Cowart trying 'not to be so hard' on himself
AUBURN | It hasn’t been easy for Byron Cowart but there are signs the former five-star and nation’s No. 1 overall prospect is starting to come around.
Cowart played perhaps his best career game against Arkansas Saturday and has taken some steps forward since a frustrating freshman season.
“Trusting my coaches, really studying my playbook because last year I had problems studying my playbook, and just trying to get my confidence back. I'm hard on myself,” said Cowart on how he’s improved since last year.
“Coach G is always telling me, 'Don't be so hard on yourself. It comes with the territory, you're going to mess up sometimes but don't be so hard on yourself because people in the world are going to be hard enough on you.’”
Cowart has taken that advice from his position coach, Rodney Garner, to heart. He’s used his introspection to read about other players that have failed to live up to high expectations including a former No. 1 overall pick in the NFL Draft who was out of football within three years.
“I looked at Jamarcus Russell, stories like that, to see what those guys did so I wouldn't do it,” Cowart explained. “Like what did they do to get out of that hole? I just look at stories like that. I was looking at stories like that all year just trying to see what am I doing wrong, critique myself. What can I do to get back where I was?”
What Cowart found was that he just needed to trust in his coaches, trust in Auburn’s program and be willing to take hard coaching from Garner. He’s done that on a more consistent basis and his teammates have taken notice.
“He's definitely taken a step forward. It's definitely noticeable,” offensive guard Braden Smith said. “I've gone against him in pass rush and I've seen him go against people in pass rush. He started out with a few moves but over the weeks he's been growing. He's got a whole set now and he's definitely getting better in the run game, run fits. He's definitely developed so much over the last couple of weeks. I'm very proud of him for that.”
That work in practice carried over to the field against the Razorbacks. Cowart put good pressure on quarterback Austin Allen throughout the game and stuffed running back Devwah Whaley for 2-yard loss on a key 3rd and 1 in the second quarter.
Defensive coordinator Kevin Steele was pleased with Cowart’s production but cautions that consistency is a key for any young player fighting for more playing time.
“There was a little more runs and activity to him. He made a really good stop for a tackle for a loss on a third down,” Steele said. “The problem as we know as coaches, you turn the corner in the SEC West it’s kind of like going around the block. There’s another corner. You just have to keep turning corners. You never arrive.”
Cowart’s come too far over the last several months to let complacency slip into his routine, especially after a breakout performance against the Razorbacks.
“I like that feeling,” Cowart said. “I've been working for it for a long time but I just have to stay focused and keep working hard so I can keep making big plays.”