Nov. 30, 2017
By Greg Ostendorf
AuburnTigers.com
AUBURN, Ala. -- Three weeks ago, when Kerryon Johnson last faced this Georgia defense he's going to see in Saturday's SEC championship game, he rushed for 167 yards on 32 carries and added two receptions for 66 yards and a touchdown. He carried Auburn past the Bulldogs, who were ranked No. 1 at the time.
It was a performance that caught the eye of former Georgia running back Todd Gurley.
Damn 21 Johnson a beast..
-- Todd Gurley II (@TG3II) November 11, 2017
"It's still crazy to think about to this day," Johnson said later about the tweet. "I'd never think about Todd Gurley -- I watched him run the ball so many times against us, against other people -- and just to think, `Wow, he actually knows who I am.' That's crazy."
Gurley isn't the only former SEC star who has taken notice of Johnson's play this season. There are a number of former Auburn running backs who play or have played in the NFL, and they have all been impressed with what Johnson has been able to do, continuing the tradition and legacy of the running back position at Auburn.
We asked some of them about Johnson, the school's latest star running back.
What has stood out the most about Kerryon Johnson this season?
Joe Cribbs (1976-79): "I kind of saw his transformation, from the time he arrived at Auburn until now. I think the one thing that I noticed about him is he's a team guy. He's not selfish at all, and his focus is on doing whatever he has to do to make the team successful. Whether that's him carrying the ball 25-30 times or carrying it 12 and somebody else carrying it to make the offense successful, he doesn't get selfish. That's the thing I would say kind of sets him out from other running backs."
Stephen Davis (1993-95): "The patience that he has. When you're a good running back, you have patience. Once he sees the hole, it's the explosion that he has and the power that he runs with and the slick moves that he has. I think that's what makes him a great back. And it's the things that he does in the passing game as far as blocking and catching the ball. Everybody talks about running, but he does a lot of things in the offense."
Rudi Johnson (2000): "Just his ability to move the chains and keep the flow of the game going. I think that's a major part of what Coach [Malzahn] is trying to do with that offense, make plays and keep the chains moving. I think he's done a great job doing that and then making explosive plays."
Ronnie Brown (2000-04): "I think just the development of his game over this last year. Coming into this season, a lot of people questioned his toughness or his ability to run between the tackles, and I think he's pretty much exceeded all those expectations or taken off the limitations that people had for him. He had been splitting carries. Last year, he didn't play so much. The other guy got the bulk of the carries. So for him to come into it in that mindset of sharing carries, and then because of injuries, you have to switch that mindset to `I have to be the guy.' I've kind of been in that mentality before and that mode and understanding how that switches and the effect that they may have in terms of making good on those opportunities. I think he's done that."
Carnell Williams (2001-04): "I think the guy's patience. He's a very patient runner. And that's something that as a running back, guys know that it's something that can't be taught. I think that goes unnoticed how much that really helps the offensive line and their blocking schemes. He has exceptional vision. The guy can see things before they actually develop. I just think he has a nose for the end zone. And then the guy is a dual-threat back, a back who can catch out the backfield and do it all. To me, it's a shame that he's not been mentioned among those guys that are in that Heisman race because I truly feel like he's one of the best backs in the country."
Kenny Irons (2005-06): "What I appreciate about him is he doesn't ever go down on the first tackle or arm tackle, and that's like running back 101. When you teach a running back to run the ball, you say `Hey, never go down on the first hit or arm tackle. Don't ever let the first man bring you down.' That's one thing I notice about Kerryon, and you see that in a lot of Auburn running backs. You see it in Tre Mason, he's always making the first guy miss. You see it in Bo Jackson during his time. You see it in Ronnie Brown, Carnell Williams. Everybody made the first man miss."
Corey Grant (2012-14): "The thing that really sticks out to me is really how physical he is for the type of body he has. To me, he almost has a receiver-type body -- he's tall, lanky -- but he still runs the ball just as hard as any running back.
Greg Ostendorf is a Senior Writer for AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @greg_ostendorf