aubiefifty 18,231 Posted January 7, 2021 Share Posted January 7, 2021 al.com Smoke Monday returning to Auburn for senior season By Tom Green | tgreen@al.com 3 minutes Smoke Monday (21) Auburn football practice in helmets on Tuesday, Aug. 18, 2020 in Auburn, Ala. Todd Van Emst/AU AthleticsTodd Van Emst/AU Athletics A fixture of Auburn’s secondary has decided to return for his senior season. Tigers starting safety Smoke Monday announced on Wednesday that he will not declare early for the NFL Draft and instead return to the Plains for one more season under new head coach Bryan Harsin. Monday was Auburn’s fourth-leading tackler this season, finishing the year with 73 total stops, including four for a loss and one sack. He also had two interceptions, including a pick-six during Auburn’s win against Tennessee in November, as well as three pass breakups. “First off, I would like to say I’m very grateful to be an Auburn Tiger,” Monday said in a statement he posted to Instagram. “The atmosphere is so electric and fun to experience. I would like to thank Coach Malzahn for everything he’s done for me, along with all of the other coaches that have had a hand in my development as a student, an athlete and the man that I am today. This place is very special to me. The Auburn family, like many others, have faced much adversity this year. The worldwide pandemic, racial and social injustice and the loss of our coach. All of these factors can contribute to making an emotional decision.... My family and I have thought about this for a long time, so with that being said I will be returning to Auburn University to play my senior season and will not be entering the 2021 NFL Draft.” In three seasons, Monday has appeared in 31 games, totaling 108 tackles and four interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns. He has been a starter at safety each of the last two years. Monday thanked his family members and teammates in his post, and he also extended thanks to Harsin, who recently took over as the Tiger’ head coach, for “being real with me and understanding the hardship that this team has went through and providing us the space to finish out the season. I believe he will do great things at Auburn.” Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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