Coleman looking to make mark
Collin Mickle/Opelika-Auburn News
Auburn defensive end Antonio Coleman never stepped on the field the last time Alabama came to Jordan-Hare Stadium.
Redshirting as a true freshman, Coleman watched the game from the sideline. But the youngster spotted plenty of opportunities as Auburn’s defense sacked Crimson Tide quarterback Brodie Croyle 11 times.
“I was like, ‘Man, I could’ve gotten me a sack then,“ Coleman said with a laugh. “‘I wish I was playing. I could have got that sack, too.’“
This season, Coleman has turned those big-play dreams into reality.
He leads Auburn and ranks third in the Southeastern Conference with 17 tackles for loss.
That total is good for 10th place nationally. It’s also the most by an Auburn player since 1995. Coleman also has a team-best seven sacks.
Not bad for a player who has only started six games this season.
Teammates say Coleman makes an impact with his energy. Long before the season started, Coleman was turning heads with his hustle in preseason practice. He hasn’t slowed down yet.
“That’s a boy there who gets after it,“ senior cornerback Patrick Lee said. “He plays hard all the time, no plays off. He’s got so much energy. I don’t know how he does it.“
Coleman is determined to make an impact this week.
“It’s just a mindset,“ he said. “When I go out there I want to make plays and help this team win. … I’m getting better every week, that’s the important thing.“
Intense practice for Tigers
The weather was unseasonably warm during Auburn’s Tuesday-morning practice.
Fittingly, AU turned up the heat on the field.
Tuesday’s practice, like Monday’s, was considerably more intense than the low-key workouts the Tigers went through last week. Auburn’s players weren’t surprised; after all, it’s Alabama week.
Most of Auburn’s gameplan was installed last week. This week’s sessions have been a refresher course - which doesn’t mean they’ve been easy.
“Ever since I’ve been here, Alabama week has been crazy at practice, people running around pushing, hitting,“ Coleman said. “It’s going to be a dogfight Saturday night and we’ve got to get our minds prepared.“
AU will slow things down today and Thursday in preparation for Saturday’s game. Head coach Tommy Tuberville doesn’t want to overdo preparations, so the next two practices will be more like walk-throughs.
“We need to start trying to get some guys’ legs back, get them freshened up a little bit,“ Tuberville said. “We’ll get their minds right and get ready to lay it on the line.“
Injury report
Auburn’s training room was empty during Tuesday’s practice, the second consecutive day the Tigers have been at full strength.
Tuberville was especially pleased with the recovery of junior tailback Tristan Davis, who worked on offense and special teams. It’s not yet clear how much - if at all - Davis will play against Alabama.
According to Tuberville, Davis could return kicks, but he’s unlikely to play on offense.
“It would probably have to be a disaster in terms of injuries,“ Tuberville said when asked if Davis would play tailback. “Hopefully, that doesn’t happen.“
