Auburn’s Tate shows off his speed

AUBURN — Maybe it’s the seemingly oversized shoulder pads — likely big enough for a number of Auburn’s linebackers.

How about those long strides? Those can trick the eyes sometimes.

Or perhaps it’s the fact that he split carries with the shifty Brad Lester for the past three seasons.

Whatever the reason, Ben Tate just doesn’t get it.

“Some people always tell me when I ran, I never look fast,” Tate said. “I’m like, ‘Really? Well race me.’”

Tate and a number of other Auburn speedsters timed themselves in the 40-yard dash at Auburn’s Pro Day early this month. Tate said he ran in the 4.4-second range, vaulting him near the top among speedsters such as Onterio McCalebb and Neiko Thorpe.

Still, why did it appear Tate was the bruiser and Lester was the zippy, change-of-pace guy?

“Just the way I run, like with my stride. (When) me and Brad Lester race, I beat him every time,” Tate said. “He’s quick taking little steps so he looks so fast, but he’s taking small steps and he’s not really going anywhere.”

Tate may not be wowing outsiders with his speed, but he’s done plenty already to satisfy his new coaches after the first week of spring practice.

Gus Malzahn said both Saturday and Sunday that he was impressed by the plays Tate, Auburn’s only senior tailback, made during 11-on-11 drills. In Malzahn’s offense, Tate is slotted at the “four-spot,” the closest thing to a traditional tailback in the offensive coordinator’s run-heavy, play-action offense.

“He’s tough and he’s smart,” running backs coach Curtis Luper said. “We’re going to use him. We’ll find his strengths and make sure this offense is catered to his strengths.”

Tate’s strength over the past two seasons has been modest consistency.

His 903 yards in 2007 and 664 in 2008 were good for the team lead in both seasons. Neither season, though, was Tate an every-down back. Lester was always there and Mario Fannin has also gotten his fair share of carries over the past two seasons.

And, including McCalebb, Auburn could have as many as five new faces under Luper’s umbrella when the tailback/athlete-heavy class of 2009 reports for fall camp.

“I’m trying to be a leader,” Tate said. “I’m trying to bring everybody else along as well. I feel that’s important for me to come out there and show up every single day and have a good day every single day so these young guys will have somebody to follow.”

It took some time for that positive outlook to emerge during the offseason.

Tate said he took Auburn’s worst season since 1999 personally. Showing up for practice with an upbeat attitude was made difficult by a stagnant, confused offense, minimal results and a flood of criticism Tate couldn’t avoid.

“When things are going good, all the fans love you, but when things are going bad, you turn into the worst player and ‘This guy is this’ and ‘that guy is that,’” Tate said. “It wears on you.”

Even when Malzahn — the head of the nation’s first- and second-best offenses at Tulsa over the past two seasons — was named offensive coordinator, Tate wasn’t immediately sold. The “spread offense” tag that gets tossed around in the same conversation with Malzahn’s offense made Tate a little wary.

A thorough scan through the playbook ultimately brought Tate back on board.

“You hear coaches say, ‘We’re out of shotgun but you’re getting downhill,’ and it never really happens,” Tate said. “In this offense, it actually happens.”

Until results from Malzahn’s offense become tangible, Tate will continue running by players he said already know how fast he is.

As for the doubters…

“It doesn’t really matter,” Tate said. “All I tell them is, ‘Let’s race.’”