So, it' s being reported today that Mario Fannin has been named the Auburn Tigers' new punt returner. This is not big news in a strict football sense, but it is big news to anyone who has followed Auburn football for the last decade and has been wondering how the 2009 Tigers would differ from the Tuberville-coached Tigers of the past. Tuberville was notorious for his baffling and inexplicable choices for who would return punts for his team. Choices like Tre Smith and (gasp) Markeith Cooper made it very clear that Tuberville considered punt returns a simple nusance best done away with all together (kinda like offense) and, if that couldn't done, treated with sheer contempt at all times.
Excepting the times he allowed Cadillac Williams to return punts during their undefeated 2004 season (coincidence?), Tuberville's criteria for a punt returner seemed to be something like: (1) Is he under 5'7"? (nothing wrong with that); (2) Can he catch the ball?; (3) Does he possess a fuzzy understanding of the rules regarding fair catches? (Markeith Cooper once fair caught a ball on the one-yard line. This is not an exageration. I was there.); (4) Are we absolutely sure he is not a threat to return the punt for a long gain? If the answer to all of those was a resounding "YES," then Tubby had his man.
I'm sure the new Auburn staff will differ from the previous one in many ways, but allowing Mario Fannin - probably the most gifted skill position player the Tigers have - to return punts is the starkest difference I've seen so far.
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