Owen Pappoe details what it means to return from injury, what he learned

Auburn star linebacker Owen Pappoe was only able to appear in five games last season thanks to injury, but is back for one last campaign with the Tigers. If he manages to remain healthy, he’s expected to be the defensive anchor of this year’s Auburn football team.

“It’s been a ride man. The biggest thing man, just staying strong mentally because it’s taxing not being not being able to play the game that you love,” Pappoe said about his injury. “Really just attacking rehab everyday, trying to get get back and becoming a more of a student of the game. Just because I’m not there physically, So I’m coaching some of the guys who don’t have that much experience.”

CLICK HERE to subscribe for FREE to the On3 YouTube channel

Being able to sit back and view the game from a different perspective, and seemingly causing a positive difference in his teammates’ performances, allowed Pappoe to become what he considers as being a coach on the field.

“Just attacking it from not necessarily just learning the game plan, but just understanding more offensive concepts,” he said. “… I know [Auburn’s] defense like the back of my hand, man. Everything’s running smooth. Obviously, you know, coming back from not playing football for a while, just knocking some rust off, but now that I’m getting back into the groove of things, things are going smooth.”

If Pappoe enters week one at full health, expect him to jump right back to the dominant style of play he boasted before hurting his ankle. He’s compiled 165 total tackles, 12 tackles for loss, 6 sacks, 1 forced fumble, and an interception in his three-year Auburn career – production he wishes will rub off on the rest of the linebackers room.

“[Bringing] those guys along with me, having them watch film with me and just letting them know that [we’ve] got to believe in ourselves,” Pappoe said. “We’ve got talented guys in the room. Cam Riley, Wesley Steiner, Desmond Tisdol, Eugene Asante, they’ve all been doing a great job too. But really [it’s all about] just getting them to believe in themselves and go out there and play with confidence.”