AU News Conference
Whitney Arrington
Flomaton High School
Flomaton, Alabama
At 6 feet 2 inches, red-shirted freshman LaDarius Owens brings a lot to the table for the Auburn University football team.
Owens was raised in Bessemer, where he made his start in little league football. Because of transferring schools, Owens only played two consecutive years of high school football.
His uncle, James Owens, who was the first African-American to receive a football scholarship from Auburn, inspired him to start playing and then later on come to Auburn. His athleticism, work ethic and leadership make him a gem for Auburn to posses.
Although LaDarius was a top recruit, the road for him to become a starting linebacker was not easy. He soon learned that there was more to football than just being talented and he had to be red-shirted. Owens spent his entire year cheering on his teammates on the sidelines.
“I was very bitter at first, but as time goes on you can either make it a positive situation or sit around and mope about it,” Owens said.
His mother and strong faith in God help inspire him when workouts get tough. He even said sometimes his teammates don’t enjoy working out with him because he pushes himself to the limit and tries to be the best he can be.
Owens is not only a work-aholic on the field, but he also works his tail off in class too. He said sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated and do his homework when he is tired, but he just has to make himself buckle down and get it over with.
For Owens, making the choice to come to Auburn was automatic and easy since he was a lifelong fan. Auburn’s warm and family-like environment helped to persuade him to come even more.
Flomaton High School
Flomaton, Alabama
At 6 feet 2 inches, red-shirted freshman LaDarius Owens brings a lot to the table for the Auburn University football team.
Owens was raised in Bessemer, where he made his start in little league football. Because of transferring schools, Owens only played two consecutive years of high school football.
His uncle, James Owens, who was the first African-American to receive a football scholarship from Auburn, inspired him to start playing and then later on come to Auburn. His athleticism, work ethic and leadership make him a gem for Auburn to posses.
Although LaDarius was a top recruit, the road for him to become a starting linebacker was not easy. He soon learned that there was more to football than just being talented and he had to be red-shirted. Owens spent his entire year cheering on his teammates on the sidelines.
“I was very bitter at first, but as time goes on you can either make it a positive situation or sit around and mope about it,” Owens said.
His mother and strong faith in God help inspire him when workouts get tough. He even said sometimes his teammates don’t enjoy working out with him because he pushes himself to the limit and tries to be the best he can be.
Owens is not only a work-aholic on the field, but he also works his tail off in class too. He said sometimes it’s hard to stay motivated and do his homework when he is tired, but he just has to make himself buckle down and get it over with.
For Owens, making the choice to come to Auburn was automatic and easy since he was a lifelong fan. Auburn’s warm and family-like environment helped to persuade him to come even more.