McCreary looking for validation
Roger McCreary just wanted to understand why.
He was always confident in his ability on the football field—from his days at the Boys & Girls Club in Mobile, up through his time at Williamson High — but by the time his high school days wound down, he couldn’t figure out why others didn’t share that same confidence in his game. He was a threestar recruit and a littleknown quantity coming out of Williamson in 2018.
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McCreary wanted to change that.
“My whole life, I knew I’m good and all that stuff, but at the college level, like why?” McCreary said. “Why am I a three-star? Why is my name — why ain’t people talk about me and stuff? So, I feel like that was my mindset going to college, my freshman year, was to make a name for myself: That three-star is going to be the best.”
Part Two of AL.com‘s “Road to the Pros” series takes a closer look at McCreary’s journey from under-the-radar prospect to two-year SEC starter and All-America cornerback during his senior season in 2021.
McCreary, one of the lowest-rated signees in Auburn’s 2018 class, arrived on the Plains as a wideeyed freshman who had minimal experience playing cornerback. He spent his first season learning the ins and outs of the position, looking up to the Tigers’ veteran defensive backs for guidance and help in developing his technique.
That year was trial by fire for McCreary, who made his college debut against Alabama State—recording a pass breakup shortly after entering the game and then getting scored on late during a 63-9 Auburn win. He was mad at himself for giving up the touchdown, even as Auburn ran away with the win.
McCreary endured struggles as a freshman that caused him to question whether college football was for him. Doubt began to seep in, but he persisted and found validation as a sophomore, when his first career interception came against LSU — picking off eventual Heisman winner Joe Burrow near the goal line while shadowing eventual first-round pick Ja’Marr Chase throughout the game.
It was a sign of things to come for McCreary, who became a fixture in Auburn’s secondary and established himself as one of the nation’s premier cornerbacks during his final two seasons, which culminated with an All-America campaign as a senior.
“He’s up in the top tier of being one of the greatest defensive backs to ever been through Auburn University,” Auburn assistant Zac Etheridge said. “That’s a testament to who he is and what he’s done over his time being here.”