AU FOOTBALL: Freeman works his way back

Eltoro Freeman stood alone on the Tennessee sidelines, more than 20 yards away from the rest of his teammates throughout the entire second half of Auburn’s biggest win of the season.

The sophomore linebacker started that game, but he didn’t even come close to finishing it. He missed a tackle near the line of scrimmage on the game’s first play, resulting in a 41-yard Tennessee gain and another mind-numbing bolt of frustration through Freeman’s perfection-driven brain.

“That part, that was tough,” Freeman said Tuesday in his first interview since Sept. 12. “That was really frustrating for me because I was really just trying to be so good and so great and when things wasn’t working out for me, I really just got down.”

Freeman, who had just seven tackles in his first five games at Auburn, had to get away from it all — all the pressure and frustration that came from a self-inflicted desire to please every single person who expected great things from him.

“I felt like I was letting myself down, my fans down, my teammates down,” Freeman said. “They were really looking forward to me coming in and making an impact, and I felt like I wasn’t doing that.

“That was just really frustrating for me.”

Freeman was so frustrated he couldn’t bear traveling to Arkansas the following week. He returned to practice two days later a changed man.

He returned for the Kentucky game and played exclusively on special teams. His hard work in practice leading up the LSU game landed him back in the starting rotation.

He made good on the second chance, leading the Tigers with 12 tackles and one bone-jarring sack that left LSU quarterback Jordan Jefferson helmetless in an otherwise disappointing night for Auburn.

“Crazy. Shocking,” was how senior defensive end Antonio Coleman described it.

“He was really productive,” defensive coordinator Ted Roof said. “I thought that he played well, played hard and was physical. We just got to keep working to get better.

“I think that he’s seeing things better.”

Before he could do that, he had to flush out everything that was swirling through his head.

When Freeman would walk into the Auburn Athletic Complex for a day of practice and film analysis before his revival, his mood would sink. The same outspoken, exuberant player from the spring who couldn’t sit still when talking about his role in the upcoming season was rendered silent and sullen.

He’d watch film of himself missing tackles, not being where he was supposed to be and, simply, not contributing in a spot that was basically reserved for him because of injuries and a lack of depth at linebacker.

“I’d say: That’s not me at all,” Freeman said. “I can’t even explain it. Things just weren’t clicking for me.

“I wasn’t the same Eltoro.”

Freeman’s problems began in August, when nagging wrist and hamstring injuries stunted his growth in the Auburn defense. Because of Gene Chizik’s tight-lipped nature involving injuries, it’s unclear how much practice Freeman missed, but it was enough to prevent him from being on the sidelines for Auburn’s season opener.

He was back for the second game against Mississippi State and picked up six tackles, but it was clear things weren’t coming as easy as they did at Benjamin Russell High or Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College. Numerous missed assignments and opportunities to deliver the big hit left him on the sidelines for the majority of the next three games.

“It wasn’t about I didn’t know the plays, I didn’t know what I was doing or it was hard for me to adjust,” Freeman said. “I was just trying to play not to make a mistake.”

Graduate assistant Travis Williams was drawn to help Freeman plow through his struggles.

Williams, a former undersized Tigers linebacker, loved Freeman’s passion for the game, his desire to be great and his thirst to one day be the Auburn player recruits strive to mimic. He offered a helping hand and, more importantly, an open ear for Freeman to holler at whenever he needed.

“He wants to learn,” Williams said.

The learning curve from junior college to Auburn didn’t seem as sharp against LSU, when Freeman and his fresh legs flew all over the field and delivered bone-crushing hit after bone-crushing hit.

“Before I stepped on the field, I just felt differently,” Freeman said. “I felt how I felt when I played in high school and junior college. I just felt good that night and I went out there and just played hard.”

For Williams, it was almost as rewarding.

“Oh man,” Williams said. “It was like a father watching a son.”

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