< 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: BRENDEN COFFEY 61 Similar to many of his teammates and other student-athletes across the country, Auburn offensive tackle Brenden Coffey had an opportunity to extend his collegiate career due to the extra year of eligibility granted during the pandemic, and he wasn’t about to let that opportunity go to waste. “It wasn’t a hard decision at all,” Coffey said of utilizing his fifth year. “I love playing here. I love this place. I love the en- vironment. I love the people. Getting another year here, that was an easy decision.” With two years in an Auburn uniform competing in the Southeastern Conference now under his belt, Coffey enters the 2022 season with a better understanding of what it takes to succeed at this level both on and off the field. “I’ve matured a lot since I’ve been here,” Coffey said. “I thought I knew football pretty well when I got here, but it’s opened my eyes to what it really means to play football at a higher level. I notice key details and the small things more. We’re always going over the little things that make up the bigger pic- ture. That’s how I’ve matured. I notice the small things now and take meticulous notes on those things so I can perfect them.” The attention to detail and time spent in the film room has not only translated to more production in between the hashes, but also in the classroom and in his personal life. His hard work hasn’t gone unnoticed. “Brenden Coffey is another guy that’s made a lot of im- provements,” Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin said leading into the season. “He’s very athletic, and he’s done a really good job putting himself in a position to get out there and play.” Coffey and his coaches not only feel good about his indi- vidual progress prior to the season, but the fifth-year lineman also feels good about the trajectory of the 2022 Tigers. In large part, the team’s confidence is due to an overall sense of unity among his teammates that began in the spring. “The one word that comes to mind is driven,” Coffey said when asked about the team’s identity. “We seem more driven than we’ve ever been. We seem more whole. We seem like we all want the same goal and are a team. We’re all trying to work for the same goal.” Working cohesively toward the same goal is paramount for any team to have success. When you break it down by position group, the same may be a truer definition of the offensive line than any other unit – five or more individuals working in unison at the snap of a finger to protect their teammates. Coffey feels as if that bond among his fellow linemen is stronger than ever. “I’ll never be this close to a big group of guys like this ever again,” Coffey said. “All those O-linemen that I’ve played with, those are my brothers. I will never know another group of people like that in my entire life. We’ve grinded together, played football together, cracked jokes together. Those guys are my brothers. That’s one thing I’ll always remember is just who they are and what they’ve done for me.” Having once again walked through the masses at Tiger Walk and run through the tunnel onto Pat Dye Field in front of 87,000-plus to start the season, Coffey was reminded that the bond within the locker room is shared to an extent throughout the entire Auburn Family. “All these people are here to support us no matter what,” Coffey said of the crowd inside Jordan-Hare Stadium. “Those are some of my favorite memories right there.” Originally from Paradise, California, Coffey took a step outside of his comfort zone in coming to Auburn prior to the 2020 season from Butte (Calif.) College, where he was a two- year starter and the conference shot put champion. Howev- er, two years later, the political science major, who plans to graduate next spring and hopes someday for a career with the FBI, can’t imagine what life would be like if he hadn’t traveled across the country to the Plains. “Everyone here means something to me now,” Coffey add- ed. “I don’t think I could ever live without this in my life again. There’s no way I could ever walk around and not think of these people and this place as my family and my home.” Now Coffey wants to give back and reward those people. He and his teammates are aiming as high as possible in what will be their last season together at Auburn. “We want to go out as champions,” he said. “We just want to go out with everything that we have.” ‘I LOVE THIS PLACE’ BY: GEORGE NUNNELLEY AUBURNTIGERS.COM SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: BRENDEN COFFEY$15 billion impact. Serving Alabama's number-one agricultural industry with a Good for You and Great for Alabama www.alabamapoultry.org Did you eat your eggs this morning?SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: HAYDEN BRICE 63 Hayden Brice’s career has had a lot of changes, including two