AUBURN, Ala. – A highly recruited receiver from Miami, Devin Aromashodu earned a starting position as a true freshman in 2002 and made a 43-yard reception in his first Auburn game.

The Tigers, however, lost 24-17 in Los Angeles to the University of Southern California, and after flying home Saturday night, ran extensively Sunday in practice.

"Is this something I want to do?" Aromashodu remembers asking himself that day. "I wasn't sure I wanted to put the work in to get to the level that I needed to get to. Going through that helped me dig deeper and find out that I could do it. Throughout my career, one of the main things I learned was being able to deal with adversity."

Two decades after arriving on the Plains, Aromashodu returned, sharing his Auburn story with the Tigers football team in July on Real Life Wednesday, a mentoring program in which current players connect with and learn from former Auburn players.

Aromashodu persevered, finishing his freshman season with 18 catches and averaging a team-leading 16.9 yards per reception. When he caught only three passes as a sophomore in 2003, he lost his starting role, and his confidence.

"I knew I had to come back and work," he told the Tigers. "You've got to believe in what you can do. Being able to get my confidence back going into my junior year was what helped me earn back my starting position."

Aromashodu rebounded in 2004, averaging 21.4 yards per catch on 24 receptions, helping the Tigers go 13-0 and win the SEC Championship.

"Going through that was preparing me for what I was going to deal with when I got to the next level," he said. "Adversity is just another opportunity for you to grow, become stronger and believe in yourself because you have to have self-confidence. One of the ways to do that is to practice your craft."

Drafted in the seventh round in 2006 by the Miami Dolphins, Aromahodu was cut but landed on the Colts' practice squad, learning from Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne while catching passes from Peyton Manning in a Super Bowl season.

"You've got to see it in yourself and put the work in to get to where you want to be," he said. "Learning from those guys helped me develop my skills."

Aromashodu played seven NFL seasons before settling in Birmingham, where he raises his family and works in mortgage banking.
 

Following his talk to the team, Auburn players asked Aromashodu questions for 20 minutes, with one Tiger wanting to know the characteristics of the 2004 championship team.

"We were unselfish and we played together," said Aromashodu, part of a receiving corps that took pride in blocking for Carnell Williams and Ronnie Brown. "We blocked like our life depended on it. When they scored, we felt like we scored."

Another Tiger asked Aromashodu about his career transition after football. When his playing career ended in 2012, he returned to Auburn in 2014, graduating in business administration in 2015. A fellow Auburn graduate helped him get into mortgage banking.

"In your time here, you'll meet a lot of people," Aromashodu said. "Make sure you stay connected to those people because they are family, student-athlete or not. Make sure you take advantage of that. Build those relationships and keep in contact with people."

Other former Tiger standouts who spoke on Real Life Wednesday this summer included Brown, Bret Eddins, Justin Garrett and Karlos Dansby.

"We appreciate all of the former Auburn players who have come back to pour into our guys," Auburn head coach Bryan Harsin said. "When the message comes from someone who not long ago was sitting in their same seat, it resonates deeply. Real Life Wednesdays represent part of our commitment to develop our players and prepare them for success in every area of their lives."

"It was great to be able to come back to my alma mater and talk with them about the things I dealt with, some of the struggles and successes I had, and how I learned," Aromashodu said after his session. "Experience is our greatest teacher. Definitely a great opportunity and I'm thankful to be able to do it."

Aromashodu ended his talk by sharing what his Auburn position coach told him 20 years earlier, advice that has guided Devin ever since.

"Just do right and everything will be all right," he said. "Do what you're supposed to do and give it your best. If you do that, you'll have no regrets."
 

Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer