Less than 12 hours after the conclusion of Auburn's BCS National Championship Game loss, starting left tackle Greg Robinson declared for the NFL Draft via Twitter.
Although it took him a couple more days to announce his intentions, the star of the backfield Robinson helped lead to a national-best rushing mark will be joining him in the pros.
"After all the thought, talking to my family and friends...I am going to declare for the 2014 draft," Mason said Thursday afternoon at a special press conference. "The lifespan of a running back of a running back in the NFL is very short, and I had a great year...I'm a dream chaser, and I'm just trying to make a dream into a reality."
Mason said he also discussed his decision with head coach Gus Malzahn, who "expected" him to turn pro.
"Our staff is extremely proud of him," Malzahn said after Mason's announcement. "I recruited Tre, and one of his goals was to get to the NFL, so I'm very proud of him reaching that. He did a wonderful job for us not only this year, but his whole career...not just the way he played football, but the way he represented Auburn."
The Palm Beach, Fla. native finished his career with 2,979 rushing yards, which ranks him sixth on Auburn's all-time charts. His go-ahead touchdown run in the fourth quarter of the BCS National Championship Game gave him Auburn's single-season rushing record, passing Bo Jackson with 1,816 yards.
In his freshman season at Auburn, Mason was a smaller running back primarily used on speed sweep plays and kick returns. After a breakout performance in the 2011 Chick-fil-A Bowl, a heavier, stronger Mason was a lone bright spot in Auburn's 2012 offense as he rushed for 1,002 yards in the Tigers' nightmare season.
"People always told me I was too small to be a running back," Mason said. "I had coaches like (strength and conditioning) Coach Russell who helped me become bigger, faster and stronger. I had coaches like (running backs) Coach Horton and (offensive coordinator) Coach Lashlee who helped me become not only a better running back, but a better man as well."
Mason was invited to New York City last month to the Heisman Trophy presentation, where he finished sixth in overall votes for the nation's premier college football award. His invite came after an incredible 306-yard, four-touchdown performance in the SEC Championship Game against Missouri.
The workhorse load Mason received in the last half of Auburn's run to Pasadena factored some into his decision to forgo his senior season.
"It does take a little wear and tear on your body, but I embrace that," Mason said. "I want to have the ball in my hands to make that play. That's a good feeling."
Mason said his the NFL Draft Advisory committee gave him a potential third-round grade.
"(The NFL is) getting one of the tougher individuals in all of college football," Malzahn said. "He plays his best games in the biggest games."
When asked on what kind of running back an NFL team could get in him, Mason kept it simple.
"I feel like they'll get someone who is a hard worker, someone who is willing to do whatever it takes to win," Mason said. "My mind is not set on money, it's set on championships."
He joins Robinson, a projected first rounder, as Auburn's underclassmen than have declared for the draft. Junior center Reese Dismukes announced he would stay in Auburn for his senior season following Monday night's loss.
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