Chizik Talks To Auburn Club

[AUChizad]

http://blog.al.com/goldmine/2009/05/cool_and_relaxed_auburn_coach.html

Gene Chizik talks Tiger Prowl; tells Auburn club it's time to get the swagger back
Posted by Charles Goldberg -- Birmingham News May 05, 2009 8:38 PM
Categories: Football
Cool and relaxed, Auburn coach Gene Chizik told jokes and provided some insight at what's going on with his football team at the Lee County Auburn Club on Tuesday night.


Todd Van Emst/Auburn
Gene Chizik talks to the fans
Some of the highlights:
**You could tell the positive publicity Auburn received from its Tiger Prowl limo recruiting tour even surprised him.

**He's not backing down from going after big-name recruits.

**No, he didn't name a starting quarterback.

**He expects quarterback signee Tyrik Rollison to be eligible.

A few details, if you will...here is what Chizik said about:

The success of the Tiger Prowl recruiting tour
"It was unique. We just wanted to show the importance of the state. We kind of thought a little bit outside the box.

"We wanted to get the state's attention, and let them know the importance of the high schools and the kids. It just kind of snowballed.''

 
On recruiting
"It's really been fun. You can go out there and just recruit, but we really try to have some means to the madness. We really set our sights on exactly what we need to get back to at Auburn to get us back to be undefeated.

"I have this memory when we left in 2004, and I know what that team looked like, I know their swagger. We don't have that right now, but we're going to get it back, so we've got to go out and recruit the same type of people -- all of the names that you heard, the Carnells, Ronnies and the Jason and the Karlos Dansby and Rogers. That's who we've got to go get. Bottom line.

"You can spin it anyway you want to spin it, but right now we've got to go back out there and fight for those guys. I feel really good about the guys we've identified.''

On spring practice
"It was a series of events where some days were good and some days were bad. But what was neat to see was offensively, some days we were really good and the defense wasn't so good; and some days the defense was really good and the offense wasn't so good. It really went back and forth. At the end of the day, offensively we tried to get back to the down-home roots; get physical, hard-nosed tough football.''

On the quarterback race
"Don't ask me who the quarterback is because I have no clue (he joked).''

Do you expect Tyrik Rollison to qualify?
"Absolutely.''
Though he said the NCAA Clearinghouse has final approval.

On the general feeling about his program
"I think we're on the right track of building a foundation. Everything we're trying to do is build a foundation. We're just trying to start all over. We feel good about that. We feel good at where we ended. We know we have a ton of work to do, but we have time to do that."

On his assistant coaches
"They're going to do you proud. They're going to make Auburn proud, and they're going to give us what we need to get this thing back to where we need to be.''

In summary he told the club members
"I want you to be excited. This is who you are. We want you to be as excited as the coaches.''