How Auburn football, DJ Durkin set linebacker Xavier Atkins up for stellar season
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AUBURN — Xavier Atkins is usually the first sight when Auburn football runs out of the tunnel pregame. His helmet’s off and he’s always hollering. He’ll even throw in a backflip on occasion.
“I’ve been doing that way back since high school,” the sophomore linebacker said Tuesday, Nov. 18. “The fans love somebody like that can energize. The defense can feed off that. It’s contagious.”
Atkins’ energy has been his spark this fall, even if Auburn has underwhelmed, and the first-year Tigers’ play has backed up his pregame theatrics. Through 10 games, he leads the SEC in tackles for loss and he’s tied for the league lead in total tackles.
He has also played the most snaps of any Auburn defender, but that has hardly slowed him. In his mind, “dogs don’t get tired.”
Here’s a rundown of Atkins’ comments from his first availability with Auburn.
What Xavier Atkins said about first season with Auburn football
Atkins spent his freshman season at LSU, and the former four-star recruit played just 31 snaps. His growth in playing time has been massive, and he pointed to off-the-field preparations as a significant factor in his production.
“(It’s) Just knowing what to do,” he said. “Not just being vocal as the mike linebacker, but knowing my job, knowing my assignment, being able to communicate with the defense. Just making sure I know how to do my job, because you have to know how to do your job before you can do anybody else’s.”
He also credited interim head coach and defensive coordinator DJ Durkin‘s scheme as another reason for his output.
“His scheme is for the linebackers to make plays,” Atkins said. “If you can go out there and show coach when it’s time to make a play, when he’s going to call your number, he’s going to constantly keep sending you and create opportunities for you. He’s going to scheme you up against the opponent.”
What Xavier Atkins said about interim Auburn football coach DJ Durkin
The prior relationship between Atkins and Durkin played a significant role in the former choosing Auburn out of the transfer portal. Durkin recruited Atkins while he was the defensive coordinator at Texas A&M, and he did the same this past offseason.
“The thing about DJ Durkin is just being honest, man,” Atkins said. “Just telling you what you have to do to get on the field, and just coming here and knowing you have to work for everything you want. Recruiting me out of high school, he’s the same person he was three years ago when I was being recruited by him.”
Despite Hugh Freeze’s firing earlier this month, Durkin’s promotion to interim has made the change enjoyable for Atkins.
“For him to come out and lead a team, get us fired up every week and every day,” Atkins said. “He’s hard on us. Practices are urgent and intentional. Just having that type of leader, making sure we’re coming out, knowing what we’re supposed to do every day, what we’re supposed to bring, and what the standard is here at Auburn University.”
Adam Cole is the Auburn athletics beat writer for the Montgomery Advertiser. He can be reached via email at acole@gannett.com or on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, @colereporter.To support Adam’s work, please subscribe to the Montgomery Advertiser.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: How DJ Durkin, Auburn football set LB Xavier Atkins up for success
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