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<H1 ALIGN=CENTER> AUBURN'S SILENT WARRIOR </H1>
<H2 ALIGN=CENTER> By Goodloe Sutton, Jr. </H2>


<P>
<IMG ALT="Terry Soloman" ALIGN =RIGHT WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=289 BORDER=2 SRC=" pic/soloman1.jpg">

Auburn's "Gouch" has his own different strokes for different folks . . . especially if they're on the other side of the line of scrimmage. </P>
<P>
Terry Solomon, Auburn's starting outside linebacker, explains his nickname. </P>
<P>
"During my freshman year, I got into a fight with one of the older guys on the field. When I got back into my dorm room, my roommate, Rechart Walker, started calling me 'the Gouch'," Solomon smiled. </P>
<P>
"The 'Gouch' was the bully on the television show 'Different Strokes', that no one ever got to see. He would beat up Gary Coleman and take his lunch money at school. I guess it stuck with me." </P>
<P>
Solomon did a good job of bullying quarterbacks last year by leading the Tigers with 9 sacks. He was also sixth on the team in tackles with 35 solo and 31 assists. </P>
<P>
"Last year I got nine sacks. My personal goal this year is to get at least 12 sacks," Solomon said.
Solomon thinks his chances of getting those extra sacks have improved with first-year Defensive Coordinator Bill Oliver's plans. </P>
<P>
"I think Coach Oliver's new scheme fits me better. Last year I rushed and played down a lot. Now I drop into coverage, play the run, and pass rush. I like his scheme a lot. I really have a better chance of getting the 12 sacks and more tackles. </P>
<P>
"Coach Oliver knows a lot about football. His knowledge is tremendous. I never thought anybody could know as much about football as he does. "</P>
<P>
Number 44 has also improved physically, which will increase the odds of him getting those 12 sacks.
"I've really hit the weights this summer. I've gotten bigger and stronger. I went from 222 pounds to 237 pounds. I've also gotten faster. I improved my 40-yard-dash time from 4.52 to 4.46." </P>
<P>
Roughing up offensive players is something the Cairo, Ga.,-native has been doing for a long time. Cairo High School Head Coach Stan Shephard says Solomon is the best player he has ever coached. </P>
<P>
"Terry is the best player I've seen at Cairo in the nine years that I've been here," Shephard said. "He was so good we nicknamed him the 'Heat Seeking Missile'. The other guys played better by just being around him. He practiced as hard as he played. He had a hard-running motor." </P>
<P>
Coming to Auburn was a big transition for Solomon. As a Parade High-School All-American Solomon seldom faced players as athletic as himself. </P>
<P>
"Leaving home was the toughest thing I ever had to do. Just being away from home, getting home sick, the usual freshman feelings got to me. About the only thing I had going for me was Auburn was a small town, and I didn't have a problem adapting to that." </P>
<P>
"Going from a Parade All-American to division one was like getting lost. At Auburn, everyone on the team was talented. I could compete with anybody in high school. When I got here, everyone was just as fast or faster than me. They were all bigger," Solomon said. "In high school, you may play against one star athlete a game, if that many. Here, at this  level, everybody is a star. If you let up and don't work hard, someone is there on your heels." </P>
<P>
Former Auburn players Bennie Pierce and James Willis took Solomon under their wings when he arrived on the plains. </P>
<P>
"Bennie Pierce and James Willis took me in. They showed me the ropes on and off the field," Solomon said. "It was nice having two veterans show me around. They helped me learn the system and fit in quickly." </P>
<P>
Hard work is something that comes natural for Solomon. </P>
<P>
"My father taught me and my three older brothers a hard work ethic at an early age. He taught me that hard work will get you further in life than anything. He started out kind of poor and worked his way up the ladder," Solomon said. "I was the kind of kid that was always working in the field or at my daddy's gas station or on the farm. He owned a store and a pool room too. I would work for my father after school all of the time. I really admire and thank him for what he taught me." </P>
<P>
Auburn outside linebackers coach Joe Whitt says that Solomon is very talented, but hasn't reached his peak, yet. </P>
<P><IMG ALT="Terry Soloman" ALIGN =LEFT WIDTH=250 HEIGHT=211 BORDER=2 SRC=" pic/soloman2.jpg">

