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Auburn football: From QB recruiting to clearing stubborn double-digit win hurdle

By Rob Maxwell

Darius Slayton brings next-level speed to the Auburn receiving corps. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images)
Darius Slayton brings next-level speed to the Auburn receiving corps. (Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images) /
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LB Darrell Williams and the Auburn defense could be what gives the Tigers an edge in 2018. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

1. Ryan Russell

“Let’s get after it!”

Is there a strength and conditioning coach you’d rather have on your side than Ryan Russell?

Technically the director of performance, Russell oozes intensity and you can tell that the players love him, love his enthusiasm and have bought into everything he’s doing to get them bigger, faster and better.

Yes, you’re going to find that relationship with a lot of strength coaches and players. There’s no doubt there’s a lot of that going around in the SEC. Auburn has one of the best. He talks the talk and walks the walk every day not just as a motivator but as a physical example.

And it’s obvious that Gus Malzahn trusts what Russell is doing. Russell spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons as the assistant strength and conditioning coach at Auburn, then followed Malzahn to Arkansas State for one season (2012) before returning to Auburn where’s he’s been since.

“I feel like I should be the thermostat on a daily basis in here,” Russell says in the video below.

https://twitter.com/AuburnFootball/status/1022525293611892736

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