On The Plains with Philip Blidi: ‘Family man’ finds fit at Auburn

AUBURN, Ala. – A self-proclaimed family man, nobody is a better fit for the Auburn Family than transfer defensive lineman Philip Blidi. 

And that includes the family members joining him in making a home in Auburn this summer – his wife Emma and children Amara and Brooks. 

“I wanted to go somewhere that my family was welcome, a family-oriented place, a family-oriented community. That was important to me, somewhere welcoming for my wife and kids,” Blidi explained about the criteria he prioritized in making a transfer from Indiana. 

“I have to be able to take care of my family. My daughter just turned 3, and I have a son that’s 1 and a half. I met my wife Emma at Texas Tech. We met during COVID and just hit it off, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. She was going to school and right now she’s taking care of the kids, which is a full-time job. She’s been very supportive and made it easy for me to chase my dreams.”

Those dreams have been fueled by football for as long as Blidi can remember. 

“I’ve loved football ever since I was a kid. I grew up watching a lot of football. I played baseball, then soccer, then football and later basketball. I tried everything, but football was my favorite.

“I’ve always felt like I was a defensive guy,” he admitted. “I know little kids always want to play running back, but I always wanted to play defense since third or fourth grade. I pattern my game after the old-school players. I like to watch throwback defense – the energy they play with and the violence they play with. Mean Joe Greene, Too Tall Jones, Deacon Jones – I loved to watch how they play.”

Blidi, who has 70 career tackles to date (30 last season making 11 starts at Indiana and 40 during three seasons at Texas Tech), appreciates the personal strengths that playing football has helped him build. 

“My experience in football has helped me overcome adversity in whatever I’ve faced in my life,” he said. “In football, you go through adversity where it’s off-season training, you hit walls, and it’s hard at times. But going through it with people you love and people who are going through the same thing as you, having that support teaches you to overcome adversity and overcome your mind. 

“Mental toughness is something I really embrace about football because a lot of things I have to power through mentally.”

Blidi says developing that mental edge was a factor in his decision to come to Auburn as well.

“Something that was important to me from a football perspective was development and also a team that had the goal in mind to win a conference championship,” he said. “Because if you win that, you put yourself in the best position to do whatever else you want to do in the playoffs or whatever.

 

“I knew I needed to get a certain amount of development during my last year, in terms of technique and also mentally and physically. I wanted to play in an attacking defensive scheme that would allow me to make a lot of plays. That’s here at Auburn. 

“My goals for the season are a conference championship – that’s number one – and individually, I want to win the Outland Trophy and become an All-American. If I get those goals, I’m going to put myself in the position to get drafted as high as possible and I will have contributed to our team being successful.”

Blidi accomplished one of his long-time goals in May when he graduated from Indiana with a degree in liberal studies with a minor in kinesiology. 

“I was very happy getting my degree and now I can do extra work on football here at Auburn,” he said. “When I finish with college, I want people to say I was a guy who was not only a hard worker but a guy they could depend on, a guy who cared about the people around him, a guy who was a God-fearing person, and a leader who led by example.”

 

The well-traveled Blidi spent his childhood in Trenton, New Jersey, and then spent his high school years in Portales, New Mexico, where he was the state defensive lineman of the year for Portales High and also a state medalist in the shot put. 

“I lived in a children’s home in New Mexico for five years,” Blidi said. “By the grace of God, I got an opportunity to play college football, and I chose Texas Tech for many reasons. That’s where I met my wife and that’s where my family started. When I went to Indiana, I was looking for a great situation for my family, the same as I wanted to find at Auburn.

“After football, there are a lot of things I’ve looked at. I’ve looked at personal training, I’ve looked at real estate, I’ve looked at property management. Those are my interests right now and those are things my wife and I want to do together. We want to work together after I’m done with football.”

But first comes Blidi’s final collegiate season, a season the whole family is looking forward to with great expectations.

“My family is really enjoying Auburn – the family aspect was a big reason I came here,” the defender said. “The community is very family-oriented; I’ve met so many people in the community already, and I look forward to knowing more. I’m a relationship guy. For me, as a family man and being in my last year, that’s something I needed – for my family to feel safe and welcomed. And they love it so far.”

What are the Blidis anticipating most?

“Just the experience of Auburn football – everything we’ve heard about on gamedays and all the events of the season,” Blidi said. “I want to beat every team and especially beat our rivals. I’m just looking forward to winning wherever we play.

“This year, I’m looking forward to winning a lot of football games. I’m looking forward to rolling Toomer’s Corner and just bringing Auburn back to where it needs to be. I want to help set the bar high.”