"He's a senior player who's been here a long time. We've gotten a lot out of him, but he's not where he can be yet though. He's got to go out and do it. He's got a great deal of talent, he just hasn't utilized it yet," Whitt said. "He'll get there, but he's got to keep working. He's just got to go out and do it. He's a quiet guy who plays by example and not by running his mouth." </P>
<P>
Solomon responded, saying only perfection will satisfy Whitt. 	</P>
<P>
"He's  crazy," Solomon laughed. "Seriously, he's a workaholic and right to the point. Coach Whitt makes you work hard. He's one of those men that you know in the back of your mind you hate what he's doing to you right now, but in the long run you'll be glad and thank him for it. He's like a father away from home. He's always on you, but you know he's on you for a good reason. He wants perfection. He really makes you go 100 percent. If it isn't perfect, it isn't right for him. I like that." </P>
<P>
Shephard says that Solomon is a silent warrior. </P>
<P>
"He was quiet in school. He never would say anything walking down the halls. He was a good kid," Shephard said. </P>
<P>
Although normally quiet, one time during a game Solomon was vocal. Shephard recalled, "During our 15-0 state championship season, which was Terry's junior year, we were playing Thomas County. They had the ball first and goal and were getting ready to punch it in on us. I called time-out and went out to the huddle to talk to the defense. Terry hollered over to the other huddle to 'forget it...you're not gonna score. We won the game and ended up winning the state championship that year, going 15-0," Shephard reminisced. </P>
<P>
Shephard also recalled a lighter moment when Solomon missed an assignment during a high school game, while playing against future LSU star tailback Robert Toomer. </P>
<P>
"Toomer lined up behind the quarterback in the shotgun. It was third-and-eight, and I told him to watch for the draw. Sure enough, Toomer got the ball and converted the first down. When they got in the huddle he wouldn't even look at me to get the signal to call the defense. He told the other linebacker to get it," Shephard laughed. </P>
<P>
"I knew I messed up and didn't want to look at him," Solomon replied. "We stopped them the next three downs though." </P>
<P>
Shephard described Solomon as a "survivor". Because of age limitations, he had to spend his senior football season improving his grades and preparing for the SAT. "My wife would tutor him in English, and I would tutor him in math," Shephard said. "He's a survivor, because he worked harder to get where he is in the classroom, rather than on the field."  	 </P>
<P>
Solomon commended his high school freshman English teacher who also helped him. "I really owe a lot to Mrs. Nabulsi, one of my English teachers. She would help me get my work done. She was one of the people who helped steer me in the right direction. She saw I would have a chance to play football one day and began preparing me early. I would work with her after school and go to her house on weekends," Solomon said, "She was something." </P>
<P>
Solomon says he learned to stay out of trouble at an early age. "When I was younger I tended to hang out with the bad crowd. In the sixth grade, I got caught skipping school. My mom and dad didn't whip me or scare me too bad like I thought they would. It was just the fact that I skipped school and disappointed them. It was an awful feeling," Solomon recalled. "I did a complete U-turn. It was the turning point in my life." </P>
<P>
"I always tried to make my father proud," Solomon said. "Everything I do is not only for me, but also for my father and mother." </P>
<P>
In the eighth grade, Solomon's brothers talked him into playing football. "I always wanted to play. My brothers played, so that had a lot to do with it. They talked me into playing. I started out at tailback, and moved to safety, then linebacker. Football is the only sport I've ever played and I truly love it," Solomon said. </P>
<P>
Recruited by Florida State, Georgia and Clemson, Solomon credits Cairo natives and former Tiger wide-receivers Duke Donaldson and Trey Gainous as being the primary reason he chose Auburn. </P>
<P>
"Trey Gainous and Duke Donaldson were very influential in me coming to Auburn. Duke and I were good friends. Trey recruited me. We talked all the time and they were telling me how Auburn was. I liked what I heard and they stuck with me through everything." </P>
<P>
Solomon says his most memorable game was during Head Coach Terry Bowden's inaugural season, October 10, 1993, at Jordan-Hare Stadium, when Calvin Jackson returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown against Florida. </P>
<P>
"It's the hypest game I've been in . . . ever! You're in the locker room and just can't wait to get outside. You just don't care about pain . . .you're tired and don't even know it. You're just ready to get after it.
Solomon, is one of only five players left who played for former Head Coach Pat Dye. </P>
<P>
"I liked Coach Dye a lot. He stuck with me during recruiting. Although I only got to play for him for just one quarter, I never thought about leaving once." </P>
<P>
Majoring in Health and Human Promotion, Solomon is scheduled to graduate in three quarters. He has aspirations of playing in the National Football League next year. </P>
<P>
Solomon says that he's learned many lessons during his career on the plains. The biggest reason however is what his father taught him at an early age. </P>
<P>
"I know what failure is, and I know what making it is. Experiencing both has made me a better man," Solomon said. "Just plain working hard and desire will get you what you want in life." 	</P>

<P ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="./">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> | <A HREF="../">PROGRAM INDEX</A> | <A HREF="../../index.html">HOME</A></P>

<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>&copy; 1997 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>

</BODY>
</HTML>
	<HTML>

	<HEAD>

	<TITLE>Terry Soloman</TITLE>

	</HEAD>

	<BODY <body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">>

	<H1 ALIGN=CENTER> AUBURN'S SILENT WARRIOR </H1>
	<H2 ALIGN=CENTER> By Goodloe Sutton, Jr. </H2>