stops in junior college and two position changes, but it’s clear that the Auburn senior edge defender is making most of the opportunity to play at his dream school on the Plains. Originally from Jackson, Mississippi, where he graduat- ed from St. Joseph Catholic School, Brice was a multi-sport athlete growing up. In addition to football, he also played bas- ketball, was involved in track and field, and swam. Ultimately, he decided to focus on football over his second favorite sport, basketball, while he was in high school. “I played AAU basketball when I was in the 10th grade. I remember going to a tournament in Atlanta, walking in the gym and seeing these other kids that were like seven feet tall,” said Brice, who now stands 6-foot-3. “They were already this tall at the age of 16. After that, I realized that I might not get any taller, but I knew that I was definitely big enough to be a football player. So, I just put all my focus into football after the 10th grade.” Following high school, Brice continued his football career as a wide receiver in the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges, playing first at Pearl River Community College in 2018, where he recorded eight catches for 136 yards, and then at Northeast Mississippi Community College in 2019, where he totaled eight catches for 220 yards and a touchdown. After his 2019 season at NMCC, Brice had his sights set on one school – Auburn University. “I never actually took a visit to Auburn,” the senior said. “Auburn was the only school that I applied to, so when I got in, I came. Auburn was a dream school for me.” After Brice arrived on campus, the coaching staff transi- tioned him to tight end for the 2020 campaign. However, the bigger challenge came the following season in 2021 when first-year head coach Bryan Harsin asked him to play some- where that he’d never played before in his college career. He asked Brice to play on the defensive side of the ball. “The most difficult thing was learning to play defense for the first time,” said the versatile veteran. “Coming from the offensive side of the ball and transitioning to playing defense in the SEC was definitely a challenge, but I just had to work hard and learn it.” Brice believes he has been taught a lot through his time playing football. “Football has definitely taught me a lot of life lessons about not giving up on myself, the value of hard work, and learning to always see stuff all the way through,” he said. Brice, who is studying in the Harbert College of Business, also has learned a lot about time management through the challenges of balancing football and class. “Balancing school and football is definitely a lot,” he said. “We wake up early in the morning to lift weights, then go to classes before coming to practice for three or four hours and then go home to study for both football and for classes. After that, we go to sleep and do it all over again the next day. It is a lot to balance, but it will be valuable throughout life.” Brice, who is on track to graduate in December with a mar- keting degree, keeps a close relationship with his family. He claims that a lot of his success is due to the encouragement and support from his parents, Jon and Heather, as well as his two siblings, Kahlil and Gavin. “I keep my family really close,” he said. “They have helped me through a lot of the things that I deal with on a day-to-day basis. I don’t think I’d be here without their support.” When asked about his personal goals for his senior season, Brice’s answer was short and simple: to be the best teammate he can be on and off the field. And when asked for his goals for the team, the answer was even shorter: win the national championship. “Y’all are the best fans in the nation,” Brice said as a person- al message to the Auburn Family. “I love when y’all come out and cheer for us every Saturday!” ‘THE VALUE OF HARD WORK’ BY: RILEY HUBBARD AUBURNTIGERS.COM SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: HAYDEN BRICEBUSINESS FRIENDS WORKING FOR THE FUTURE OF AUBURN AL lic #11024 334-501-2426 We Service All Brands • BeƩer liŌ without underwire Our camis feature: • Digging Underwire For more informaƟon: 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 ARRYN SIPOSS JOSH BYNES DARIUS SLAYTON DERRICK BROWN K.J. BRITTTIGERS IN THE NFL 67 TIGERS IN THE NFL AUBURNTIGERS.COM MARLON DAVIDSON DANIEL CARLSON PRINCE TEGA WANOGHO Auburn in the NFL (as of Sept. 28, 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 Injured Reserve: Marlon Davidson DL Atlanta Falcons 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), Chandler Wooten (Arizona)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-moƟvated Chemical, Mechanical and Polymer & Fiber Engineers. Send engineering resumes to careers.aub@aptar.com. 960 W. Veterans Blvd. | Auburn, AL 36832 334-887-8300 | Fax: 334-887-8328Next >