Hugh Freeze calls out Auburn players for spending 'more time scrolling than they do sleeping'

As Auburn looks to turn things around in Year 3 under Hugh Freeze, one word is becoming especially important to the Tigers: Culture. Freeze knows his team won’t win at the level it needs to without an excellent culture.

That’s not necessarily unique to Auburn. But it is a necessity.

“Yeah, I think that’s every coach’s challenge right now,” Freeze said as fall camp opened. “And the ones, once you get a depth chart that is close to equal to those that you’re playing, I do think culture and chemistry will make a difference. That’s something we work hard at and are very, very transparent with, that I’m not naive.”

Freeze pointed out one very particular example of building the right kind of culture in the program. Whether it’s an issue right now for Auburn or simply another anecdote remains to be seen.

But Freeze has circled one activity and habit he wants to break his players out of. He explained.

“I told them last night one of the things I’m convinced of is that we have too many men that spend more time scrolling than they do sleeping,” Hugh Freeze said. “And it is a mental battle. And it’s a mental game.

“I think the teams and staff that do the best at changing the mindset to buy into, man, we are a team for this given period of time. And we get to represent one of the greatest universities and greatest fans in the country. Man, do not waste this moment, these moments that we have to stack these days to be prepared for those opportunities.”

It’s really just a matter of compartmentalizing and making sure that when it’s time to go for football, players are ready to go. We’re well into that timeframe at this point.

“For a given year, like I told them last night, why not go all in?” Hugh Freeze said. “For this given time, we have committed to be a family. We’ve committed to be a team. And irregardless of whatever the outside noise is for you and when things start and you’re not getting your time, are you really all in?

“For life that is a great lesson, is to choose to be all in with those that you’re with where your feet are, where they’re planted, and make that the best situation there can be. And then, heck, the next year we’ll evaluate that again. I mean that’s just the reality of it.”

Auburn has plenty of questions to answer this fall. Quarterback play is a big one, though the Tigers are hoping Oklahoma transfer Jackson Arnold is the solution there. Others will pop up as the season progresses.

What Hugh Freeze needs is a team that’s bought into the journey. The head coach wrapped up:

“But for this period of time, I know from living and you know from living, that, man, the best thing that anyone can do is be the best at where you are with the situation that you have,” Freeze said. “Being at Auburn University is a pretty danged good situation for a young man to have and to be blessed to be at, to get an education and to be blessed by whatever it is that is agreed upon through other sources — revenue sharing, NIL, whatever that is. Man, what a blessing you have, and man don’t forfeit that blessing because the mental battles that can come with all the noise that you can see.”