	<P>
	<IMG ALT="Terry Soloman" ALIGN =RIGHT WIDTH=200 HEIGHT=289 BORDER=2 SRC=" pic/soloman1.jpg">

	Auburn's "Gouch" has his own different strokes for different folks . . . especially if they're on the other side of the line of scrimmage. </P>
	<P>
	Terry Solomon, Auburn's starting outside linebacker, explains his nickname. </P>
	<P>
	"During my freshman year, I got into a fight with one of the older guys on the field. When I got back into my dorm room, my roommate, Rechart Walker, started calling me 'the Gouch'," Solomon smiled. </P>
	<P>
	"The 'Gouch' was the bully on the television show 'Different Strokes', that no one ever got to see. He would beat up Gary Coleman and take his lunch money at school. I guess it stuck with me." </P>
	<P>
	Solomon did a good job of bullying quarterbacks last year by leading the Tigers with 9 sacks. He was also sixth on the team in tackles with 35 solo and 31 assists. </P>
	<P>
	"Last year I got nine sacks. My personal goal this year is to get at least 12 sacks," Solomon said.
	Solomon thinks his chances of getting those extra sacks have improved with first-year Defensive Coordinator Bill Oliver's plans. </P>
	<P>
	"I think Coach Oliver's new scheme fits me better. Last year I rushed and played down a lot. Now I drop into coverage, play the run, and pass rush. I like his scheme a lot. I really have a better chance of getting the 12 sacks and more tackles. </P>
	<P>
	"Coach Oliver knows a lot about football. His knowledge is tremendous. I never thought anybody could know as much about football as he does. "</P>
	<P>
	Number 44 has also improved physically, which will increase the odds of him getting those 12 sacks.
	"I've really hit the weights this summer. I've gotten bigger and stronger. I went from 222 pounds to 237 pounds. I've also gotten faster. I improved my 40-yard-dash time from 4.52 to 4.46." </P>
	<P>
	Roughing up offensive players is something the Cairo, Ga.,-native has been doing for a long time. Cairo High School Head Coach Stan Shephard says Solomon is the best player he has ever coached. </P>
	<P>
	"Terry is the best player I've seen at Cairo in the nine years that I've been here," Shephard said. "He was so good we nicknamed him the 'Heat Seeking Missile'. The other guys played better by just being around him. He practiced as hard as he played. He had a hard-running motor." </P>
	<P>
	Coming to Auburn was a big transition for Solomon. As a Parade High-School All-American Solomon seldom faced players as athletic as himself. </P>
	<P>
	"Leaving home was the toughest thing I ever had to do. Just being away from home, getting home sick, the usual freshman feelings got to me. About the only thing I had going for me was Auburn was a small town, and I didn't have a problem adapting to that." </P>
	<P>
	"Going from a Parade All-American to division one was like getting lost. At Auburn, everyone on the team was talented. I could compete with anybody in high school. When I got here, everyone was just as fast or faster than me. They were all bigger," Solomon said. "In high school, you may play against one star athlete a game, if that many. Here, at this level, everybody is a star. If you let up and don't work hard, someone is there on your heels." </P>
	<P>
	Former Auburn players Bennie Pierce and James Willis took Solomon under their wings when he arrived on the plains. </P>
	<P>
	"Bennie Pierce and James Willis took me in. They showed me the ropes on and off the field," Solomon said. "It was nice having two veterans show me around. They helped me learn the system and fit in quickly." </P>
	<P>
	Hard work is something that comes natural for Solomon. </P>
	<P>
	"My father taught me and my three older brothers a hard work ethic at an early age. He taught me that hard work will get you further in life than anything. He started out kind of poor and worked his way up the ladder," Solomon said. "I was the kind of kid that was always working in the field or at my daddy's gas station or on the farm. He owned a store and a pool room too. I would work for my father after school all of the time. I really admire and thank him for what he taught me." </P>
	<P>
	Auburn outside linebackers coach Joe Whitt says that Solomon is very talented, but hasn't reached his peak, yet. </P>
	<P><IMG ALT="Terry Soloman" ALIGN =LEFT WIDTH=250 HEIGHT=211 BORDER=2 SRC=" pic/soloman2.jpg">

