Eugene Asante wants Auburn Tigers to Look in Mirror

Rather than join the blame game going around the Auburn Tigers, senior linebacker Eugene Asante preaches self-accountability.

Auburn Tigers senior linebacker Eugene Asante is trying to lead through example during adversity. / John Reed-Imagn Images

If you were to nominate a poster boy for what the Auburn Tigers program wants to look like moving forward, Ghana-born linebacker Eugene Asante would fit the profile just perfectly. 

Leadership comes pretty naturally for the explosive defender; the type which is badly needed now that the Tigers are mired at 2 - 4.

Asante understands the Tigers' poor performance affects a lot of people outside of the locker room, but has confidence in those within it.

"That's what hurts probably the most," Asante told reporters this week. "I know it hurts the fans that the results aren't there, but I do believe in the leadership of this team. I do believe in coach Freeze and his vision," Asante said this week at media availability. "I understand with somebody like that at the helm, good things can come out of it. The biggest thing is just us as players taking accountability for our mistakes."

Coach Freeze has frequently called out his team for what he perceives as being at times a lack of effort, and most definitely a fundamental lack of execution, and it could easily have fractured the entire locker room.

In fact, the Tigers head coach has become a tad repetitive when he's directed his own distinct brand of tough love to his youthful group. 

Quarterback Payton Thorne has undoubtedly borne the uncomfortable burden the most out of everyone, but rather than join the blame game, Asante urges everyone to look in the mirror.

"It's so easy to deflect and 'man the coach is wrong, the coach is wrong,' but if I miss a tackle in the A gap, it's on me," said Asante. "They put me in that position. I've been trying to do a good job of looking at my mistakes and be super-critical of myself, because I understand as a player, if you have that critique of yourself, it's going to elevate your game and others around you."

Asante is also riding that glass half full wave of momentum it would appear, but perhaps the bye week has brought an altogether more realistic approach to what this team can actually achieve the rest of the way?

"I think the bye week was good in terms of trying to refocus ourselves on everything we need to do and be able to understand we still have goals we want to accomplish with this team," the Tigers linebacker insisted. "Obviously we had goals at the beginning of the season. Just readjusting and pivoting our goals and understanding that we can finish the season strong.

"I really believe once you get one and gain momentum you understand and get back into the swing of things. Confidence really does come from winning and having good tape and going out there and playing well. If we can get one it would build a spark within this team that it really needs at the moment."

Of course, shaking off recent losses needs to be done by actually winning one, but the 5 - 1 Missouri Tigers led by head coach Eli Drinkwitz will be extremely difficult to move aside.

Without any doubt, now would be an ideal time for Asante to step up and prove he's the poster boy for a much brighter future on the Plains.