EYE ON THE TIGERS: Players we can't hear from playing big role in season

Among the everyday Auburn reporters, they haven’t taken on a catchy name yet, but they’re well in line to.

Their five names are discussed every day players are made available to step in front of the cameras, miniature tripods and old-school recorders.

And every day, despite repeated requests, they aren’t allowed to talk.

How about the Scratched Five?

Eric Smith, Gabe McKenzie, Philip-Pierre Louis, Jonathan Evans and Eltoro Freeman have all been silenced for various reasons and for various lengths of time.

Their respective times away from the mic have ranged from last November (McKenzie), to after the Mississippi State game (Freeman), to never (Evans). The reasons for their silence, we’re assuming, have various stories and motives, as well.

This isn’t unusual behavior from a head coach, who has complete control over who does and does not talk to the media at every given time. And it’s not fair to exclude mentioning that Gene Chizik has been largely great to deal with when it comes to getting players and assistant coaches, all of whom are available once a week.

Tommy Tuberville did the same with certain players and we’re certain whoever the next coach is will do the same.

It’s not unfair at all. It’s all in the game when it comes to covering a major college program.

It’s just unfair to ignore the importance and vital role — both good and bad — all five of these players have had on the season to date.

Let’s start with the most obvious, both in what he’s contributed and why he’s not talking.

Smith was arrested in late August and didn’t see the field until the second game of the season. It was safe to assume from the start that Smith wouldn’t be around for post-game interviews following his return.

Yet he’s given us media folk every reason to keep requesting him.

Smith, serving largely as a block-first H-back, has hauled in nine catches for 143 yards. His average is second-best on the team among those that have five or more catches, and it’s tough to find a player that’s come through more in the clutch than Smith.

On a team that’s lacking reliable receiving options, Smith has simply been huge.

“Conscientious,” running backs coach Curtis Luper said last week when he was asked to describe Smith. “He wants to get it done and he doesn’t need the ball in his hands a lot, but he does have great hands. He’s made some big-time catches for us that have allowed us to continue drives and go on and score.

“Eric is invaluable for us.”

Pierre-Louis wasn’t even around to talk until school was back in session.

What put Pierre-Louis in the team’s doghouse isn’t known and likely won’t ever be known. One thing’s for certain, though. Whatever he did serves as a reason behind his inability to talk.

Pierre-Louis didn’t set foot on the sidelines until the Tennessee game — five weeks into the season. His impact was felt immediately, though. When Anthony Gulley went down with some sort of injury on the first return of the game, Pierre-Louis stepped into a position that had caused Jay Boulware migraines and hasn’t relinquished it.

Pierre-Louis hasn’t exactly set the world on fire, but he hasn’t messed up. That’s been enough to keep a now-healthy Gulley from resuming his role, wide receivers coach Trooper Taylor said last week.

McKenzie missed the entire spring with an unspecified medical condition. He returned in the fall and, with his experience and knack to make big plays at tight end — a position he said in his last interview that he was “born to play” — was figured to at least be in the mix.

McKenzie quickly got bogged down on the depth chart, as coaches constantly said he had a lot of catching up to do. With his NFL body seemingly going to waste, Auburn’s coaches found a place for him to contribute.

McKenzie collected a tackle in his first appearance at defensive end this season during the late moments against Ball State and saw some real action in last week’s Kentucky game.

At a position that, if you ask Tracy Rocker, takes a tougher beating than any other on the field, the depth McKenzie has now helped provide is crucial.

For Evans and Freeman, their absence from the interview room hasn’t been the only place they’ve been missed.

With freshman Harris Gaston out for the foreseeable future, Auburn has just five scholarship linebackers. For a variety of reasons, Evans and Freeman haven’t done enough to merit playing time, even with the abysmal depth situation.

Both have been called on to step up during interviews with Chizik and defensive coordinator Ted Roof over the past two weeks.

“I want this process to speed up and move forward,” Roof said Sunday about Freeman, who missed a week because of personal issues. “He’s approaching it the right way. He’s just got to make a positive stride every day.”

Neither Freeman nor Evans has had a chance to provide a personal update on their progress.

Andrew Gribble covers Auburn University sports for the Opelika-Auburn News. He can be reached at agribble@oanow.com or 737-2561.