Jarrett Stidham stepped into the pocket and face the inevitable pressure. Knowing what was coming didn’t make it any easier. Still, Stidham didn’t duck or try to scramble. Part of the deal of being a high profile quarterback is facing the media, and much to his credit, Stidham stepped up.
Stidham didn’t win the football game Saturday. Auburn lost to Tennessee 30-24, a crushing defeat for a team that just a month ago envisioned playing for a national championship. But Stidham did win something else just as important, if not more so.
Respect.
Shortly after Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn left the podium of the interview room, Stidham stepped up, took a sip of water, then gazed ahead to the awaiting media mob.