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Kerryon Johnson gives lackluster answer on current pride in Auburn football: 'Eh'

IMG_0985by: Griffin McVeigh07/29/25griffin_mcveigh
Kerryon Johnson
© Albert Cesare-Imagn Images

Kerryon Johnson has been an Auburn favorite ever since his time on the Plains. Opinions might change on the former running back now, voicing his displeasure with the program. Not exactly what any fan would expect from Johnson.

When doing a Q&A on X, somebody asked, “Are you proud to be an Auburn Tiger?” The quote tweet was a short and simple one, giving his honest thoughts. All Johnson needed was one word.

A follow-up asked for reasoning behind the sentiment. Johnson was once again quick to reply, saying, “A couple of personal reasons.” Somebody then wondered if it was due to the workload received during his college days. Apparently not, as “Doesn’t have a thing to do with coaching staff. I see all my old coaches every year still.”

Productive in two of his three seasons at Auburn, Johnson turned into one of the best running backs in college football back in 2017. His 285 carries were top in the SEC and top 10 at a national level, part of where the overload narrative comes from. However, he was quite productive.

Johnson rushed for 1,391 yards and 18 touchdowns in 12 games played. He was infamously hurt during the SEC Championship game against Georgia, a game that could have sent Auburn to the College Football Playoff. Just a few weeks prior, Johnson went for 167 yards against the Bulldogs. Instead, he only received 13 carries for 44 yards.

Even so, the Detroit Lions decided to use a second-round pick on him in the 2018 NFL Draft. Four years later, he was out of the league after just 35 games played. All but one was with Detroit, getting a singular game as a San Francisco 49er. Johnson is still involved in football, now serving as the running backs coach at East Tennessee State.

Apparently, not too much love remains for Auburn. This comes ahead of a critical season for Hugh Freeze, needing to put together a few results. Pressure is certainly on for the head coach, and for the most part, most of the fanbase appears to be behind him.

Johnson is not one of those people. Something from his time with the Tigers still lingers to this day, not making him too proud to have attended Auburn. Unless he wants to provide an exact reason, we will never know why either. A weird revelation to find out on a summer Monday night.