Auburn Safety Jerrin Thompson: Losing His Voice, Leading with Energy

Auburn football's decision to have Texas safety transfer Jerrin Thompson meet with the media on Tuesday might not have been ideal. After taking a seat at the table with reporters, Thompson's voice was notably hoarse.

“My voice is kinda gone,” Thompson shared after Auburn’s fifth fall camp practice. “I just been getting after it. Energy.”

This development was far from surprising for those following Auburn's fall camp.

When Thompson transferred from Texas in February, Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze already had a solid understanding of what Thompson would contribute to the Tigers' secondary.

"Love his energy. Love his knowledge of the game. He knows all three spots back there. He’s been a leader and he hasn’t been here long. He’s vocal,” Freeze remarked. “He’s played at a high level at a good program. I think he’s going to be really invaluable for us back there being able to play multiple positions and help lead us.”

Thompson has since solidified his position as one of Auburn’s starting safeties, leading an Auburn secondary that lost four starters to the professional ranks last season.

“Very vocal guy. He’s going to talk to you every single play and make sure you know what you’ve got and make sure you know what the defense got,” Auburn cornerback Kayin Lee said of Thompson. “He’s just going to communicate until the whistle blows and he’s going to give it his all.”

Being an effective communicator and relentless leader is something Thompson prides himself on.

“I take pride in the little things — lining my guys up, just getting to the ball and playing team defense. That’s one thing I take pride in is just team,” Thompson said in the spring. “It’s never about just what I can do — team success goes with player success.”

On Tuesday, Thompson reflected on his decision to leave his home state of Texas, a choice he did not make lightly. He saw the move to Auburn as a step towards his future development.

“I came because I wanted the coaches to develop me,” Thompson said, specifically mentioning Auburn co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach Charles Kelly. “Coach Kelly’s always been known for his defense and I just felt like I could come here and help guys.”

Thompson’s impact on Auburn’s secondary has been significant, largely due to his vocal leadership.

“His voice translates through the whole group. Well, you could say DBs, but really the whole team from the DB aspect,” Auburn cornerback Champ Anthony said of Thompson. “We’re all learning how to do it now because he’s played four years at a top program. Just seeing how he moves and talks, now we’re all learning how to talk and move like that. So even when he’s not on the field, we all talk and move the same way.”

And if Thompson losing his voice becomes a recurring issue? He’s already got a plan.

“More signals today,” Thompson said when asked how he overcame the challenge on Tuesday.