay, you have to be here at this spot, at this time.’ I’m mature, though. It’ll be different, but I think I’ll figure it out.” The bond with his teammates, the support of the Auburn Family, and the overall culture are what Irvin will miss most after his senior season ends. Looking back at his time at Auburn, Irvin has no regrets. “I’m so grateful,” he said. “I have so much gratitude for this place. It taught me more than I could’ve ever imagined.” ‘I’M SO GRATEFUL’ BY: JAMEY JOSEPH AUBURNTIGERS.COM SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: JALIL IRVIN $15billion impact. ServingAlabama's number-oneagricultural industrywitha GoodforYouandGreatforAlabama www.alabamapoultry.org Didyoueatyoureggsthismorning?SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: KAMERON STUTTS 63 Coming out of high school as a highly recruited, top-level athlete, choosing where to play at the next level is one of the biggest decisions a young person can make. For senior offen- sive lineman Kameron Stutts, it was clear Auburn University was home from the very beginning. “What drew me to Auburn is it has that hometown feeling, and the people here are awesome,” said Stutts, a product of Brooks High School in Killen, Alabama. “Everybody always says in recruiting that you’ll know when you find the spot you want to go to. I just felt it.” Stutts has always found inspiration in players who have come before him and who have excelled in the sport. When he was younger, he wanted to be a skills guy, so he looked up to safety Kam Chancellor of the Seattle Seahawks. However, since growing into an offensive lineman, he now looks up to NFL veteran Trent Williams. “He found out he had cancer and was basically told to get his affairs in order,” Stutts said. “He kept playing, and he’s been playing for 13 or 14 years and is one of the highest-paid offen- sive tackles. He’s doing it at the highest level.” In college football, playing in the SEC is playing at the highest level. To win a championship, Stutts knows it takes every member of the team pulling together. Heading into his fifth season as an Auburn Tiger, he values and takes pride in the relationships he has built with his teammates, past and present. He stresses the importance of building those relationships while working toward becoming the best you can be as a team. “Everybody comes from different backgrounds, and every- body’s different,” Stutts said. “But we’re all working toward the same goal. We do all kinds of stuff together. We go hunting and fishing, we go downtown together, we go to eat. Really anything where there’s people around, I enjoy doing.” Those relationships with his teammates and coaches along with the team success are the foundation of some of his favor- ite memories at Auburn. “Coming in the locker room after a big win, we’re throw- ing water bottles everywhere - that’s always fun,” Stutts said. “We never forget those. Those moments are big. I know in the locker room almost daily we’re playing music and dancing and singing and stuff. So that’s another thing, just being around my teammates and celebrating with them.” But this year is different. It’s Stutts’ last year. Over the years, Auburn football has taught him so much more than just how to be the best player he can be on the field. Among other things, it’s taught him the value of hard work. He wants to show others through his hard work how important that aspect is when you are part of a team. “I know my four, going on five years now that I’ve been here, it’s just been focusing on doing the hard work and never giving up,” Stutts said. “Now I’m getting the opportunity to play here for my fifth year, and the extra year gives me the op- portunity to really emphasize that point –never give up. Just keep fighting, keep working, and your chance will come.” When asked about what he will remember most about his time at Auburn, Stutts explained that there is really nothing like that gameday feeling on the Plains. Nothing compares to the energy of stepping out on the field under the lights at Jordan-Hare Stadium. “We put all the work in during the off-season, and then you finally get to gamedays and all the hard work you’ve been put- ting together pays off,” Stutts said. “You get to show off where everybody comes together to accomplish one goal. It’s fun – that team success together. Those are the things I’ll probably miss most when it’s all over with.” Stutts graduates this May with a degree in fitness, con- ditioning and performance through the School of Kinesiol- ogy, but he intends on staying another two years to earn his master’s in business administration. He hopes one day to open and run his own athletic