If patience is a virtue, Kerryon Johnson is scrupulous, to say the least.
Auburn's junior running back is in the midst of a breakout season, leading the SEC in rushing (1,172 yards), touchdowns (18 total and 16 rushing) and rushing yards per game (130.22) despite missing two-plus games early in the season due to a hamstring injury. The key, of course, has been Johnson's newfound patience -- a valuable trait for a running back.
"The easiest way to run is to not get tackled, and when your blockers are blocking people, you don't get tackled," Johnson said. "So you've got to let those guys get out in front of you....You got to give those guys time to do what they do. That's just something I've focused on this year, and I think I've done it more consistently than I ever have in my life."
So what changed for Johnson to bring about this new running style? Well, it began in the offseason.
Johnson spent time in the offseason watching film and studying other running backs who have displayed patience on the field, waiting for holes and running lanes to open up before taking advantage of them for quality gains. Chief among those running backs Johnson watched was Pittsburgh Steelers star Le'Veon Bell, known as one of the most patient runners in the NFL.
"He's the guy -- everybody knows when you watch him, he'll literally stop running," Johnson said. "He'll just be standing there and let his guys do the work. I said, 'Well if it works for him, surely it can work for me here.'"
Johnson was no stranger to watching Bell run. He's a Steelers fan, so emulating Bell's style made sense in a way, though Johnson used to think he couldn't run that way.
Bell, listed at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, is a larger running back than Johnson, who is now up to 6-feet and 212 pounds this season. Johnson always used to think that running style worked for Bell because if all else failed and the run got stuffed, Bell could just fall forward and gain a couple of yards. Johnson didn't believe he could afford that luxury.
"I used to think, 'I'm not that big; I won't be able to do it," Johnson said. "It's scary to just stop your feet and wait for it to develop, but all it means is when you see the hole, then you really got to hit it. That's what I worked on this offseason was building up that acceleration quickly and getting to the top speed, and it's worked."
Johnson and fellow running backs Kam Martin and C.J. Tolbert spent a couple days a week in the offseason working with strength coach Ryan Russell in a sandpit: sprints, doing footwork drills and other things to work on explosiveness. Johnson was pleased with the results, which have shown on the field this season.
"I've always been a tremendous athlete, and sometimes I let myself just live off of that," Johnson said. "It's no coincidence that this was my hardest working summer, and this is the best season I've had. That just comes with the work. I'm glad I got to see that pay off, and now it's a lesson moving forward and something I learned."
Since returning from his hamstring injury, Johnson has been on a tear. He had five touchdowns against Missouri in his first game back, and he has rushed for at least 100 yards in six of the seven games since.
It has led Auburn coach Gus Malzahn to start some late-season campaigning to get Johnson in the discussion for the Heisman, while linebacker Deshaun Davis has compared Johnson to Bell on multiple occasions.
"When we recruited him we felt like he had a chance to be a real special player," Malzahn said. "... He's playing with a lot of confidence. He is getting stronger as the game goes on. He's wanting the football. He's playing at a high level."
A lot of it has been thanks to his patience out of the backfield, surveying the field and waiting for plays to develop while Auburn's offensive line -- which was named one of seven semifinalists for the Joe Moore Aware on Tuesday -- opens up running lanes for Johnson to attack.
Patience as a running back isn't always easy, but it does pay dividends, as Johnson can attest.
"When you're a run-heavy offense, a lot of people want to bring an extra guy in the box to do this, so you know sometimes there is a guy maybe not being blocked at all," Johnson said. "Sometimes you just want to hurry up and say, 'I got to get something before they get me.' But I think if you stay patient and let the blocks form, it works out better for you."
That has certainly been the case for Johnson this season.
Tom Green is an Auburn beat reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Tomas_Verde.