Auburn's Nowland draws tough assignment

ORLANDO, Fla. — When he first arrived at Auburn, center Ben Nowland needed time to adjust to life in Alabama.

Nowland grew up nearly 400 miles away in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Going to college meant leaving the surf and sand to live in a town of 38,000 that bills itself "the lovliest village of the plains."

He left his surfboard behind, but he brought his wardrobe — which included several pairs of brightly patterned, loose-fitting shorts.

"I don't think anyone here had ever seen a pair of floral baggies before," Nowland said, grinning. "They'd ask me where I got my Jamz, and I'd say, 'Dude, nobody's worn Jamz since the '80s.'

"Now, I've got a couple guys on the team wearing them, too. Whenever I go home, guys ask me, 'Can you get me a pair of those shorts, man?' So I guess I've made an impact here."

The impression Nowland has made goes beyond his teammates' adopted attire. On the field, the fifth-year senior has evolved into one of the top offensive linemen in the Southeastern Conference.

A three-year starter, Nowland will play his final game Wednesday, when No. 19 Auburn faces No. 10 Penn State in the Capital One Bowl.

"He's a leader on the field," Tigers linebacker Karlos Dansby said. "He plays with a lot of fire. He's the general — he makes all the calls. Other than the quarterback, he's the most important guy out there."

It will be Nowland's job to slow down the Nittany Lions' stud defensive tackles, Anthony Adams and All-American Jimmy Kennedy. That duo combined for 26 ¹ / ₂ tackles for loss and six sacks this season.

"It's going to be a battle," Nowland said. "They've got a big defensive line. We've really got our work cut out for us. My main thing is getting in (Kennedy's) way, so he doesn't hurt our quarterback and running backs."

Players from the two teams mingled Sunday at the Day for the Kids Festival. The event matched kids from broken homes with players for an afternoon of games and a picnic lunch.

"This is a great experience," Nowland said. "Not only do we get to hang out with these kids, but we also can meet some of the Penn State players."

But when asked if he had tried to chat with Kennedy, either to just say hello or to size up his soon-to-be foe, Nowland shook his head. A reporter suggested that Kennedy looks a lot smaller without his pads, and Nowland just laughed.

Then again, Nowland also seems a little smaller lately. If nothing else, his helmet size got a bit smaller after he cut off his shoulder-length hair in July.

Nowland used to have a mane that hung below his shoulders.

"I just grew my hair out of laziness," he said. "I went about two years without it getting cut."

Nowland had it chopped ioff for charity.

Nowland got the idea after seeing a TV report about an actress who donated her hair to Locks of Love. The group uses the donations to manufacture hairpieces for children who have lost their hair because of either disease, burns or treatments such as chemotherapy.

At the urging of his mother, Nowland decided to send in a bundle of his hair. When his aunt, who owns a beauty salon in Jacksonville, Fla., organized a hair drive, Nowland was the first one in her chair.

"I had a little hair left when she was done," he said. "I wasn't scalped completely bald. I wanted to have a little something left."

Yesterday, Nowland's hair was a manageable length … but it seemed to be getting a little shaggy. Yes, he said, it has been a while since he's gotten it cut, and he plans to donate to Locks of Love again.

"Before, I had always kept it pretty short anyway," he said. "Getting it cut was something I really debated myself about, but it was for a good cause. It was nice to get it back to normal."