AUBURN, Ala. - When Will Hastings arrived at Auburn in 2015, he was a true freshman kickoff specialist who appeared in only two games. Now in his senior year, Hastings is one of the most talented and productive receivers in the Southeastern Conference. Coming off of a spring ACL tear, Hastings is looking to help bring the Tigers a championship this fall.
"I'll do anything the team needs me to do," Hastings said. "We want to come together for a national championship."
Even though Hastings has been playing football most of his life, he never expected to have the breakout career that he has had on the Plains.
"I didn't start playing receiver until I was in eighth grade," said Hastings, a product of Pulaski Academy in Little Rock, Arkansas. "I was the worst one out there."
Despite his slow start, Hastings finished high school as a MaxPreps All-American and was one of only two receivers in Arkansas history to gain 2,000 yards in a season. After receiving scholarship offers from three Division II schools, Hastings wanted to test the waters at a bigger school.
"I had no connections at all to Auburn. I came to an all-rising senior camp, but didn't do too well at receiver, so I told them I could kick, too," he said. "Nothing transpired until February when I called the special teams coordinator, Coach (Scott) Fountain. That's when he told me they wanted me as a preferred walk-on."
After a difficult adjustment during his freshman season, where he only got to try a couple of onside kicks, Hastings had serious doubts about returning to Auburn.
"I went home winter break and talked with my dad," he said. "He told me that he and my mom could bring me back home and get me into another school if that's what I wanted. He made me promise to go back (to Auburn) until the end of May when the school year finished. He said in May, we could have another talk, pack my stuff up and I would never have to go back again. So I went back. He told me to not think about football and to just have fun.
"My first semester I never went out and met people; I was in my own shell since I'm a shy guy. I came back and started putting myself out there more and meeting people. I forced myself to have fun and meet people. I met the people of Auburn and my life changed. When he asked me if I wanted to come home in May, I told him no, because I love this place.
"This place is home to me. I'm happy to go back home and see family always, and I'm so appreciative that my parents come to every game, but I love this place."
His decision to stay would soon be rewarded. Hastings got his first shot at receiver versus Clemson in 2016. "That really was my coming out game," he said. "Ever since then it's been a wild ride."
Since then, Hastings has become a speedy threat on the fast-paced Auburn offense. He's so quick that his teammates affectionately nicknamed him "White Lightning."
"Tray Matthews started it," Hastings said. "After a scrimmage in an interview, he called me it when mentioning me and it just picked up from there. A lot of people took it and ran with it. It's become one of my nicknames."
Even though he has established himself as a dangerous deep threat, Hastings approaches his senior season with the same walk-on mentality he had as a freshman.
"I want to remember I'm still a walk-on at heart. I don't want anyone to take that from me. I might have received this scholarship and some publicity, but I'm trying to keep telling myself I'm still a walk-on. That motivates me to work harder every day."
Playing football at Auburn has done more for Hastings than giving him a cool nickname and publicity. It's changed his life.
"Football has definitely shaped my life very well," he said. "It has taught me so many lessons. It has taught me to be a man. It goes further into life. It has shown me the importance of taking care of my family and, one day, my future family. It has shown me all the skills I will need for job opportunities: time management, being on time to places and not talking back. It has just taught me to be respectful.
"Being a student-athlete has helped me a lot. It's super hard. It's prepared me for those late-night grinds, and also getting up really early and going all day. I told myself from day one, I know that the work force won't be as physically as hard as this, but this won't be any harder than anything I'll do in my life."
Hastings tells his younger teammates the same. "Work hard -- that's the key term for me. I tell them not to give up. Times will get hard, and you may think you're not going to play, but you'll get your chance if you work hard."
Hastings has had plenty of hard work to do this offseason, after suffering a knee injury during spring practice. "I think that may be my defining moment -- tearing my ACL," he said. "Having to do what I'm doing right now and keeping a positive mindset with everything that (injured teammate) Eli Stove and I have been through. We've both been grinding.
"This situation has defined me as a man and how hard I worked to get back. I want to get back for the whole Auburn Family. We need experienced guys at receiver, and I haven't achieved what I have wanted to fully yet. I want to be able to contribute more and more as the season goes along."
For his future, Hastings has a dream similar to many college players, to play in the NFL.
"I never thought I'd make it this far," he said. "If you would have asked me back in my senior year of high school where I'd be, it definitely wouldn't be at Auburn University as one of the top receivers. I've told myself that if I can make it this far, I'm definitely going to try the NFL."
No matter where he goes, Hastings will never forget what the Auburn Family means to him.
"It means more than anyone could ever know to me. They all took me in. Even though no one really knew what was going on with me, people still took me in. Even when you're a walk-on, the Auburn Family still knows who you are. They know to love you and take care of you. When you start playing, it's the same. It's all out of love. You're a part of the family now, too. I'm where I'm supposed to be."
And his message to that Auburn Family that loves him is simple.
"I love you guys from the bottom of my heart."
Tyler Carter is a student assistant with Auburn athletics communications. Student assistant Amanda Ronan assisted with the interview for this story.