Smoke Monday, Auburn Football News: Draft Scout Player News

08/09/21 - FS Smoke Monday, rSr/2022, Auburn

It seems like Auburn safety Smoke Monday's college career has nearly gone by in the blink of an eye. Monday told reporters on Friday it seemed like just yesterday he was one of the newcomers trying to fit in as a true freshman in 2018. Now, Monday finds himself as the most-experienced member of the Auburn secondary and among the true leaders on either side of the ball. That transition may have come quickly for Monday, but the senior is embracing his new role with open arms. "It feels weird because I had a lot of guys here when I first got here that taught me a lot. I didn't think I would be in this position so quickly, but by learning so much from the other guys who were here - that were older than me and taught me so much - it just feels good to be that older guy in the room," Monday said. "My goal is just to basically teach them everything that I've learned since I've been here and just play my ball. Just do my job. By doing my job, I can help a lot of guys do their job."

Monday's status as one of the examples Auburn's new coaches want others to follow is a hard-earned one. Monday stood out in the back end of the Tigers' defense in 2020 and earned second team All-SEC honors after racking up 73 tackles, five defended passes, one interception and one forced fumble. He delivered his share of big plays last fall, which included a game-changing 100-yard pick-six against Tennessee on Nov. 21. A lot has changed around the Auburn program since last December when Gus Malzahn and his staff were fired, but Monday explained he did his part to keep a level head throughout it all. He pointed out his coaches since rec ball have taught him that change is inevitable; besides, he had teammates watching how he navigated the situation. - Opelika-Auburn News

rSr/2022