Eugene Asante’s parents Paul Asante-Manu and Juliana Mensah, came to the United States by way of Ghana in 1996.

“My parents came from poverty,” Asante said. “They wanted to come to America to get to opportunity.”

Asante’s parents left a lot behind when they made the decision to leave Ghana, where Paul shared bloodlines with kings and queens of the Ashanti Empire.

But with them, they brought an unchanged work ethic that their sons applied to the football field.

Eugene’s older brother, Larry Asante, played safety at Nebraska and went on to have a five-year career in the NFL.

“As far as Ghana is concerned, we are prideful people. Ashanti people, we take pride in the work and the name on the back of our jerseys,” Larry Asante said in an interview with AL.com. “We come from nothing but hard workers. And it’s everything. Y’all see it out there on the field. I told my brother that we don’t take not one lazy step in anything that we do.”

Both Eugene and Larry Asante would tell you that no one exemplified hard work better than their father.

That example was taken from them on Feb. 23, 2022, when Paul Asante-Manu died following a lengthy battle with kidney disease.

And like any young man who idolized his father, Eugene Asante had a hard time grappling with the loss.

“I always tell him that if I would have lost my pops while I was in college at Nebraska playing football, I don’t know how I would have handled it,” Larry Asante said. “And he’s handled it gracefully. But last year was a struggle for my brother, I’m not even gonna lie.”

Larry didn’t recognize his grieving younger brother . It wasn’t the Eugene he knew.

Kyle Simmons, who coached him throughout high school at Westfield High School in Virginia, says Eugene was the type of kid to show up to the practice field with one kneepad in and his cleats untied.

He was goofy and nothing was ever too serious.

Eugene’s older brother agrees.

“He has this charisma, this personality about him,” Larry Asante said. “I’m like, antisocial. I want to be left alone. But him? He’s like a connector of people. He’s like a bridge. I’ll call Eugene a bridge He brings people together.”

But after their father’s death, Eugene clammed up.

“To be honest, I didn’t recognize the guy,” Larry said. “He was quiet and he needed that support.”

While Larry went overseas to Ghana to bury their father, Eugene stayed in Auburn, where former head coach Bryan Harsin spent an entire day with Eugene to ensure him that he would be supported.

With how Harsin’s tenure ended, Larry Asante can see why people might want to compare coaching staffs. And while Harsin wasn’t what the Asante’s were “looking for from a football aspect”, they’re appreciative of Harsin and his family for being there for Eugene while he mourned his father.

But when it came time to return to the football field, the transition wasn’t seamless.

Before coming to Auburn for the 2022 season, Eugene played three seasons at North Carolina, appearing in 37 games.

In Year 1 on The Plains last season, he only appeared in the first four games.

“It was a big reflection piece for me,” Eugene said of last season. “Last year I was very upset within myself in terms of, I just didn’t get on the field. I really don’t know why that was.”

So Eugene consulted his older brother, who offered him the same advice his late father probably would’ve: just keep working.

“Whether it was on scout team, whether it was whatever… whatever service he was doing to Auburn football, I told him to use it to better your skills,” Larry Asante said. “And I believe that what he’s doing out there on the field now is the product of him literally just perfecting his craft last year.”

After being a hot topic throughout fall camp, Eugene finally had his breakout performance on Sept. 9 somewhere in the hills of Berkeley, Calif.

The Auburn Tigers found themselves playing at a Pac-12 program after dark – an unfamiliar environment known for causing visiting football teams fits.

And Auburn experienced just that as its offense floundered against the Cal Golden Bears, leaving it up to the Auburn defense to consistently bail the Tigers out.

“I think the biggest thing is in the midst of chaos, there’s opportunity. Everybody sees this chaotic scene, but there’s an opportunity to put water to the fire and cover our brother’s backs. We are our brother’s keeper,” Eugene Asante said following the game at Cal. “That’s the biggest thing, just not being frustrated. Not being disappointed. But just going out there with a positive mindset and just playing play after play.”

Against Cal, Eugene Asante posted a heroic performance, tallying 12 tackles – 9 solo – a sack and a pair of quarterback hurries.

That performance led to Eugene being named the SEC’s Co-Defensive Player of the Week for Week 2.

When Eugene learned of the honor, it came with a surreal feeling – especially considering what he went through last year. And instead of immediately thinking about himself and patting himself on the back, Eugene steered the conversation in a different direction.

“It’s surreal, to be honest with you,” Eugene said. “I’m grateful to God that I didn’t give up on myself. When I first got here, my dad passed away in February, I had to go through spring ball battling a whole lot of things and as a young man in this world, you need your father. It was a hard thing losing him because he was my best friend. So just to experience being the SEC Player of the Week, I’m just praying I made him proud.”

SEC honor or not, there’s no doubt Eugene’s father would be proud of him as he has consistently mirrored the example of hard work he grew up seeing from his father.

And even better, Eugene has young eyes watching him now, too.

Larry Asante has three children. His oldest two, Larry Jr. and Ziyah are both athletes themselves.

Larry Jr., age 9, plays baseball, while Ziyah, age 7, runs track and competes in gymnastics. Together, the pair share a best friend in Uncle Eugene.

“Uncle Eugene is a kid. He’s one of them,” Larry Asante said. “They love Uncle Eugene. They know when Uncle Eugene comes around, it’s fun time.”

You hear that? It’s fun time — not work time, like Eugene’s iconic catchphrase that has taken over the Auburn football program might suggest.

Fun time with Uncle Eugene means getting snuck snacks that dad said they couldn’t have.

“He thinks I don’t know,” Larry said of Eugene’s slight of hand. “But I do know.”

But at the end of the day, Larry feels comforted by the example his children have in an uncle.

“After the Cal game, my son was like, ‘Man, Uncle Eugene is my role model.’,” Larry said. “And just to hear that – I don’t know – It’s almost like a proud father or whatnot. I’ve been watching this kid grow and blossom into what he’s blossomed into.

“And he’s not done yet. That’s all I can say. He’s not done yet.”