AUBURN, Ala. — The first four years of Andrew McCain’s Auburn career were a twisted path of position changes, backup roles and frustration.
He openly wondered whether the wait ever would be worth it.
“There was a point last year at the end of the season where it was no secret that I was calling it quits,” he said.
But McCain decided to stick it out, encouraged by head coach Gene Chizik, offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn and offensive line coach Jeff Grimes that this would be his opportunity to finally play an important role on the football team he loves so much.
His patience paid off. The senior was inserted at right tackle in the spring. He was the only new starter on the line but quickly became a fixture, starting all 12 games for a group that helped Auburn go from 104th to 21st nationally in total offense.
“The No. 1 goal is just to help the team win, because I love Auburn and I love this program,” McCain said. “But, on a personal level, there was a whole lot of redemption involved.”
Coaches puzzled
The hulking 6-foot-6 McCain always seemed like he would have a place on the football field.
His size made him a valued commodity.
But where to put him?
Auburn’s coaches struggled with that question for a while. Recruited as a tight end out of Briarwood Christian in Birmingham, Ala., McCain moved to defensive tackle his first year in 2005. He played in five games that year but redshirted in 2006 while switching to offensive line.
Despite being named the team’s most improved offensive lineman in the spring of 2007, McCain found playing time scarce. He played in seven games that year and 12 in 2008, all as a backup.
That changed last offseason. When Chizik hired Grimes from Colorado, one of the line coach’s first actions was to fill out a starting five from a group lacking depth. McCain fit in at right tackle.
“When he and I first talked, we talked about not having any regrets and going out and working this offseason and summer in such a way that he would have a season he would be proud of 20 years down the road,” Grimes said.
Started opener
McCain started against Louisiana Tech in the opener and never looked back. He had 25 knockdown blocks overall and was part of a group that allowed only 18 sacks in 331 pass attempts.
“I would say we’re certainly proud of the season that he has had and the way that he has played, his work ethic, his leadership,” Grimes said. “But, more than anything, I’m happy for him because of what it has done for him as a person.
“The success that he has had and the confidence that’s he has gained from this is something he’ll carry the rest of his life.”
McCain’s hoping to pass on some of the wisdom he gained from a trying career. He and fellow lineman Bart Eddins have talked about their similar situations. Eddins, a fourth-year junior who has been held back by injuries, has appeared in 25 career games, starting once in place of a suspended Byron Isom.
Although the Tigers signed a pair of junior college transfers they hope can immediately compete for playing time in McCain’s place at tackle, it’s not unreasonable to think Grimes would shuffle his lineup to get the best five players on the field, a situation that could involve Eddins playing guard.
“(McCain) just said hang in there and just keep working,” Eddins said. “If your chance doesn’t come then it doesn’t come, but if it does then you’ve just got to be ready for that chance if something happens.
“I will be ready. You can bank on that.”
As McCain proved, that’s half the battle.
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