Auburn LB Owen Pappoe named to The Athletic's "Freaks List"
For twenty years, national writer Bruce Feldman of The Athletic has gone out of his way to recognize those college football players that have "unique physical abilities" that garner them significant attention within their programs - a significant accomplishment when you're starting with a pool of elite athletes, with many of them destined for the National Football League.
Owen Pappoe, known as "The Freak" within the Auburn football program, has finally gotten his due. He comes in at #8 on this year's list, with Feldman making note of Pappoe's unique combination of strength and speed:
He’s made 165 tackles and six sacks in his career for the Tigers, and he’s determined to bounce back from missing part of last season and the spring with a leg injury. Folks inside the Auburn program say he is aptly nicknamed “The Freak.” The 6-1, 225-pounder bench-presses 435 pound and has been clocked in the 40 at 4.32.
Pappoe, who started every game in 2019 (as a true freshman) and 2020 but only played in five contests in 2021 due to a lower leg injury that also caused him to miss the spring and A-Day, is fully healthy and looks to be the anchor in the middle of what is expected to be a ferocious Auburn defense before forgoing his final season of eligibility and entering the NFL Draft.
For someone who's so synonymous with ridiculous athleticism that his verified Twitter account is simply @The Freak, it's nice to see Pappoe finally getting the recognition that he has earned over years in the weight room, on the practice fields, and inside Jordan-Hare Stadium on Saturdays.
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