Auburn Football Practice Report - AuburnTigers.com - Auburn University Official Athletic Site

Auburn Football Practice Report Wednesday practice at stadium

Zeke Pike

April 11, 2012

AUBURN -- The Auburn Tigers held their 12th practice session of the spring Wednesday, working two hours in full pads on the grass at Jordan-Hare Stadium. An officiating crew was on hand for the live scrimmage portions of practice.

"Practice, I thought, went well," said Auburn head coach Gene Chizik. "We had a good practice, and we finished it up with some live scrimmage plays. I think we made some progress today.

"We're at a point where the days are ticking down; today, I thought, was a step in the right direction. We did some good things on both sides of the ball. I thought we ran the ball a little bit better today. We're a work in progress but today, I thought, was a step in the right direction."

Chizik began his post-practice remarks by offering "condolences to Kurt Crain's family. He was a great player here at Auburn, and our thoughts and prayers go out to his family at this very difficult time." Crain, an All-America linebacker at Auburn in 1987, passed away Tuesday at age 47.

Coach Chizik also offered an update on lineman Shon Coleman, who has battled leukemia for two years.

"Shon Coleman was able to, for the first time, participate in practice today. It was great to see him smile. He was cleared to participate today; obviously we're going to follow the direction of our medical staff to the letter in making sure we do this correctly. Obviously, our number one goal is the health and well-being of our student-athletes. We're excited to have Shon back, our team was excited to have Shon back and it was great to see him have fun out there."

The Tigers return to the practice field Friday morning in a final tuneup for A-Day on Sat., April 14, when Auburn will unveil statues commemorating the school's three Heisman Trophy winners, Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson, and Cam Newton, in a ceremony at 10 a.m. CT prior to Auburn's annual spring game. The ceremony will take place on the east side of Jordan-Hare Stadium, where each statue will be permanently located. Sullivan, Jackson and Newton are scheduled to be in attendance for the event.

A-Day tickets are $5 for general fans and free for AU students with an Auburn Ignited card. Fans are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance to avoid waiting in line on April 14. To purchase tickets visit www.aubtix.com.

Join the "Team Behind the Team" by joining the Tigers Unlimited Football Ticket Priority Program. Gray Zone seating is available for the 2012 season. For more information or to join Tigers Unlimited visit www.tigersunlimited.com or call 855-AUB-2010, ext 2.