Auburn freshman safety Erique Florence ready to play after rapid August...

[Saniflush]

AUBURN, Alabama -- Erique Florence spent his senior season of high school as quarterback of the Valley Rams, a celebrity in a football-crazy mill town about 30 miles northeast of Auburn.

But when he was on the sidelines, he couldn't help but peek longingly at the defense and the position he really wanted to play.

Florence is a safety, and if there were any doubt about that, it's been erased by his rapid ascension up the depth chart and the raves from coaches who have marveled at his adjustment to the college game.

"He did what was best for his team in high school, and that's what most high school teams do. They put their best player on offense," said safeties coach Tommy Thigpen. "But he's probably one of the best players in the country at his position."

Florence shook off some rust at high school all-star games and spent the summer on campus getting re-acclimated to defense.

The August shock of facing bigger and better players wore off quickly.

"The first practice, it hit me. I didn't expect it to be that fast and that much thinking involved," Florence said. "High school football was a piece of cake, but college football is totally different....But now it's slowed down for me. It's kind of seeming like high school all over again, just with bigger people. I know that once I get really, really comfortable with it, I'll be pretty good."

He may be close to that already. Florence is currently bracketed at free safety behind converted cornerback Neiko Thorpe. Demetruce McNeal is on the strong side. As the third safety, Florence will likely play early and often.

"He's a play-maker," said cornerback T'Sharvan Bell. "He's always around the ball. Every time you cut on the film, you see (No. 14) around the ball, whether he's making a tackle or getting an interception or a fumble recovery."

Thigpen said Florence had become a film-room marvel.

"It can be all the way to the (other) side of the field from his alignment and somehow he's always in the tape," Thigpen said. "What he brings is fun to watch."

Florence wasn't part of a passing offense at Valley so the notion of him playing on offense at the college level was never even entertained.

"The whole time I was at quarterback..I wanted to be on the other side of the ball," Florence said. "I was begging coach to put me in, but I was the quarterback and he didn't want to get me hurt. When I finally had a to chance to play, it was kind of an awkward feeling...Now it feels like I never even played quarterback. Everything is back to normal. I'm ready for the season, I think."

Thigpen is sure of it.

"You put him in the game, he's going to make it hard for you to take him out," he said.

[AUTiger1]

"It can be all the way to the (other) side of the field from his alignment and somehow he's always in the tape," Thigpen said. "What he brings is fun to watch."

It moved.

[Saniflush]

It moved.

See you and I got something completely different from this statement. 
What I heard is "this kid could get faked out of his shoes on counters and misdirection".

[AUTiger1]

See you and I got something completely different from this statement. 
What I heard is "this kid could get faked out of his shoes on counters and misdirection".

And I totally misread that.  I see now he said "he's always in the tape" and my mind saw "he's always in the play."  Now that I read it again, it's not moving anymore.   Funny how the mind sees what it wants to see sometimes.

[AUChizad]

And I totally misread that.  I see now he said "he's always in the tape" and my mind saw "he's always in the play."  Now that I read it again, it's not moving anymore.   Funny how the mind sees what it wants to see sometimes.

I think you were right the first time, but maybe I'm wrong.

I see "always in the tape" as in "always in the film"...which can be translated to "always in the play".

Don't see what else that can mean. Especially considering it's qualified by "What he brings is fun to watch".

[djsimp]

I think you were right the first time, but maybe I'm wrong.

I see "always in the tape" as in "always in the film"...which can be translated to "always in the play".

Don't see what else that can mean. Especially considering it's qualified by "What he brings is fun to watch".

Yeah, I don't think a player getting faked out of his shoes would be too fun for a coach to watch.

[Saniflush]

I never said it would be fun.  He meant it the way you said.  I hear something completely different though.  The way you kick the shit out of an aggressive player who is always in on a play that is going away from him is you fake the opposite of him side and go right back at his side.
If he is always in on the play across the field then he most likely is not reading his keys and staying home. 

Here comes Mr. Reverse to break it off in him.

[chinook]

i read...neiko thorpe better get use to the smell of pine. 

[Tiger Wench]

i read...neiko thorpe better get use to the smell of pine.

If I had one, that thought would make it move...

[Saniflush]

If I had one, that thought would make it move...

How soon you all forget the young man who saved the game against NW.

[Tiger Wench]

How soon you all forget the young man who saved the game against NW.