Auburn’s had its fair share of great running backs and great running back duos. At the top of that list is Cadillac Williams and Ronnie Brown who played together in the early 2000s before both becoming top five NFL draft picks.
Williams and Brown are able to provide a unique perspective to Tank Bigsby and Shaun Shivers who are hoping to be considered one of the great Auburn running back duos.
Williams, as Auburn’s running back coach, and Brown who works for Auburn doing radio along with coming to talk with the team from time to time.
Shivers says him and Bigbsy have grown close since Bigbsy got on campus last year.
“Since Tank got on campus, I can say that this offseason and this past year, we have grown pretty close to each other. We talk more than we ever did,” Shivers said. “We watch film together. We always talk to each other. He'll call me at nighttime and say what could I have did better. Or I'd say what he did better. Even when we're out on the football field, I'll be like, 'Tank, next time make that cut.' And next thing you know, he'll go out there and he makes that cut and he goes and scores. Our relationship, it's just grown real close.”
Their relationship echoes what Williams and Brown once had at Auburn. But, they’re not trying to beat out Auburn’s great running back duo. They’re paving their own path.
“This is how Ronnie and coach 'lac was, they told us how they did things,” Shivers said. “We kind of went through the same. Even the other guys, make them come along as well. I could say that me and Tank, we're not really focusing on trying to beat out coach 'lac and Ronnie. We're just trying to move through this fall camp and then when the season hits, just rock.”
Bigsby, who’s made his way to the top of preseason award watch lists and become a national name after just one season, says Williams has been vital to his development as a player and person.
“I appreciate him a lot. He helped me develop and he helped me do a lot of things through coaching and outside of football. He’s a great coach,” Bigsby said.
And for Brown, he’s been a good guide for Bigsby and Shivers, too.
“Ronnie, he gives us encouraging words. He's always talking to us. When he's around, he just talks to us and says some positive things, just says, keep pushing,” Shivers said. “That's basically it. Ronnie's going to be Ronnie. A real cool dude. Laid back. Every time he comes around he just says positive things and tells us to keep working. Sometimes he'll tell us one or two things that he sees that we can improve in our game.”
NOT A MEMBER?
JOIN AUBURNSPORTS.COM TODAY to enjoy around-the-clock content including stories, analysis, videos, podcasts, call-in shows and The Greatest Message Board In The History of The Internet.
