Holsey Continues to Make Senior Season Memorable

Senior Josh Holsey talks with the media following Saturday's win over Vanderbilt (Photo: Matt Gaught)

Auburn defeated Vanderbilt on Saturday, 23-16. The game was as close as the score indicated, with the Commodores leading at the half, and a series of adjustments needing to be made, it was a senior who sealed the deal late in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Josh Holsey snagged an interception deep in his team’s own territory with 0:36 remaining in the game, to stop a momentum filled Vanderbilt drive. The interception was key, but, this is not the first time that Holsey has played a role in his team getting a win late in the game. Last week at Ole Miss, Holsey picked off quarterback Chad Kelly in the fourth quarter, which led to Auburn’s game-winning touchdown. Fellow defensive back Carlton Davis says that Holsey’s clutch play is not surprising to him, or his teammates. “He’s a playmaker and I’ve seen it in practice. It’s just a matter of time before the whole world sees it.” Holsey was on the field the last time that Auburn played Vanderbilt in 2012. Since then, he has been rattled with injuries. According to Holsey, when it comes to making plays of that caliber, especially in his senior season, he says that it is a rewarding experience. “When you have two knee injuries, you can’t really do anything. You never know what’s next, so I take every game and practice to heart,” said Holsey following the game. Holsey is a full believer in “anything could happen.” Because of that, he takes the time to make sure that he not only performs to the best of his abilities but to enjoy the ride as well. “When I go to practice now, I go hard every play. When I come out to the game, I play my hardest because you never know when that last play will be. If I do get injured again, I want to make sure I go out playing as hard as I possibly could.” With the injuries that Holsey has suffered over his career at Auburn, he knows that this time of year can be brutal to a team. Heading into a big game with Georgia next week, Holsey says that a game of that caliber will say a lot about how well this team can handle the adversity of having nicks and bruises. “This whole next week is going to be big for us - mentally and physically. We have to get a lot of guys healthy.” Holsey says. He is not too worried about what next week will hold, as he has full trust in his coaching staff. “Coach Malzahn does a great job of helping us get well. He watches our reps. He watches what we do. The main thing they tell us is if we’re watching our reps, we have to be responsible. That’s just as important as actual practice.” The senior from Fairburn, Georgia has 109 tackles in 40 career appearances.