Linebacker Stevens looking for better numbers

By OANow Staff

Published: August 20, 2008

AUBURN — Last season, Craig Stevens did everything his coaches told him to do on the field.

Stevens, Auburn’s starting strongside linebacker, was always in the right place. He practically never missed an assignment or a tackle. His grasp of the defense was so letter-perfect, linebackers coach James Willis dubbed him “Mr. Right.”

But it wasn’t enough. Stevens was always steady, but he was rarely spectacular. He finished his redshirt freshman season with 35 tackles — the 12th-best total on the team — but didn’t do much else.

No tackles for loss. One quarterback pressure. One pass breakup. One forced fumble.

Stevens wasn’t satisfied. Neither was Willis, who looked at Stevens physical gifts — he’s a 6-foot-3, 221-pounder who runs well, hits hard and can play middle linebacker as well as either outside position — and saw a star in the making.

“He’s a unique individual,” Willis said.

“He can play all three positions — he’s long, he’s rangy, he’s physical.

“He can be an outside rusher. He can be a (pass coverage) guy. I think he has a bright future.”

So Willis challenged Stevens to make more plays this year, his second as a starter.

“Our challenge to Craig was doing something special,” Willis said. “Making a special play — that tremendous play.”

Now a sophomore, Stevens is determined to do just that.

Improving his play-making abilities has been his main focus this preseason.

“That’s all it comes down to: just trying to make more plays,” he said.

Of course, that’s easier said than done. Takeaways and tackles for loss don’t just come to the player who tries the hardest, after all.

But extra effort doesn’t hurt, as Stevens is finding out.

“It means doing extra stuff,” he said.

“It’s not just making the tackle, but making the tackle and causing a fumble — the little extra stuff. I’m just trying to do a little more this year.”

So far, Willis likes the results. Stevens still has to prove he can be a playmaker in games, but he’s shown flashes of that ability in practice.

“I think he’s done some of those things in camp,” Willis said. “He’s definitely improving in that area.”

He hasn’t stopped being Mr. Right. But now, more than ever, he’s able to make things go wrong for opposing offenses.

Lester returns to practice: Auburn’s ranks of walking wounded got a little thinner Wednesday, when senior tailback Brad Lester participated in his first practice in a week.

Lester had missed the previous eight practices for reasons that were never entirely clear. Head coach Tommy Tuberville originally said Lester and classmate Tristan Davis were “resting.” A few days later, he announced Lester had a foot injury and Davis an injured ankle, though neither were serious.

Wednesday, Tuberville said Lester had returned to practice, but Davis was still sidelined, this time with an injured hamstring. However, the coach reiterated that Davis’ injury was minor.

RB signee Hunt headed to junior college: The wait is over for Reggie Hunt. Unfortunately for Hunt, the news is bad.

Hunt, an Auburn signee from Daphne, learned Wednesday that he had not reached NCAA academic standards and will not be cleared to enroll at Auburn this fall.

According to Auburnsports.com, Hunt will enroll at Copiah-Lincoln College in Wesson, Miss., sometime this week. He is expected to redshirt this season, play for Copiah-Lincoln in 2009 and sign with AU in 2010. Under that scenario, he would be a redshirt sophomore during the 2010 season, with three years of eligibility.

AU to play Samford in 2011: Samford coach Pat Sullivan announced Wednesday that Auburn and Samford have agreed to play each other in football in 2011.

Speaking before a group of Samford boosters in Birmingham on Wednesday, Sullivan said Samford is close to signing contracts to play Florida State in 2010 and Auburn in 2011.