Owen Pappoe, Derick Hall, John Samuel Shenker detail what it means to be a captain for Auburn football
After being named a team captain for the 2022 season, Owen Pappoe entered a special place in Auburn football history. The linebacker was also a team captain this past season, making him just the fourth Tigers player to be picked more than once.
On Tuesday, Pappoe appeared in front reporters alongside fellow captains Derick Hall and John Samuel Shenker. The linebacker started things off by addressing how honored we was to be selected to join this special group.
“It means the world to me, especially because it’s my second year straight,” Pappoe said. “Just want to thank my teammates for believing in me to help lead this team to go to the right place. I’m kind of at a loss for words, just really excited about it.”
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Pappoe joined the Tigers in 2019 as a five-star recruit and the No. 14 overall player in the class according to On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average. He started every game as a true freshman and would continue to grow as a leader over the next two seasons. Now a senior, he understands the responsibility he has to help the next group of players grow.
“Just knowing that people are gonna look to me for answers, especially the young guys that’s just getting here out of high school,” Pappoe said. “It’s my responsibility to come in and set the example every day. Show them how to be a successful college football players. Just doing the right thing every day. I can’t show up and have a bad day because if they see me slacking, they’re gonna think it’s OK to slack.”
An EDGE defender, Hall also joined the team as a freshman in 2019 and saw immediate playing time. He was named a starter by his second season and has continued to grow each year with the Tigers. Hall was a team captain at Gulfport High School (MS) as well, and always dreamed of reaching that level with Auburn football.
Now getting the opportunity, it’s one he won’t take for granted.
“Coming here to Auburn, I busted my butt for four years,” he said. “I was blessed enough to play immediately. Just coming in, busting my butt, not taking anything for granted every single day, showing up and doing the work and it finally paid off.
“…(Being a captain) was always a thought, but obviously I didn’t control that. The ball wasn’t in my court. It was really about coming in every day and proving myself no matter what I did last year. Last year don’t matter. We have a new season coming up so I come in every day trying to prove myself and just help this team take that next step. My peers, coaches and people in the facility chose me to be one of the team captains, so I’m honored.”
Shenker, a tight end, was the last Auburn football captain to take the podium. He is the longest-tenured of the three, set to enter his sixth season with the Tigers. Shenker said he made the decision to come back to school because of his love for the program, which he grew up watching.
“What an honor it is to be selected with this special group with these two guys and for every guy that’s been picked in the past,” he said. “What a blessing and a dream for me. Growing up watching these games and seeing the guys that were picked for this opportunity, it’s truly special to me. The fact that our peers and teammates chose this and wanted us to lead this team is an awesome feeling that we can’t take for granted. It’s a special opportunity for us three.”
Shenker also gave a shoutout to former Tigers fullback Chandler Cox, who was a veteran on the team when the tight end arrived in 2017.
“I think any kid would want to be a captain on a team like this at a university like this,” Shenker said. “Honestly, the reason I’m here is a guy like Chandler Cox that I grew up here playing under. He did everything in life, not just in the facility but outside. He was really a driving force for me staying and playing the way I do and being the example that I am.”
Auburn is set to kick off the 2022 season Sept. 3 against Mercer.