Countdown to Auburn vs. Baylor - #97 Josh Thompson

Tick, tick, tick. Time is winding down, and we are now only 97 days away from kickoff against Baylor on August 29, 2025. We’re counting down the days by former Tigers jersey numbers, and checking in at number 97 is nose tackle Josh Thompson.

The 6-foot-0 and 300-pound Thompson signed with the Tigers as part of the 2003 recruiting class out of Statesboro, Ga. He redshirted the 2003 season, but played in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman and was a key contributor during the Tigers’ undefeated 2004 season.

Thompson played in 48 games at Auburn from 2003-2007, totaling 134 tackles, 63 of which came during his senior season in 2007, as he was a key cog in Auburn’s “Fear the Thumb” campaign, as the Tigers managed five straight victories over in-state rival Alabama.

Thompson received numerous team accolades during his time on The Plains, including the Eddie Welch Attitude and Effort Award, Pat Dye Leadership Award, and the Most Improved Defensive Lineman award. Thompson signed with the St. Louis Rams in 2008 and spent time with the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League. 

Perhaps Thompson’s most memorable moment inside Jordan-Hare Stadium had very little to do with actual football. On September 22, 2007, after the Tigers defeated the New Mexico State Aggies 55-20, Thompson proposed to long-time girlfriend Renee Steptoe in the south endzone of JHS. 

Steptoe said yes in front of 80,000-plus members of the Auburn Family, as the proposal was shown on the video board. The happy couple celebrated as the band played the Tiger fight song.