When Auburn takes the field next Saturday against Baylor, it will be a sort of personal game for transfer running back Bryson Washington.
“I most definitely look forward to playing my old team. But I look at it as just another game, so we just gotta go 100 at it,” Washington said after practice today.
Washington told the media when he first arrived on campus, he was out of shape and wasn’t where he needed to be weight wise. In recent weeks, he has adjusted and caught the eye of head coach Alex Golesh.
“I took a big step, getting back lean to my body mass. And then just the coaches just constantly pouring into me, believing in me to just take the step to be better in the offense and just learning the offense.”
Washington is fighting for reps with Senior Jeremiah Cobb, Sophomore Omar Mabson, and Sophomore Nykahi Davenport. He feels each running back brings something different to the table.
“We all got our different styles, different things that we're great at. But I say the competition is making each other better…you're gonna get something different from every running back that gets in.”
During last week’s scrimmage, Golesh said they used Washington for long drives. He said the purpose of that was to see if Washington could handle the tempo and pace. Washington says there’s only one real thing that gets you in football shape.
“It's nothing like being out here in the sun, just constantly running. So football is what gets you in football condition.”
Washington also feels going against defensive coordinator DJ Durkin’s defense is going to make the offense better. “I honestly feel like it's the best defense I ever practiced against and played against just overall.”
Washington will be looking for a big game and a chance to contribute when his new team takes on his old team on September 5th in Atlanta eleven days from now.
Auburn Undercover is an independent Auburn sports media company covering Auburn athletics, recruiting and insider news.
