Payton Thorne Reflects on His Tenure With Auburn Tigers

Thorne's college career has come to a close, and he's looking back on his two years with Auburn

Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne looks back at his time wit Auburn / Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Auburn Tigers' 28-14 loss to Alabama in the Iron Bowl marked the final game of quarterback Payton Thorne’s college career. 

The magnitude of this chapter closing was not lost on the veteran quarterback. While his football career isn’t over, having a major chapter close is always difficult. 

“That's the hardest thing a lot of room is hearing -- I walked off the field, it's my last college game,” Thorne said. “And hopefully not the last game of my career. But you walk off that field, and it didn't really hit until you start hearing those guys and the words they had to say. That got to me.”

Getting to be a college football quarterback, especially a starter of multiple years, is something to be proud of. However, there are things beyond the gridiron to be appreciative of, and he knows this. The relationships Thorne has fostered are what he’ll look back on with the most fondness from his Auburn years.

“I'm thankful for all the great people that have been so kind to me and that I've been able to come in contact with, and the relationships I've been able to build -- both on our football team and in the community as well,” Thorne said. “And so I appreciate those people.”

Thorne transferred to Auburn after four years up in Lansing with Michigan State. After being redshirted in 2019, he played a handful of games in 2020 and then was the starter for his final two years with the Spartans. 

During his time at Auburn, he completed 62% of his pass attempts for 4,468 yards. He threw 37 touchdowns to 19 interceptions. 

His first season saw the Tigers finish 6-6 and reach the Music City Bowl against Maryland. They lost 31-13 to finish 6-7 on the year. 

Expectations were higher in year two, but it just wasn’t meant to be. Following a 73-3 win over Alabama A&M, Auburn dropped six of their next seven games. All but the loss to Georgia were by 10 points or fewer.  The Tigers went 5-7, finalizing their fourth-straight losing season and the second time they have failed to qualify for a bowl game in the past three seasons.

Thorne struggled early, throwing four interceptions in Auburn’s loss to Cal in a performance that lost him the starting job for two weeks. However, upon returning to the starter role, Thorne was stronger down the stretch, throwing 11 touchdowns and just three interceptions in Auburn’s final seven games.

Even then, when looking back at his time at Auburn, there were some moments to be fond of. They played some tight games with top SEC programs and even had an overtime thriller to upset Texas A&M as the final win of his college career. However, those seasons were also plagued with one-possession losses and struggles on the field. 

“We've had some good times,” Thorne said. “And like I said, I've met a lot of great people. But there's definitely been a lot of frustration along the way.”

Despite the frustrations, good times are believed to be ahead for Auburn, even if Thorne doesn’t get to stick around for it. 

He holds freshmen wide receivers Cam Coleman and Malcolm Simmons in high regard. 

“It's been a pleasure playing with those guys,” Thorne said. “And I wish them the best. And I'll be there for him to support him any way I can. But obviously, they're two good players. So I'm wishing for the best for both those guys.”