Win or lose, players tend to treat each other with respect

Carl Lawson was going to be the centerpiece of the Auburn defense. This was going to be his breakthrough season. From the time he suffered a torn ACL in the spring of 2014, he worked to make himself better than ever.

Finally, in Auburn’s season-opener against Louisville in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff game, Lawson’s time came. After sitting out all last season, he was a disruptive force from the start. And then came the pain in his hip. He tried to play through it but did not make it through the first half.

And now he’s sidelined again for what Auburn coach Gus Malzahn called “a extended period of time.” It’s uncertain if he’ll be back this season. While his teammates practice, Lawson works in the training room.

“Can’t wait to get back,” Lawson told AuburnTigers.com, the athletic department web site.

First-year defensive coordinator Will Muschamp’s defense has struggled without Lawson. But Muschamp said Wednesday that’s not the hardest part.

"It's frustrating," Muschamp said. "I think from a standpoint of just the frustration you have for a young man like Carl, who really enjoys practice, he enjoys meetings, he enjoys the game, he enjoys competing, he enjoys playing. You see the frustration he and his family are going through. His dad was in the building the other day. That's what really hurts you as a coach. It's just the individual.”

Without Lawson, Auburn’s defense hit on hard times in a narrow 27-20 overtime escape against Jacksonville State and a 45-21 loss at LSU>

“Obviously, how does it affect your football team frustrates you, but really you hurt for the young man because football's important to him,” Muschamp said. “When something that's very important to him gets taken away and to see his frustration, we spend a lot of time with these young men. They're kind of your own guys, and to see them go through those is no different from your own child at home. To see him go through frustration is pretty excruciating for you as a coach or parent."

Lawson’s biggest moment as a Tiger came in the 2013 Iron Bowl, when he stuffed Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon on fourth-and-one, helping set the stage for Auburn’s 34-28 victory.

