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WATCH: Auburn rewards walk-on running back with scholarship

James Fletcher IIIby:James Fletcher III•04/02/22•

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Michael Chang/Getty Images

Auburn football rewarded walk-on running back Sean Jackson with a scholarship during spring practice, leading to a heartwarming moment with his mom. After letting him know the news, Auburn football posted a video of him breaking the news to his family while on the practice field.

“Actually momma, they put me on scholarship,” said Jackson into the phone on FaceTime. “They put me on scholarship. Momma listen, they put me on scholarship.”

His mother, Carla, then screamed into the phone as head coach Bryan Harsin came to hug his latest scholarship athlete and see her reaction.

“Congratulations,” Harsin said. “He’s been working really hard. Thank Sean, he’s been doing the work now. He earned it.

Jackson’s mom responded, “I’m on my way!”

Sean Jackson is a redshirt freshman from Trussville, Alabama who preserved his redshirt in 2021 despite appearing in four games in his first season at Auburn. He recorded 12 carries for 60 yards and a touchdown, also adding a special teams tackle in the Iron Bowl.

The 2022 backfield is headlined by returning starter Tank Bigsby but also features depth with Jarquez Hunter and Jordon Ingram. Alongside Jackson.

Bryan Harsin on Auburn running backs

After a tumultuous offseason, Auburn football is back with spring practice and a new-look roster for the 2022 season. One of Bryan Harsin’s biggest returning pieces is running back Tank Bigsby, who built on his breakout freshman season with another big performance last year, and hopes to further emerge in 2022.

During a spring practice press conference, Bryan Harsin addressed how his staff plans to get Tank Bigsby and the running back room more successful touches in 2022 by preparing in the offseason.

“We’re always looking at NFL film either way for all our positions, not just the run game or Tank in particular, but all the positions” said Harsin. “That’s the highest level. You’ve got great players, they do it the right way, so you try to use those clips as examples in all that. But Tank, Jarquez (Hunter), Sean (Jackson), Jordon (Ingram), those guys, Demari (Alston) when he gets here, they’re all going to be a part of the run game.

“I think we’re just looking at things that we did last year, things we need to improve on and looking at how we can run the ball and be successful. Obviously, Tank is a big part of that. It just goes back to some film study and things that we want to do. And then examples of how we want to work that with the o-line and put all those things together. Tank’s obviously going to be a big factor in that.”