Five best Auburn Tigers to wear No. 4 since 2000
To the long-time Auburn fans, I ask for your forgiveness…
My wheelhouse with Auburn football is from the year 2000 until now. Looking through every Auburn Tiger to don the number 4, these were the five best since the year 2000 in my opinion–and quite frankly, my favorites to showcase the number in orange and blue.
I am solely looking at each player’s time at Auburn, not their NFL careers. What did they do while wearing the number 4 jersey?
I’d like for you to educate me on the best players to wear the number 4 in Auburn history. Or, at least, who were your favorites?
No. 1 – S, Junior Rosegreen (2001-2004)
I went back and forth, but the top spot has to go to Rosegreen. He was a tone-setter and played like his life depended on it. He brought his passion for the game with every hit–ask Reggie Brown. I couldn’t find all of Rosegreen’s stats for whatever reason, but his 6-interception season in 2004 was a big reason why the Tigers were undefeated. He was a force, a cerebral safety, and an Auburn legend in my book. When I think of the No. 4, my mind goes right to Rosegreen.
CAREER STATS:
39 games
9 interceptions
58 tackles in 2004
No. 2 – S, Zac Etheridge (2006-2010)
A close No. 2 in my opinion, Zac Etheridge accomplished a lot at Auburn, including a National Championship. His injury story will always stand out as well as the way he returned and helped lead Auburn. Then you look at his stats and what he did on the field for Auburn. For three years, Etheridge was a mainstay in Auburn’s secondary. He was a great tackler, a big play threat, and a good leader of the defense. He is a prominent No. 4 in Auburn history.
CAREER STATS:
47 games
261 tackles
10 tackles for loss
6 pass breakups
4 interceptions
4 forced fumbles
1 fumble recovery
1 defensive touchdown
No. 3 – RB, Tank Bigsby (2020-2022)
No, Tank Bigsby was never on a great team at Auburn, but he was dang good. Nearly 3,000 yards rushing in his career when Auburn was not anything special is impressive. I think he didn’t hit his true potential while at Auburn, either. Bigsby was always due for a big play and he was a fan favorite without a doubt.
CAREER STATS:
35 games
541 rushes
2,906 yards
25 touchdowns
62 catches
448 receiving yards
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No. 4 – Edge, Jeff Holland (2015-2017)
“Sensai Mud.” Another fan favorite. He didn’t have the longevity that others on this list had, but he absolutely broke out in 2017. It’s a shame he left a year early, or he might have been higher on this list. His 10 sacks and 3 forced fumbles in 2017 were game-changers in a lot of games. He was the last Auburn player with double-digit sacks.
CAREER STATS:
40 games
71 tackles
19 tackles for loss
13 sacks
5 forced fumbles
2 fumble recoveries
No. 5 – CB, David Irons (2003-2007)
Irons was a competitor and a strong coverage guy. I gave him the nod over Noah Igbinoghene as Irons was a major contributor in the 2005 season. The brother of running back Kenny Irons, David Irons didn’t have a huge number of game-changing plays, but he was solid and locked his side of the field down at times.
CAREER STATS:
25 games
90 tackles
11 pass breakups
6 tackles for loss
2 interceptions
1 forced fumble
Every Auburn Tiger who wore No. 4 since 2000
Reggie Worthy
Junior Rosegreen
Zac Etheridge
Ryan Shoemaker
Quan Bray
Jeff Holland
Jason Smith
Noah Igbinoghene
Tank Bigsby
Jay Hardy
DJ James
Camden Brown
Kayin Lee
