Article: Vaughn on Tiffin

[DKW 86 7,425]

http://www.tfponline.com/QuickHeadlines.as...%26ID%3DAr03400

Kick or be kicked

Auburn’s Vaughn feels for Alabama’s Tiffin, as a kicker who knows the anger and true support a bad day brings.

By Darren Epps Staff Writer

John Vaughn and his family took their seats at Locos in Auburn, Ala., just in time to watch overtime of the Alabama-Arkansas game. Vaughn had just finished a solid kicking performance for Auburn, making five extra points and his only field-goal attempt in an easy win over Buffalo, but he was about to witness a much tougher part of the job.

One he knew all too well.

Alabama’s Leigh Tiffin lined up for a game-winning 37-yard field goal in the first overtime and missed wide right. In the second overtime, Tiffin missed right again on an extra point, a place-kicker’s version of a layup. Arkansas countered with a touchdown, made the extra point and beat Alabama 24-23 in a crucial SEC West matchup.

Like Vaughn in a similar situation last year, Tiffin offered to do postgame interviews.

"I had a rough night," Tiffin said. "You go out there, you line up every kick, you concentrate like you’re trying to make it. It just didn’t happen."

Tiffin finished the game 1-of-4 on field-goal attempts, and Vaughn winced.

"I thought, ‘Ouch,’" Vaughn said. "That’s rough."

Vaughn knows Auburn is supposed take pleasure in every Alabama loss, particularly the more agonizing ones. But he couldn’t enjoy watching Alabama’s players, including Tiffin, leave the field with their heads down. He remembers the eggs smashed against his apartment door, the nasty e-mails, the threats of death if he ever entered Jordan-Hare Stadium again.

Last Oct. 22, Vaughn missed five field-goal tries in a 20-17 loss to LSU in overtime. His 39-yard attempt hit the left upright, giving LSU the win.

If an offensive lineman misses a block, most of the 90,000 fans in attendance never notice. If a linebacker blitzes the wrong gap, no one but the defensive coordinator will remember. But if a kicker shanks a field goal in overtime, a stadium filled to capacity can be a lonely place. Especially in an SEC town, where the passion for college football rivals religion.

Tennessee’s James Wilhoit missed a game-tying extra point against Florida in 2004, then drilled a 50-yard field goal just more than four minutes later to win the game. In the short time between kicks, Wilhoit received a nasty voice-mail message and several e-mails criticizing him.

"It wasn’t a joke," Wilhoit said. "They were pretty mad."

Vaughn did not get a chance at redemption against LSU last year. He simply put his hands to his helmet as he crumbled to the ground following his final miss.

"I’d be lying if I said everything I went through didn’t bother me," Vaughn said. "At the same time, that’s part of being a kicker. People love their football in the South. People get upset. But as bad as it was, I had about 1,000 e-mails from Auburn people saying to keep my head up, and an Auburn man bounces back. It was amazing. I found out what it means to be an Auburn Tiger."

Vaughn doesn’t know Tiffin, but as a fellow kicker, he feels a bond with him and follows his career. He worries how Tiffin, a freshman who might not get a chance to redeem himself because starter Jamie Christensen is set to return from a groin injury, will handle the impending criticism.

"The worst is mainly the initial night of and the day after," Vaughn said. "After that, it cools off. People are more realistic. I hope people get over the initial emotion. He’s 18. Give him a break. He’ll do better. He’s a good kicker who had a bad day. This can be a great life lesson. It was for me. I hope he shrugs it off and proves what kind of man he is."

So does Alabama coach Mike Shula, who watched his dreams of advancing to the SEC title game for the first time take a severe blow when Tiffin’s kicks kept sailing wide right. "It was a tough day for him. But I told Leigh we believe in him, and he has to believe in himself, which he does," Shula said. "You have to get better because of it and move on. Correct the things you need to get corrected and make sure you’re better next time."

Vaughn is willing to share the best advice he got, from his dad, following his forgettable evening in Baton Rouge. Vaughn already took his own initiative, kicking field goals the next day at 8 a.m. — the sun did in fact rise, he likes to joke — at Jordan-Hare Stadium until he corrected a minor flaw.

Vaughn’s father, Mark, told him that LSU already beat him once.

"Son," he said, "don’t let them beat you again next week. Don’t let this get to you all year."

Three weeks later, Vaughn kicked the winning field goal against Georgia in Athens. He’s missed only three field-goal tries since the debacle at LSU, including a 7-of-9 mark this year.

"There were two things I could do — lay down or try to work through it and stand up and take it," Vaughn said. "I didn’t stay down. It was horrible. But you’ve got to bounce back. As bad as it was, I did my best. My best just had to be better."

It’s all part of being a kicker in the SEC. In October 2005, Vaughn received death threats. The following month, he was a hero. One message on Wilhoit’s voice mail said he "(stunk)" during the infamous Florida game. Less than an hour later, the same caller told him to disregard the message.

Vaughn laughed at Wilhoit’s story.

"You’ve got to have thick skin to do what we do," he said. "You can go from the bottom to the top in one kick. At the same time, I love it. I love the pressure and the intense moments of it. It’s a little different than most jobs."

It can even create a bond between players from Auburn and Alabama.

[JohnDeere 0]

The big difference between Vaughn's experiences and Tiffin's....Bama will be lucky to finish the season 8 and 4.

[TheDrewYouKnew 3]

The big difference between Vaughn's experiences and Tiffin's....Bama will be lucky to finish the season 8 and 2.

That would be quite a feat since they play 12 plus a bowl game. I see them going 8-5 myself.

[WAR EAGLE!!! 0]

The big difference between Vaughn's experiences and Tiffin's....Bama will be lucky to finish the season 8 and 4.

No...the biggest difference is Vaughn knew he was the starting kicker and would be kicking field goals the next week. Tiffin, unfortunately does not get that priveledge. He is probably going to have to sit and watch "money" kick the rest of the year and not get a chance to redeem himself like Vaughn did. That is going to be tough for Tiffin.

If you are Shula, do you let Tiffin try a easy, "no pressure" FG in one of Bama's game to help get his confidence back?