Les Snead, the architect of the Rams Super Bowl LIII roster, deserves a ton of praise for how far the franchise has come in recent seasons. While head coach Sean McVay is viewed by many as the catalyst for Los Angeles’ run to the Super Bowl, Snead was the man that hired him and made him the youngest head coach in the NFL.

Long before landing the general manager role with the franchise, Snead’s football roots began in Eufaula, Ala. The former walk-on defensive lineman for the Tigers was used mostly in practice as a player the Auburn coaches utilized to get the starting offensive linemen prepared for collisions.

“I would battle you, but I can remember sitting in many a class on Tuesday thinking, ‘We’re going to stretch, then we’re going to blow the whistle, and then we’re going to battle.’ You just had that dread, like if I could just get through that 10 minutes, the rest of the week was going to be easy,” Snead said recently to AuburnTigers.com.

To reward Snead for his effort in practice, the team would often let him see the field during games, something many walk-ons never get to experience in the SEC.

While the biggest football game of his career looms this weekend, the former Auburn walk-on still hasn’t forgotten about the university that made him who he is today.

“I wouldn’t be where I am today without it,” Snead said. “So many years later, here we are.”