I hated DC when he was at FSU but he and I are pretty tight now.
http://www.al.com/auburnfootball/index.ssf/2013/05/the_mobile_man_dameyune_craig.htmlThe Mobile Man: Dameyune Craig reeling in big recruits for Auburn
Auburn co-offensive coordinator Dameyune Craig works with the receivers during spring practice Saturday, April 6, 2013, at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala. (Julie Bennett/jbennett@al.com)
DAPHNE, Alabama -- It might not be Gus Malzahn's first priority, but Auburn is proving just how important recruiting the Mobile Bay area is to the football program.
Three of Auburn's six commitments reside in Mobile or Baldwin county, where the talent is rich and deep and so is the history -- for both Alabama and Auburn's football programs.
"If you look back at successful teams that Auburn has had, there's been quite a few players from this area, so it's very important," Malzahn said Thursday.
Auburn's re-focused efforts on south Alabama began in January with the hiring of Dameyune Craig, who was as much responsible for Florida State's recent success as any other assistant coach on the Seminoles' staff. His reputation as an avid recruiter in Alabama and along the Gulf Coast drew Malzahn's eyes in December.
Five months later, Craig is responsible for all three of the Tigers' commitments near Mobile Bay. St. Paul's linebacker Tre' Williams became the third Wednesday, picking the Tigers over Alabama and a host of others.
Not only was it a big recruiting win for the Tigers, but it also hit the pause button on Nick Saban's success in Mobile (four of Alabama's 11 first-round picks in the last three years are from the area).
View full sizeSt. Paul's linebacker Tre' Williams talks to reporter after announcing his commitment to play football at Auburn during a ceremony Wednesday, May 8, 2013, at St. Paul's Episcopal School in Mobile, Ala.. (Mike Brantley/mbrantley@al.com)
The Tigers are not done. They may add a fourth commitment from the Mobile area on Sunday, when four-star defensive end Justin Thornton of Vigor High picks between Auburn, LSU and Texas A&M at 10 a.m. His primary recruiter? Craig.
Malzahn had to do a little recruiting of his own in December and January, chasing Craig twice before finally hiring the former Tiger in January. Malzahn calls Craig's addition to the staff "very important" for the Tigers' recruiting efforts, especially on the coast. Craig knows the area as well as anyone, having played at Blount High before playing quarterback at Auburn, where he still holds the school records for passing yards (3,227) and completions (216) in a season.
"He's a great person, first of all," Malzahn said. "He was a great player when he played, he's from this area. He's a great coach, so it's good to have him down here."
Craig's recruiting efforts this week made waves, too, and he moved up to No. 9 in 247sports.com's recruiter rankings.
Defensive end Justin Thornton takes a break as Vigor holds a spring football practice Tuesday, May 7, 2013, Prichard, Ala. (Mike Kittrell/mkittrell@al.com)
Craig is responsible for courting four of Auburn's six commitments. Why the success? He told Auburn's official website, AuburnTigers.com, this week that he approaches recruiting in a natural manner.
"It's kind of funny, because sometimes I look at it and I say, 'Wow.' There's nothing scripted. It's me," he said this week. "I try to pour myself and my feelings into what I'm doing. That's who I am. I pull from a lot of my experiences, and I know that I'm here because a lot of people who had helped me. I think of every kid the same way. I look at them and say, 'How can I help them achieve their goal?'
"Sometimes, it might not be Auburn. When I was at Florida State, Florida State may not have been the school for them. But you want to see these guys become successful, and you want to see everybody achieve their dreams when they put the work in it."
Auburn has signed a total of two players from the Mobile area over the last two recruiting cycles. Quarterback Jason Smith of McGill Toolen is one of them and will compete for a starting job in the fall.
"This area is very important to us and Jason (Smith) is going to be a phenomenal player for us," Malzahn said. "We're really excited about him. We'll recruit this area very hard."
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