News

HOUSTON CHRONICLE (JUNE 13, 2010) At one point last season, Auburn’s Ben Tate declared himself the best running back in the whole by-gosh state of Alabama.

Oh that Ben. What a kidder. Doesn’t he know he’s supposed to let others say nice stuff while he stands there and looks humble? On the other hand, it’s not bragging if he can do it.

“I mean I feel like it’s me,” he said.

When Tate was given the chance to take it all back a couple of weeks later, to say he might have misspoken, he said it all again. This spring, he pronounced himself the best running back in this draft class.

Let’s hope. He was the sixth running back taken, but the Texans weren’t looking for a talent evaluator when they took him in the second round of last spring’s NFL draft.

He might not have been better than Alabama Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram, and a lot of NFL scouts really, really like Ingram’s backup, Trent Richardson. But we digress.

1,362-yard runner
Regardless, the Texans were awfully excited to get Tate, who brings a nice combination of power and speed to the table. On draft day, Texans coach Gary Kubiak talked excitedly about watching Tate gain some of his 1,362 yards last season at Auburn.

Kubiak’s top offensive priority was upgrading a running game that was 30th of 32 teams last season, and he believed Tate could have an immediate impact.

The Texans were the NFL’s most productive passing team last season, but Kubiak longs for balance to control the clock, keep his defense fresh, and maybe most important of all, not allow opponents to focus on pressuring (and hitting) Matt Schaub.

So far, so good. The Texans are optimistic Steve Slaton will have a nice bounce-back season, and they like everything they’ve seen from Arian Foster. And then there’s Tate, who could make a position of weakness one of strength.

All he needs to do is stay on the field awhile. He has missed most of the offseason work recovering from a hamstring injury. But when he did get out there last week, Kubiak liked what he saw.

“I know he’s been paying attention,” he said. “He didn’t get out there and get lost. That’s what you’re looking for.”

This week is the next small step in Tate’s NFL career as the Texans finish up their on-the-field offseason work with a three-day minicamp for youngsters.

If Tate’s leg holds up, he’ll get a ton of reps and the chance to show coaches that the talent they show on film in the Southeastern Conference translates to the NFL.

“I’m just getting back into the mix, trying to stay on top of everything,” Tate said. “You might know the plays, but it’s always going to be different once you go out there and hit the field.”

The Texans believed Tate might have an easier adjustment to the NFL because Auburn used a similar zone-blocking scheme. Tate thought so, too, and then he opened a playbook thicker and more complex than he imagined.

“When I opened it up, I was just like ‘Wow, how am I going to learn this?’ “ he said. “But as time goes on, you start to understand it, and it comes with a lot of studying and a lot of hard work.”

He grew up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore and rushed for 5,920 yards and scored 78 touchdowns during his high school career.

He was 17 when he enrolled at Auburn, where every heralded recruit is compared to Bo Jackson, Rudi Johnson, Ronnie Brown, Stephen Davis and every other Auburn great. Likewise, he would like to duplicate their NFL productivity.

“You definitely want to come in and uphold that tradition, so I definitely think about it,” he said. “It’s something that’s on my mind. Everything in my mind is that I’m going to uphold that tradition and just keep working hard.”

Living in the limelight
He’s comfortable in the spotlight. He linked his Facebook page to a webcam in his home on draft day so fans could catch his reaction at being selected.

He also announced one day he was about to be at an Auburn sandwich shop and would buy lunch for the first person who tapped him on the shoulder and said, “War Eagle.”

The Texans would like to tap into some of that confidence as well as some of that productivity they saw on the field at Auburn.

“He’s got some ability,” Kubiak said. “We’ve just got to get him up to speed with everybody else.”

By RICHARD JUSTICE
Copyright 2010 Houston Chronicle

About All Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc.
All Pro Sports & Entertainment, Inc. is a world-class sports management firm that specializes in the representation of sports professionals. With a valued reputation and commitment to our clients’ careers, APSE has the privilege of representing several of the most respected and celebrated names in sports. Our clients range from athletes, coaches and broadcasters in various sports. The extensive scope accommodates us with an unparalleled awareness of the industry’s pulse, which helps us proactively position our clients to prosper from emerging trends.