Colby Wooden never experienced a losing season in his life, at least not until last fall. Auburn's 6-7 campaign, which saw the team lose five straight games to end the season, marked the program's first losing record since 2012. It was a difficult season for Wooden and many of his teammates to endure. "That was a tough pill to swallow," Wooden said. In the wake of that season, Bryan Harsin's first as head coach of the Tigers, Auburn saw considerable turnover both on its roster and its coaching staff. Ni neteen players transferred out of the program after the season, and the staff was overhauled, all part of a tumultuous offseason that cast uncertainty over the direction of the program.Wooden was one of a trio of Auburn defenders who considered le aving, not through the transfer portal, but to declare early for the NFL Draft. Wooden, edge defender Derick Hall and linebacker Owen Pappoe all weighed their options but ultimately chose to return for another season on the Plains-a chance to improve the ir stock individually, as well as an opportunity at redemption for the program. "It's just unfinished business, man," Pappoe said. "We didn't want to go out like that, for real, bro. Me, personally, I'm tired of losing, and that's the message we've all b een preaching to the team. We want to come out and make a difference this year, so we're going into this season with a chip on our shoulder." For Pappoe, the decision was a simpler one. He has been a starter at linebacker since the first game of his fres hman season, and he entered last year as a potential early-round NFL Draft pick. Those hopes were dashed, though, as he dealt with an injury that sidelined him for all but five games and required postseason surgery to correct. - Birmingham News
(DS#5 ILB) Sr/2023  ILB Owen Pappoe, Auburn
News Source: Birmingham News
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