	"He's a senior player who's been here a long time. We've gotten a lot out of him, but he's not where he can be yet though. He's got to go out and do it. He's got a great deal of talent, he just hasn't utilized it yet," Whitt said. "He'll get there, but he's got to keep working. He's just got to go out and do it. He's a quiet guy who plays by example and not by running his mouth." </P>
	<P>
	Solomon responded, saying only perfection will satisfy Whitt. </P>
	<P>
	"He's crazy," Solomon laughed. "Seriously, he's a workaholic and right to the point. Coach Whitt makes you work hard. He's one of those men that you know in the back of your mind you hate what he's doing to you right now, but in the long run you'll be glad and thank him for it. He's like a father away from home. He's always on you, but you know he's on you for a good reason. He wants perfection. He really makes you go 100 percent. If it isn't perfect, it isn't right for him. I like that." </P>
	<P>
	Shephard says that Solomon is a silent warrior. </P>
	<P>
	"He was quiet in school. He never would say anything walking down the halls. He was a good kid," Shephard said. </P>
	<P>
	Although normally quiet, one time during a game Solomon was vocal. Shephard recalled, "During our 15-0 state championship season, which was Terry's junior year, we were playing Thomas County. They had the ball first and goal and were getting ready to punch it in on us. I called time-out and went out to the huddle to talk to the defense. Terry hollered over to the other huddle to 'forget it...you're not gonna score. We won the game and ended up winning the state championship that year, going 15-0," Shephard reminisced. </P>
	<P>
	Shephard also recalled a lighter moment when Solomon missed an assignment during a high school game, while playing against future LSU star tailback Robert Toomer. </P>
	<P>
	"Toomer lined up behind the quarterback in the shotgun. It was third-and-eight, and I told him to watch for the draw. Sure enough, Toomer got the ball and converted the first down. When they got in the huddle he wouldn't even look at me to get the signal to call the defense. He told the other linebacker to get it," Shephard laughed. </P>
	<P>
	"I knew I messed up and didn't want to look at him," Solomon replied. "We stopped them the next three downs though." </P>
	<P>
	Shephard described Solomon as a "survivor". Because of age limitations, he had to spend his senior football season improving his grades and preparing for the SAT. "My wife would tutor him in English, and I would tutor him in math," Shephard said. "He's a survivor, because he worked harder to get where he is in the classroom, rather than on the field." </P>
	<P>
	Solomon commended his high school freshman English teacher who also helped him. "I really owe a lot to Mrs. Nabulsi, one of my English teachers. She would help me get my work done. She was one of the people who helped steer me in the right direction. She saw I would have a chance to play football one day and began preparing me early. I would work with her after school and go to her house on weekends," Solomon said, "She was something." </P>
	<P>
	Solomon says he learned to stay out of trouble at an early age. "When I was younger I tended to hang out with the bad crowd. In the sixth grade, I got caught skipping school. My mom and dad didn't whip me or scare me too bad like I thought they would. It was just the fact that I skipped school and disappointed them. It was an awful feeling," Solomon recalled. "I did a complete U-turn. It was the turning point in my life." </P>
	<P>
	"I always tried to make my father proud," Solomon said. "Everything I do is not only for me, but also for my father and mother." </P>
	<P>
	In the eighth grade, Solomon's brothers talked him into playing football. "I always wanted to play. My brothers played, so that had a lot to do with it. They talked me into playing. I started out at tailback, and moved to safety, then linebacker. Football is the only sport I've ever played and I truly love it," Solomon said. </P>
	<P>
	Recruited by Florida State, Georgia and Clemson, Solomon credits Cairo natives and former Tiger wide-receivers Duke Donaldson and Trey Gainous as being the primary reason he chose Auburn. </P>
	<P>
	"Trey Gainous and Duke Donaldson were very influential in me coming to Auburn. Duke and I were good friends. Trey recruited me. We talked all the time and they were telling me how Auburn was. I liked what I heard and they stuck with me through everything." </P>
	<P>
	Solomon says his most memorable game was during Head Coach Terry Bowden's inaugural season, October 10, 1993, at Jordan-Hare Stadium, when Calvin Jackson returned an interception 96 yards for a touchdown against Florida. </P>
	<P>
	"It's the hypest game I've been in . . . ever! You're in the locker room and just can't wait to get outside. You just don't care about pain . . .you're tired and don't even know it. You're just ready to get after it.
	Solomon, is one of only five players left who played for former Head Coach Pat Dye. </P>
	<P>
	"I liked Coach Dye a lot. He stuck with me during recruiting. Although I only got to play for him for just one quarter, I never thought about leaving once." </P>
	<P>
	Majoring in Health and Human Promotion, Solomon is scheduled to graduate in three quarters. He has aspirations of playing in the National Football League next year. </P>
	<P>
	Solomon says that he's learned many lessons during his career on the plains. The biggest reason however is what his father taught him at an early age. </P>
	<P>
	"I know what failure is, and I know what making it is. Experiencing both has made me a better man," Solomon said. "Just plain working hard and desire will get you what you want in life." </P>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><A HREF="./">TABLE OF CONTENTS</A> \| <A HREF="../">PROGRAM INDEX</A> \| <A HREF="../../index.html">HOME</A></P>

	<P ALIGN=CENTER><I>© 1997 Auburn Network, Inc.</I></P>

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