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Tue Mar 17, 2009 2:08 pm EDT

Gene Chizik dazzles recruits with Auburn's madcap big-city ways

By Todd Jones

I think I've discovered new Auburn head coach Gene Chizik's secret plan for recruiting success: Target kids from really small towns and play up the (relatively) metropolitan air of the so-called "Loveliest Village on the Plains".  From the AJC:

Northview defensive lineman Denzel McCoy and tight end Cameron Fordham each enjoyed one-on-one time with coach Gene Chizik during their visit to Auburn on Friday.

McCoy said Auburn’s campus exceeded his expectations.

“I had heard people talk about the town being small. But from what I saw it’s nowhere near being small."

McCoy, for those of you wondering, is a four-star DT prospect with an offer list featuring powerhouse programs from across the country, while Ford is a two-star guy who's already signed his LOI with Wake Forest.

Upon reading McCoy's remarks (and having actually been to Auburn more than once), I was first tempted to believe Chizik is pulling some sort of sinister bait-and-switch recruiting gimmick on these kids by taking them to Auburn's Montgomery campus, but then I realized both McCoy and Fordham hail from Duluth, GA (population 22,000, as compared to Auburn's 54,000) and that it's entirely possible Auburn really is a bustling urban center in their eyes.  Who'd have thought having two Wal-Marts in close proximity would be such a handy recruiting tool?

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Guest blogger Todd Jones is an author of the Alabama blog Roll Bama Roll.
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11 Comments

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  1. Laughing Clown
    1. Posted by Laughing Clown Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:12 pm EDT

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    Duluth is in Gwinnett County (pop. ~750,000) in the NE suburbs of Atlanta. They definitely ain't small town kids.
    C'mon, don't you watch Real Housewives of Atlanta? Most of them live in the same Duluth golf community as Michael Vick (well, once upon a time). It's lovely, ( http://projects.ajchomefinder.com/gallery/view/homes/private-quarters/celebrity-splurge/michael-vick-georgia-home/ ) if you'd like to buy it. It's still available, since last week's auction didn't bring the desired $3.2 million minimum bid.
  2. Kev Oh
    2. Posted by Kev Oh Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:50 pm EDT

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    Duluth is not that small. Auburn is small, but very spread out with gives it the illusion of being more than it really is.. Like when you were a kid and you pushed the vegetables around on your plate to make it look like you ate some... that's Auburn
  3. annon
    3. Posted by annon Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:30 pm EDT

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    22,000 (In the year 2000, 28,000 according to the 2008 census) people within the city limits of Duluth.. Duluth includes 7 zip codes of Metro Atlanta, Duluth is a part of Metro Atlanta which has a population of 5.278 million people. The population density was 2,512.3 people per square mile. Duluth is 10 square miles in size.
    Auburn Alabama has 4 zip codes is part of the AUBURN METRO AREA with a population of 500,000 people. The population density was 1,098.6 people per square mile. Auburn is 40 square miles in size.
    So the city of Duluth at 10 square miles has half the population of the city of Auburn which is 40 square miles or 4 times larger.( in case you don't understand population density) Duluth has 6 High Schools might I add to Auburn's 1.
    Oh yeah and Auburn smells funny. next time check your facts before posting a blog. :)
  4. George B
    4. Posted by George B Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:07 pm EDT

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    AUBURN METRO AREA with a population of 500,000 people
    wikipedia disagrees: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auburn_Metropolitan_Area
    And no one thinks Phenix City is part of Auburn/Opelika.
  5. ballbright
    5. Posted by ballbright Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:46 pm EDT

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    I dislike Auburn and Alabama both, but letting an Alabama guest blogger come on here and essentially just bash Auburn, is dumb....
    Wow, Auburn is in a small town, what an earth shattering piece...
    Tuscaloosa, whose population is a mere 78, 000 shouldn't really be talking about small town size...
  6. two_smellyfeet
    6. Posted by two_smellyfeet Thu Sep 03, 2009 10:25 pm EDT

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    Tuscaloosa. The meth capitol of Alabama. Auburn has nothing on that place.
  7. Scott H
    7. Posted by Scott H Thu Sep 03, 2009 9:15 pm EDT

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    Auburn - have fun with Gene he is very much terrible. 4th and 1 he's going!!
  8. two_smellyfeet
    8. Posted by two_smellyfeet Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    It is funny that anyone who posts something in in disagreement with Todd Jones gets their posts deleted. I guess freedom of speech is dead here.
  9. two_smellyfeet
    9. Posted by two_smellyfeet Thu Sep 03, 2009 4:38 pm EDT

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    Todd, please do everyone here a favor and keep your opinions and you personal agenda to make Auburn look bad on Roll Bama Roll. Never before has there been a Yahoo blog that was so blatantly biased.
  10. Holly
    10. Posted by Holly Thu Sep 03, 2009 7:33 pm EDT

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    Todd didn't delete your comments. I did. You're adding nothing to the discussion with your juvenile personal attacks, and your grasp of grammar and sentence structure gives me a headache. Move on, please.
  11. Ana D
    11. Posted by Ana D Tue May 26, 2009 9:09 pm EDT

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    Is there really someone in the Southeast who doesn't know that Duluth is part of metro Atlanta? Having lived in both Atlanta and Auburn, I thought Auburn was a great place to live. Even without the glaring error, this attempt to attack Auburn doesn't make any sense. Hopefully, the author will actually research his topic in the future.

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