Auburn’s spread should have NFL taking notice

By Robert Rousseau  |   Monday, August 18, 2008  |  Comments( 0 )

Auburn Tigers
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Auburn Tigers running back Brad Lester wasn’t exactly thrilled when he found out during the winter that offensive coordinator Tony Franklin, who runs the spread, was coming to town.

“I’m not going to lie,” Lester said. “I was concerned. When people said that we were going to run the spread and go no huddle, I thought the running backs would never see the ball again.”

However, Lester then actually got to see the offense firsthand, one that asks him to do a lot of things that he’s pretty good at. And suddenly, it was looking like the right scheme for him.

“Once coach Franklin came in and presented his system, I started getting excited,” he said. “This offense gives running backs a chance to make plays. I’ve been waiting a long time for something just like this.”

Making plays, of course, could translate to a niche NFL career for Lester, as Franklin aptly points out.

“The NFL will look at Brad and ask if he can be a third-down back. A good third-down back has to be able to pick up blitzes, run with speed and power, and catch the ball. Brad will be able to show that he can do all those things.”

Next, of course, we should talk about the Tigers’ wide receivers. Their wideouts have historically never really gotten a lot of attention from the NFL, primarily because Auburn has always been a run-first club. Last year’s leading receiver, Rod Smith, a former walk-on, notes the difference in town this season.

"Being in a passing offense, that's a wide receiver's dream," he said. "You can't ask for much more than that. Last year we ran the ball a lot. We passed the ball a little bit. All the receivers you can tell are excited about coming out and know we're going to have the ball in the air a lot."

In other words, he may finally get to put up the numbers that will make the NFL brass to take notice. That's not to mention how James Swinton, Chris Slaughter, Tim Hawthorne and freshman speedster Philip Pierre-Louis, among several others, will also benefit.

The fact is that receivers and athletic high school prospects who perhaps would not have given the Tigers a second glance in the past are interested in enrolling these days, and, in some cases, they're already offering verbal commitments to the Tigers because of the new offense. Some of these prospects are likely thinking that the spread could help propel them toward the NFL. Of course, it’s hardly that simple.

That said, guys like Lester and Smith are probably liking their chances better now than in 2007, don’t you think?
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About Robert Rousseau

Robert Rousseau is a sports writer that has been published in a variety of print and online venues. He’s been writing for RealFootball365.com for almost three years now. When Rousseau isn’t writing about college football he tends to be penning mixed martial arts pieces for MMAFighting.com or...
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