What former Auburn wide receivers are saying about Wesley McGriff’s comeback
Wesley McGriff, nicknamed “Crime Dawg” by his teammates, was back on staff at Auburn in January following a hectic two-week period during which he left for Texas A&M and then returned.
This week in Indianapolis, at the NFL Combine, AL.com questioned McGriff’s former teammates about what it means to have him back.
In an interview on Thursday, former Auburn cornerback D.J. James said, “Everyone was very excited, man.” “Crime Dawg, Coach Crime McGriff, is adored by all.” Fantastic guy and coach. a wonderful person to be around. Everyone is thrilled to see him again, and he is very driven.
On Thursday, Nehemiah Pritchett, a former Auburn cornerback, said, “Everyone was sad when Coach Crime Dawg left.” “But having someone they’ve worked with in the past and getting Crime Dawg back is great news for them, especially for the freshmen that had just started.”
McGriff is one of the few constants on an Auburn defensive line that underwent a lot of change in its first season under head coach Hugh Freeze.
Charles Kelly, the co-defensive coordinator and man in charge of the safeties, joined Auburn as McGriff’s new secondary partner. D.J. Durkin took over as defensive coordinator. After Jeremy Garrett left Auburn for the NFL, Vontrell King-Williams was also elevated to the position of assistant coach on the field.
James remarked, “I know they’re pushing them really hard, those guys ready to attack.” “The Auburn players are very excited about the new staff that has been brought in.” enthusiastic about a fresh start as well.
After the 2023 season, Auburn will have five new assistant coaches total: Kelly, Derrick Nix, offensive coordinator, quarterbacks coach Kent Austin, Durkin, and King-Williams.
This new group of assistants needs to perform because Freeze has repeatedly expressed his belief that he doesn’t always make the right hires in the first year of a coaching staff.
Furthermore, Freeze’s former participants remain optimistic about the program’s future.
Pritchett stated, “I think Coach Freeze is a really down-to-earth guy.” “He is a Christian man. He is putting in a lot of effort in recruiting to bring in some of the top players to help them win games. He seems to be headed in the right direction, in my opinion.
