SPORTS

Cameron Artis-Payne's long journey ends with near-record season

James Crepea
Montgomery Advertiser
Auburn running back Cameron Artis-Payne salutes after scoring a touchdown during the Outback Bowl between Auburn and Wisconsin at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.

AUBURN – His team was up at halftime at the Outback Bowl, but Cameron Artis-Payne wanted to do more.

The SEC's leading rusher had nine carries for 34 yards with a touchdown during the first half against Wisconsin, but was being outshined by Badgers workhorse Melvin Gordon, who had 16 carries for 87 yards before the break.

"I had to make sure they knew I wanted the ball," said Artis-Payne, who ended up with 26 carries for 126 yards and two scores in Auburn's 34-31 overtime loss. "At the end of the day, we made some adjustments and the offensive line played great in the second half. We figured out what they were doing up front and we got our pace going and we were able to run the ball pretty well."

Artis-Payne told "anybody who would listen" that he wanted the ball in his hands, and he got his wish in the second half, though Gordon outdueled him with 251 yards and three scores in perhaps the best head-to-head running back matchup of bowl season.

A first team All-SEC selection by both the Associated Press and coaches, Artis-Payne finished with 1,608 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns – third in program history to Tre Mason (1,816) and Bo Jackson (1,786) – but came away disappointed.

"I wanted to break the record so I fell short of that," Artis-Payne said. "If I'd have had another game I would have … but we didn't go to the SEC Championship."

His 303 carries are also third in program history to Rudi Johnson (324) and Mason (317) and though he lacked the long, explosive runs of those Auburn backs, Artis-Payne earned yards the hard way: between the tackles.

"If he's not that flashy, he doesn't really care," offensive coordinator Rhett Lashlee said. "But he's going to do really well after this game at the next level, I think."

Artis-Payne, who is playing in this month's Senior Bowl, and wide receiver Sammie Coates each signed with agent Michael Perrett of Element Sports Group in preparation for the NFL Draft.

Early projections have Artis-Payne in the thick of a deep running back class, with ESPN's Todd McShay as a potential selection in the third or fourth round. NFLDraftScout.com ranks Artis-Payne as the tenth running back in the draft with a third-round grade.

After spending two years after high school in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania "on the couch," a year at a prep school in New York, two years at Allan Hancock Community College in California and two years at Auburn, Artis-Payne, 24, will have to answer questions regarding his age compared to 20 and 21-year-old underclassmen leading up to the draft.

"With age comes maturity," he said. "So some of the same problems you'll have with a 21-year old you won't have with me. At the end of the day the two years I was sitting at home I wasn't playing football so I probably got the same wear and tear that a 21-year-old got."

Atis-Payne called his two years at Auburn a "very special time" following his journey from the Northeast to the West Coast and then the Deep South.

"If you know anything about me, for me to even come this far in life, period, is a blessing," Artis-Payne said. "I'll also appreciate my time being an Auburn Tiger."