training facility that specializes in training football athletes for the next level. At Auburn, all incoming freshmen are introduced to the Auburn Creed and encouraged to live by the tenets of the Creed. It was no different with Stutts. The last line, specifi- cally, resonated with him. “…and because Auburn men and women believe in these things, I believe in Auburn and I love it.” “I believe in Auburn because of the people,” he said. “I know the Creed also says I believe in work, hard work. Ever since I’ve been here, that’s all I’ve known. Everyone around me always works hard, and that’s what helps you believe in them. They believe in me, and I believe in them. That’s the reason I love it, too. “A lot of other schools say they have the family thing, but it just feels different here because it is different here. There’s nothing like the Auburn Family.” ‘NEVER GIVE UP’ BY: HANNING MAGEE AUBURNTIGERS.COM SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: KAMERON STUTTS BUSINESS FRIENDS WORKING FOR THE FUTURE OF AUBURN AL lic #11024 334-501-2426 We Service All Brands • Better lift without underwire Our camis feature: • Digging Underwire For more information: Text the word “curious” to (205) 813-RUBY (7829) • Straps that stay in place all day • Cups designed to custom fit you • Full coverage for no bulge or spillage • Smoothing back and tummy panels • Wicking fabric to stay cooler and dryer • Slipping Straps • Cups That Don’t Fit • Bra Bulge • Bra Lines • Boob Sweat DO YOU HATE WEARING BRAS? -Call for pickups 334-705-8858 - Supporting Hosanna Home and His Place - 2,000 fresh pieces daily! 1750 Opelika Road, Auburn www.harvestevangelism.org AXE Come Check us out in Downtown Opelika... the owner is an Auburn Alum! (912) 322.1699Find us on 223 S 8th St. Opelika AL, 36801 Auburn’s First OFF-LEASH Dog Park & Bar! Bring Your Dog & Come Watch The Game With Us! We Have TV’s, Shade, & Over 16,000 Square Feet Of Turf! No Dog Required! 203 East University Drive gooddog_auburn | gooddogpark.org TASTE WEEKLY 2638 Enterprise Drive Opelika AL 36801 (334) 203-4783 www.Crumblcookies.comPOST SEASON TROPHY WINNERS 65 n Zeke Smith 1958 Outland Trophy n Tracy Rocker 1988 Outland Trophy & Lombardi Award n Carlos Rogers 2004 Jim Thorpe Award n Nick Fairley 2010 Lombardi Award n Reese Dismukes 2014 Rimington Trophy n Derrick Brown 2019 Lott IMPACT Trophy POST SEASON TROPHY WINNERS AUBURNTIGERS.COM66 TIGERS IN THE NFL TIGERS IN THE NFL AUBURNTIGERS.COM C.J. UZOMAH ANTHONY SCHWARTZ DARIUS SLAYTON JOSH BYNES RUDY FORD DERRICK BROWN K.J. BRITTTIGERS IN THE NFL 67 TIGERS IN THE NFL AUBURNTIGERS.COM JOHANTHAN JONES DANIEL CARLSON NOAH IGBINOGHENE Auburn in the NFL (as of Nov. 3, 2022) Montravius Adams DL Pittsburgh Steelers Angelo Blackson DL Chicago Bears K.J. Britt LB Tampa Bay Buccanners Derrick Brown DL Carolina Panthers Josh Bynes LB Baltimore Ravens Daniel Carlson PK Las Vegas Raiders Carlton Davis DB Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jamel Dean DB Tampa Bay Buccaneers Jack Driscoll OT Philadelphia Eagles Rudy Ford DB Green Bay Packers Josh Harris LS Los Angeles Chargers Noah Igbinoghene DB Miami Dolphins Jonathan Jones DB New England Patriots Carl Lawson DE New York Jets Roger McCreary DB Tennessee Titans Anthony Schwartz WR Cleveland Browns Jamien Sherwood DB New York Jets Arryn Siposs P Philadelphia Eagles Darius Slayton WR New York Giants Braden Smith OL Indianapolis Colts Jarrett Stidham QB Las Vegas Raiders Daniel Thomas DB Jacksonville Jaguars C.J. Uzomah TE New York Jets Prince Tega Wanogho OL Kansas City Chiefs Chandler Wooten LB Carolina Panthers Injured Reserve: Smoke Monday DB New Orleans Saints Also AU lettermen: Byron Cowart DL Indianapolis Colts Malik Willis QB Tennessee Titans Practice Squads: Big Kat Bryant (Miami), Seth Williams (Jacksonville)BUSINESS FRIENDS WORKING FOR THE FUTURE OF AUBURN Make tailgating easy by picking up our homemade dips, casseroles, cookies and cakes! Downtown Opelika • 334-748-9075 • 105 Southridge Ct. Opelika AL, 36804 334-663-2464 LET US MOVE YOU! Recover from Opioid Addiction 205-877-8585 WWW.READYMIXUSA.COM READY MIX USA Concrete Right...The First Time...On Time 334-737-1818 Ready Mix Concrete • Paving Water Proof Concrete • Flowable Fill Internally Reinforced Concrete Lightweight Concrete • Shotcrete Architectural Polished Concrete A Proud Supporter of Auburn University Moving? 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We are always looking for talented, self-motivated Chemical, Mechanical and Polymer & Fiber Engineers. Send engineering resumes to careers.aub@aptar.com. 960W. Veterans Blvd. | Auburn, AL 36832 334-887-8300 | Fax:334-887-8328Next >