Auburn football: Former Auburn star Ronnie Brown receives major honor

One of the best Auburn Tigers was inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame on Monday

In a program that has churned out countless stars at running back over the years, former Auburn RB Ronnie Brown is generally considered one of the best in team history.

Brown enjoyed a successful five seasons at Auburn from 2000-2004 and because of that success, Brown is being awarded one of the biggest honors in the state. On Monday, the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame announced their inductees for the class of 2020 which, of course, included Brown.

Brown began his Auburn career as a four-star prospect out of Cartersville, Georgia. With players like Rudi Johnson and Heath Evans already establishing themselves as the main ball carriers for the Tigers, Brown took a redshirt year when he arrived on campus.

As a redshirt freshman in 2001, Brown carried the ball a total of 84 times for 330 yards and two touchdowns. However, it was the 2002 season where Brown showed his potential to be a game-changer for the Tigers.

That season, Brown led Auburn with 1,008 rushing yards and recorded 1,174 yards from scrimmage to go along with 14 touchdowns while putting up an impressive 5.8 yards per carry.

An injured hamstring hindered Brown’s 2003 season which led to Cadillac Williams having the best season of his career.  The following year, the duo combined to create one of the best running back duos in recent college football memory.

While helping lead Auburn to a perfect 14-0 record, Brown tallied 1,226 yards from scrimmage and nine touchdowns while Williams added 1,317 yards and 13 TDs himself.

By the time his time as a Tiger came to a close, Brown ranked seventh all-time on Auburn’s career rushing yards list (2,707) and fifth in career touchdowns (29.)

Despite only having one 1,000-yard rushing season in his collegiate career, Brown left Auburn as a two-time All-SEC selection. With excellent speed and a 6-foot, 223-pound frame, Brown was the prototypical NFL back which is why the former Auburn star was selected second overall in the 2005 NFL Draft by the Miami Dolphins.

Brown’s NFL career would get off to a solid start as he would rush for over 900 yards in three of his first four seasons. Brown also made his first and only Pro Bowl with the Dolphins in 2005 — a season where he recorded 1,170 yards from scrimmage and 10 TDs.

Brown was also heavily responsible for bringing the Wildcat formation into the modern NFL, a formation he excelled in during his time in Miami.

Brown would go on to play 10 total seasons in the NFL with four different teams before retiring in 2014.

As for the other inductees into the ASHOF, the list includes former Mississippi State head coach and Tuscaloosa native Sylvester Croom, Paralympian Doug Kennedy, former Auburn pitcher Q.V. Lowe, collegiate coach and current Clemson Associate Atheltic Director Woody McCorvey, former Calhoun Community College and New York Yankees catcher Jorge Posada, former Birmingham-Southern basketball coach Duane Reboul and lastly, Tuscaloosa native and football official Steve Shaw.