Tre Mason is a dream chaser.
Gus Malzahn saw it time after time both during his tenure as Auburn's offensive coordinator and later as the head coach.
He saw it in Mason's transformation from an undersized speed back into a powerful, record-breaking starter who helped lead his team to a remarkable turnaround.
So it came as no surprise to Malzahn when the Tigers' star running back told him his plans for the future.
After a dream junior season on The Plains, Mason was headed to chase a boyhood dream of playing in the pros.
"I recruited Tre, and going to the NFL was a goal of his," Malzahn said. "I'm very proud of him reaching his goal. He did a wonderful job for us, not only this year, but his whole career."
Mason spearheaded the nation's top rushing attack in Auburn's storybook 2013 season while shattering several individual school and conference records.
Although he finished sixth in Heisman Trophy voting, Mason had 1,816 yards on the ground in 2013, breaking a school record set by legendary running back Bo Jackson--who set the record during his 1985 Heisman-winning season.
For Mason, breaking Jackson's record was another bullet point of a list of dreams he has realized on the gridiron.
"Everyone has goals for themselves, and one of mine is 1,500-plus (yards)," Mason said in August 2013, weeks before Auburn's season opener against Washington State. "I heard the rushing record here is around 1,900 yards, and I would love to be the one who breaks that mark."
Mason did just that, and he broke the Auburn legend's record in a game virtually no one thought the Tigers would be back in fall camp.
The Palm Beach, Fla. native broke the Auburn single-season rushing record on a 37-yard, go-ahead touchdown run with 1:19 left to go in the BCS National Championship Game.
While Auburn will not go down in the record books as the 2013 national champions, Mason will share the SEC record for most rushing touchdowns in a season with another Heisman winner, former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow.
So with his draft stock at an all-time high following a legendary season, Mason will take the next step.
"He's coming out either the best running back or one of the best running backs," said head coach Gus Malzahn. "Of course, in my opinion, he is the best running back in college football right now."
But success in the college game does not directly translate into professional success, especially at the running back position.
Because the average career length of an NFL running back is almost two full seasons--a fact Mason mentioned as part of his reasoning to go pro a year early--franchises rarely pick a player from the position with one of their top draft choices.
Even after one of the best rushing seasons in SEC history, Mason has been projected by scouting services everywhere from the No. 2 running back in this year's NFL Draft to a player destined to be an undrafted free agent.
Mason's biggest critics point to his size as a problem to his draft stock.
"(Mason is) shorter than ideal," wrote Dane Brugler and Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com. "Durability may be a concern considering his physical running style and 'smallish' stature."
But the 5-foot-10 Mason, a player who constantly refers to himself as a runner "fueled by doubt" who "loves being an underdog," remains calm about his future.
He has heard those criticisms before, back when he was chasing another dream--the dream of becoming a starting running back in the SEC.
"You know I came in small, frail," Mason said. "I was recruited as a speed guy, and I always had people tell me I was too small to be a running back."
After primarily running the speed sweep and kick returns in his freshman season, the speedy Mason put on weight and worked to become more of a hard-nosed runner.
By the time he got the starting job in Auburn's dismal 2012 season, he was a lone bright spot in a largely ineffective offense, rushing for 1,002 yards in his sophomore year.
When Malzahn came back to The Plains, Mason took charge and helped the team through the tough transition process.
While it seemed like a longshot during fall camp, Mason repeatedly talked about the team's belief that the Tigers could be one of the best teams in college football in 2013.
Mason turned out to be absolutely correct.
"As a coach, you're always looking for leaders, and guys will look up to those leaders," Malzahn said. "Tre was one of our leaders and he led by example. He helped us get to the national championship and 13 seconds away from winning it."
Mason's transformation from reserve running back to workhorse Heisman finalist mirrored Auburn's resurrection from winless SEC school to conference champion.
Malzahn attributes a lot of Mason's personal and Auburn's corporate turnaround to the junior's desire to win.
"He's a great competitor, and he wants to win," Malzahn said. "That's the thing about Tre Mason--he wants to win, and he doesn't get distracted by all the other stuff."
Although Mason has already accomplished some of his dreams, one will continue into the professional ranks--the dream to win a championship.
While some underclassmen who leave school early can be focused on the early financial rewards of being a professional football player, Mason's NFL dreams are not based on multimillion-dollar paychecks.
"(The NFL) will get somebody that's a hard worker, willing to do whatever it takes to win," Mason said. "My mind's not just set on money. It's set on championships. I have yet to win a championship, and my mindset is not going to change."
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