Auburn Football: Where Are They Now? Takeo Spikes

Here we take a look at former Auburn football linebacker Takeo Spikes and the path that he took following his time on the Plains.

An argument can be made that linebacker Takeo Spikes had the best football career of any Auburn football player when you combine his college career with his pro career.

At Auburn, Spikes led the Tigers in tackles in both 1996 and 1997, and his 136 tackles during his last season were the most by any Auburn defender in the past 25 years.

A Butkus semi-finalist for two years, Spikes passed up his senior season at Auburn and was picked in the first round of the 1998 NFL draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Spikes then spent 15 years in the league with the Bengals, Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers and San Diego Chargers. His 1,425 career tackles in the NFL are the most ever by an Auburn alumnus. He made the Pro Bowl in 2003 and 2004 and was a 2004 All Pro.

Since retiring in 2012, Spikes has been working on a book about linebackers that was recently published called “Behind the Mask.” Among his subjects is former Auburn linebacker and Pro Football Hall of Famer Kevin Greene.

TAKEO SPIKES – BEHIND THE MASK from Takeo Spikes on Vimeo.

Other linebackers in the book are Harry Carson, Ted Hendricks, Bobby Bell, Rickey Jackson, Willie Lanier, Mike Singletary, Derrick Brooks, Cornelius Bennett, and the late Chuck Bednarik. Spikes also shot the photography for the book.

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“When my final season in the NFL was coming to a close, I had to redefine who I was,” wrote Spikes about the book.  “A dear friend helped me open my eyes and realize my purpose. That is when the world opened up to me. ‘Behind the Mask’ is more than a book; it is an inspiring message of perseverance. What makes you great? How can you push yourself to the limits to achieve your purpose? What will be your legacy?”

Spikes has done more than work on the book since his retirement. He has been an analyst for NFL and college, a radio host for Sirius XM NFL and pursued his love for photography, all while earning an Executive MBA from the University of Miami.

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In December, Spikes was named to the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.