Former Auburn players praise hiring

AUBURN — Hard-nosed. No nonsense. Motivator.

That’s the way three former Auburn defenders and Gene Chizik pupils described their former defensive coordinator Saturday evening, not long after it was announced Chizik would succeed Tommy Tuberville as the football program’s head coach.

“He knows how to push buttons and motivate,” said former AU linebacker/defensive back Will Herring, an Opelika native who now plays for the Seattle Seahawks after starting at Auburn from 2003-06. “I can go down the list of guys who, at the time, didn’t like what he was saying, but then look back and say, ‘He was a genius.’ He kicked me in the butt before, and he came at me with the other approach.

“I’m pumped about it. I love Chiz. He’s a guy you love to play for. He knows how to motivate every individual. He could be hard on you at times and give you a pat on the back at times. When he was (at Auburn), our defense bought into his system.”

Former Auburn defensive tackle T.J. Jackson, also from Opelika, said Chizik will “bring a new attitude to Auburn football.”

“Defensively, Auburn is going to be technically sound and will get after it,” said Jackson, who now plays for the Kansas City Chiefs and was a fixture on the Tiger defensive interior from 2002-05. “Auburn is going to have a tough defense and run the football. That’s SEC football. Go out and smack people in the mouth. I saw how he changed things at Iowa State. Throw out the won-loss record. He put fight into those guys.”

Don’t expect a sissy brand of football under Chizik.

“I think you’re going to have a hard-nosed, physical team — not just on defense. That will carry over to offense. He’s going to demand excellence,” Herring said.

Travis Williams, a former Tiger linebacker who lettered at Auburn from 2002-05, expects Chizik’s defense in 2009 to mimic the traditional 4-3 formations from his first tenure in the 2002, 2003 and 2004 seasons.

But what impresses him the most is Chizik’s nature off of the field.

“Anytime you walk in his office, he had a sign that says, ‘Everyone is important.’ To him, everyone was important from the equipment guy to the custodian. That’s the type of guy he is,” said Williams, who hopes to continue his NFL career despite suffering a third herniated disk in mini-camp last summer. Williams spent this season working as a volunteer high school football coach in Columbia, S.C.

“He knows his X’s and O’s and can relate to the players,” Williams continued. “I’m really happy with Auburn’s decision. He’s going to win games, and besides that, he’s a great man. He’s the right man for the job. If we can’t have Coach Tuberville, we’re glad to have Coach Chizik.

“Everyone was hurt by losing Coach Tuberville. But they did a great and thorough evaluation in the interview process.”

There’s no denying many fans are not happy about the hire. But Chizik’s former players have a message for them.

“Get to know the guy,” said Herring. “When you have a winning tradition like we have at Auburn and have a great coaching staff for a long time, the bar is set very high. I know (Chizik) had an uphill battle at Iowa State, but you can’t make an accurate judgment on that.

“All I can base my opinion on is having played under Chiz for three years and seeing how our defense bought into his system and progress. No doubt, he’s got the leadership qualities to be a head coach.

“He took a leap of faith by playing me as a redshirt freshman (2003 at safety). He’s a winner. When he has something to say, you listen. You can’t say that about every coach.”

Jackson credits Chizik for motivation he still uses today.

“When I was just in college and coming out of high school, he quickly let me know what he expected out of me,” he said. “I’m glad he taught me to expect a lot out of myself.”