Tide, Tigers have Johnson and Smith in common

By Robert Rousseau  |   Tuesday, June 10, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Auburn Tigers
Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article!

There are no 50-50 fans in the state of Alabama when the Iron Bowl -- perhaps college football's biggest rivalry -- kicks off.

You’re either with Alabama or Auburn; it’s just that simple.

So, anytime you’re able to find a shred of commonality between these two teams that put it on the line against one another every season, it would seem important to elaborate on it. Further, barring injury there will be two people playing against one another who have a whole lot in common when the 2008 version of the Iron Bowl takes place later this year. One is an Alabama defensive back (Rashad Johnson), and the other is an Auburn wide receiver (Rod Smith).

Johnson, a safety for the Tide, is coming off an All-SEC season in which he led his team with 94 tackles, including 5.5 for a loss, and one sack to go along with six interceptions, eight pass breakups, and one forced fumble. When you hear about accolades and numbers like that, it’s almost assumed that the player was a big-time recruit. On the contrary, Johnson was a walk-on. Clearly, then, he's a dedicated athlete.

In fact, it’s that same dedication which has him on the Bronko Nagurski Trophy Watch List, an award given annually to college football’s best defensive player. It’s also that same heart which caused Johnson to be named captain of the club last season.

Speaking of heart, Smith -- Auburn's top wideout -- has an abundance of it, too. Last season, Smith led the Tigers with 52 catches for 705 yards and five touchdowns. The year before, he was second to Courtney Taylor with 26 catches for 452 yards and four scores.

By the way, Smith was also a little known walk-on, from Snellville, Ga. Nowadays, he’s known as Auburn’s best receiver. (His blocking isn't bad, either.)

So remember these two when the Iron Bowl comes around in 2008. There will be plenty of stories that may be more glamorous at the time. However, two guys overcoming the odds to play against one another in one of the biggest rivalries in any sport certainly should be one of them.





Got something to say?

Sign Up and be the first to comment on this article! (0)

About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or ...
read more
Article Tools Share!   |  RSS  |  Bleacher Report About Bleacher Report