Auburn football head coach Hugh Freeze makes shocking decision on LB Demarcus Riddick’s polarizing comments
By Brooks Crew
Auburn football’s true freshman LB Demarcus Riddick made headlines Monday with his seemingly off-the-cuff remarks about Alabama and their superstars Ryan Williams and Jalen Milroe.
Riddick stated “Ryan Williams is Ryan Williams… Yeah he's electric, all this and that. In my eyes, he ain’t really nobody to me. Ryan Williams is himself. He ain’t no big time player to me. Like I said, ‘Bama, it’s a big rivalry … Every rival team I played, I never lost to. I will not lose to ‘Bama while I’m here. (Jalen Milroe) is a good quarterback, he’s fast. But he’s not faster than me … He will not get out that box this week.”
These comments ignited something of a storm in the media and among both Auburn and Alabama circles; some argue that the LB is perfectly in line for a rivalry matchup, while many stand adamant in their belief that Riddick should not have said these comments.
Despite Hugh Freeze holding a “Tiger Talk” press conference on Monday night, the tenured head coach had nothing to say on Riddick’s comments -- a fact that surprised many of the Auburn faithful, as Hugh famously always has his players’ backs.
Riddick is no stranger to hate from the Alabama side of the state. Trolls spammed his grandmother’s posts with negativity after he announced he would not be committing to Alabama. This fact likely bolstered his choice to say what he did about the team in Tuscaloosa.
The Iron Bowl never disappoints. There’s a reason it is debatably the best rivalry in football. This whole situation supports the notion that despite the Tigers' shaky start, this year's Auburn-Alabama matchup will be no exception.