Brown front, center in Dolphins backfield

[bengaldee]

By Skip Wood, USA TODAY
DAVIE, Fla. — They talked on the phone at least a dozen times last season, and rarely did the exchange vary.
"I'd be like, 'Hey, how you feeling?' " the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Carnell Williams said of his weekly conversation with his best friend, then-fellow rookie running back Ronnie Brown of the Miami Dolphins. "He'd be, 'Man, I'm fresh. I didn't have but like nine carries.' "

Williams then playfully smirks and laughs.

"I'd be like, 'Nine carries? Man, I had like twenty-nine carries.' "

Williams, though, wasn't sharing the running load, and Brown was only going to get so many carries when his counterpart was Ricky Williams.

But soon after Ricky Williams was suspended for a year last spring after being found in violation of the NFL's substance-abuse policy, Carnell Williams needled his buddy once more.

"I just said, 'Yeah, now you're going to see what it's like. Get ready to be sore,' " he said with a grin.

Yet Brown was far more than a bit player under first-year coach Nick Saban. His 907 yards on 207 attempts both were second most by a rookie in Dolphins history. But when giving Brown breathers, Ricky Williams gained 743 yards on 168 carries.

Brown is familiar with such sharing. He and Carnell Williams spent their Auburn career doing much the same thing Brown did last year with Ricky Williams.

Now, finally, the role is his alone. Anyone else —Travis Minor, Sammy Morris— clearly is No. 2 at best.

A wee bit intimidating?

"A little bit, I guess, just from the standpoint of maybe carrying the load," Brown said. "But unfortunately, Ricky's not here, so it's something we have to deal with.

"But I'm excited about it. Like I've been saying, it's a challenge I welcome."

Dolphins defensive end David Bowens likes Brown's attitude.

"It's good that he has the confidence," Bowens said. "Coming from college, split role with Cadillac, coming here, split role with Ricky, it's going to be different for him. The workload's going to be a lot, especially in the NFL, being a running back."

Miami offensive tackle Damion McIntosh isn't worried.

"I think he'll be just fine," McIntosh said. "He's already shown a special ability ... and I think he's going to be a special back."

Toward that end, Brown has made a to-do list for improvement, based on his experiences last year.

"On this level, guys are a little faster," he said, "so when you make an initial move, you need to stick with it."

Next on the list?

"Blocking schemes."

And?

"Carrying the ball itself."

And?

"Study habits."

He considers the arrival of quarterback Daunte Culpepper a huge bonus.

"When you have a guy like that leading your team," Brown said, "it kind of rubs off on everyone else. ... He's a tremendous leader."

Carnell Williams, for one, has little doubt his friend will make Dolphins fans proud.

"It's what he's been waiting for," Williams said. "I know he's very excited, and I'm excited he's getting this chance — (although) we both like Ricky a lot. But the guy's got tons of talent, and believe me, he's going to turn a lot of heads."