After five years of subpar football and a persistent struggle to find a reliable quarterback, Auburn fans are pinning their hopes on Byrum Brown to turn things around. The former USF signal-caller is entering his fourth season under head coach Alex Golesh and offensive coordinator Joel Gordon, meaning that while much of the roster will be adjusting to a new system, Brown should feel right at home. His deep familiarity with Golesh and Gordon’s approach, combined with his proven performance at USF last year, gives supporters plenty of reason to believe he can guide the Tigers to success.
Yet if the weight of expectation is getting to him, Brown didn’t let it show during SEC Media Days earlier this week. Instead, he shared advice he received from a legendary figure in Auburn lore Heisman-winning quarterback Cam Newton—and explained how that guidance is shaping his mindset on the Plains.
“Go out there and be you,” Brown recounted Newton telling him, according to Auburn 247. “Go be a dog like you were (at USF), and you’ll lead this team to wins, too.”
The two crossed paths when Newton visited Auburn for a spring scrimmage, and since then, Brown has frequently been compared to Newton in conversations about his jump from USF to Power 4 competition. But Brown isn’t trying to replicate anyone else; he’s taking Newton’s words to heart as he prepares for his Auburn debut and his final collegiate season.
“I just want to be Byrum Brown,” said the fifth-year senior. “That’s all I can be. I want to be the best version of him.”
From sampling the famous Toomer’s Lemonade to joining Golesh on alumni visits and snapping photos with fans at Auburn baseball games over the summer, Brown has thrown himself into every aspect of Tigers life. He acknowledges that USF played a major role in his growth as a player, but his focus now is entirely on Auburn.
“I can’t wait to wear the AU proudly on my helmet,” Brown said. “… You play at Auburn University, but it’s much bigger than you. You’re playing for other people who played before you and carrying on a legacy.”
Brown and Golesh will get their first opportunity to show what they can do in front of the Auburn faithful when the Tigers square off against the Baylor Bears in Atlanta on September 5.
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