DAVIE, Fla. — The crowd at the Swamp roared on the night seven years ago when Auburn running back Cadillac Williams was carted off the field with a broken leg.
Sophomore Ronnie Brown jogged to the Auburn huddle at Florida Field to take Williams' place.
Brown wasn't well-known to the capacity crowd or the national TV audience, although he certainly was by the end of the evening. His 163 rushing yards were impressive enough, but the real eye-catcher was his 54-yard touchdown catch that led to overtime.
Now Brown, entering his fifth NFL season, is trying to add that kind of big-play, pass-catching element to his role in the Dolphins' offense.
"I like the way he catches the ball," said offensive coordinator Dan Henning. "He's better than most backs. We need to utilize it."
Brown combines the size (6-0, 230) and speed of a top back with the soft hands and body control of a wide receiver.
But he has averaged a modest 34 catches (with 8.4 yards per reception) per year with the Dolphins. Last season he had a 39-yard reception but nothing else longer than 18 yards. He has only two regular-season touchdown receptions, although he also had a diving, one-handed catch for the only touchdown in last season's first-round playoff loss to Baltimore.
"It's a game of opportunity," he said. "So when you get those opportunities you have to make the best of them in practice or the game. If you do it in practice, they see you have the potential to do it in games."
Brown made a strong case this week to demand that more passes come his way. He scored two touchdowns on wheel routes in one practice, including a diving grab in the end zone along the sideline.
"For a big back, he has really soft hands and he's fluid," rookie receiver Patrick Turner said. "You don't really expect that."
Every day in this training camp, Brown seems to have a big gain catching the ball out of the backfield. Coach Tony Sparano credits Brown's familiarity with the offense.
"Ronnie is more comfortable," Sparano said. "The ball is starting to find him a little more."
Brown isn't the only Dolphins back with sure hands and a high comfort level in the passing game. Ricky Williams' 275 catches, including 29 last season, are the most by anyone on the roster. Patrick Cobbs, who caught two touchdowns in 2008 and averaged 14.5 yards on 19 receptions, also is an option.
But Brown, the team's No. 1 running back, is younger and faster than Williams, 32, and bigger than Cobbs (5-8, 205).
Brown is coming off his first Pro Bowl berth despite averaging only 15 touches (13 rushing, two receiving) in 2008. In 2007, before a season-ending knee injury, he averaged nearly 23 touches (17 rushing, 5.6 receiving).
With a few more carries and receptions this season, Brown, 27, might be elevate the offense and join the NFL's group of elite running backs as he enters the final year of his rookie contract.
"It's being able to do it when you're called on to do it," Brown said.
Edgar Thompson writes for The Palm Beach Post. E-mail: edgar(underscore)thompson(at)pbpost.com.