Eltoro Freeman waited his turn, splitting starts with Adam Herring at outside linebacker over the first seven weeks in 2009 before recording 12 stops against LSU in October and taking over the spot for good.

Or so he thought.

Freeman got injured against Georgia, was replaced by Jonathan Evans, and recorded only one tackle in the season’s final two games.

Last year, after starting the first two games for the suspended Craig Stevens, Freeman saw the starting lineup only two more times, trading performances like his nine-tackle Iron Bowl with ones like the one tackle he turned in against South Carolina in the SEC Championship game the next week.

It took until Week 7 for Freeman to crack the starting lineup again this year, and he’s been one of the Tigers’ most dynamic defenders over the past three weeks.

He’s not too keen on losing his starting spot when he goes to Georgia this time around.

The senior’s still got things to do.

“I haven’t done it yet, because it ain’t over,” Freeman said. “I feel like I’m being very productive. But once again my No. 1 goal is to finish out with a bang.”

Freeman, the 5-foot-11, 221-pounder from Alexander City, has recorded 29 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss and three sacks over the past four games at middle linebacker, by far the most productive stretch of his Auburn career.

When the excitable Freeman is on, he’s virtually everywhere on the field, blasting through a run gap to blow up a ball carrier in the backfield one play, sprinting after a scrambling quarterback to force a sack or hurried throw on another, chasing down a back to poke the ball out and force a fumble on another.

Head coach Gene Chizik said Freeman’s main hurdle was harnessing the frenetic energy he brings to the field.

“The last two games have been more of what we have expected from him for a long period of time,” Chizik said. “He’s starting to play the game the way he is built to play it, and he’s starting to get a comfort level out there. He’s starting to feel good about fitting in the defense and what his job is and things of that nature, so I’m really proud of him.”

Sophomore defensive tackle Jeffrey Whitaker said Freeman’s resurgence has been a popular topic between he and the linebacker at practice.

When Freeman’s his usual, livewire self, it can be infectious.

A “Running of the Bull,” if you will.

“He’s a high-energy guy, high-motor, very vocal guy,” Whitaker said. “When you see him out there doing his thing, running across and making unbelievable tackles and causing fumbles and all that, when you’re getting that from your middle linebacker, it lifts everybody.

“We were joking the other day. I said, ‘It feels good running free, don’t it?’”

Freeman said he never saw his on-field excitability as much of a problem.

This year, at least, the main adjustment he had to make was taking on the added responsibilities of playing in the middle after two years on the outside.

“I don’t think necessarily my excitement took me out of games because if they did, I wouldn’t be able to make the plays I did,” Freeman said. “Being able to set the front and call out formations and make calls, now that has been a challenge for me because it’s something I’ve never done before that point.”

Freeman has three of his top seven tackle games for his career in the past four weeks and is the Tigers’ leading tackler over that span, leading safety Neiko Thorpe (28) and linebacker Daren Bates (24).

But his work’s not done yet.

There are still demons left to exorcise.

“Y’all saw the last time I went up (to Athens), y’all know, we won’t speak on that,” Freeman said with a smile. “It’s going to be fun, I’ll tell you that. I haven’t forgot my last trip either, though.”