University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Manny Flores
Running (Back)
6/26/2020 10:00:00 AM | Football
DENTON – Heading into his redshirt junior season in Denton, running back Tre Siggers has had quite the journey to see the field. Two position switches later, he burst onto the scene in 2019, leading the Mean Green in rushing with 853 yards and six scores, while averaging 5.6 yards per carry in 10 appearances.
Siggers was a decorated three-star prospect who finished his high school career at Duncanville High School, where he was a two-way star at running back and safety. Part of the appeal of North Texas had to do with then-running backs coach Tashard Choice (who currently holds the same title at Georgia Tech). The opportunity to work with a coach with his NFL pedigree was huge.
Entering his first fall camp ahead of the 2017 season, Siggers came in as a running back and redshirted while gaining valuable experience and tutelage from Choice. The issue at the time was a very crowded and talented position group.
Outgoing following 2017 was Jeffery Wilson, now a member of the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. He was the focal point as a senior in 2017, and despite his exit, there were still very talented and more experienced backs ahead of Siggers on the depth chart in junior college transfer DeAndre Torrey (who led the team in rushing that season with 977 yards and 17 offensive touchdowns) and the previous season's No. 2 in Nic Smith, along with another transfer from Stephen F. Austin Loren Easly and the versatile Evan Johnson.
How much time on the field was there for Siggers at running back? With his position coach leaving for his alma mater at Georgia Tech, there was some uncertainty. One thing however was certain – Siggers was too talented a football player to continue to be kept off the field.
Enter the thought of a switch to safety, a position he excelled at in high school. Siggers was open to the discussion with head coach Seth Littrell and then-defensive coordinator Troy Reffett, and decided to make the switch.
"I was [just] ready for it and ready to play. I didn't care whether I played offense or defense. I didn't really have to think about it much since I had played defense before and I was comfortable with it."
While he performed well in the lead-up to 2018, he still had incumbent starter Khairi Muhammad and rising junior Taylor Robinson to contend with for a safety spot. Eventually it was that pair who seized the jobs, and Siggers was a key fixture on special teams.
Siggers made the decision following a New Mexico Bowl loss that he wanted to make the switch back. When the topic was broached, he was encouraged to stick it out at safety through the spring, but the allure of competing at running back was too much to ignore for Siggers. Following a few weeks of thinking and some more discussion with Littrell, Siggers made the switch back ahead of spring ball to join another running back coach with a decorated NFL pedigree in Patrick Cobbs.
"When I met Tre last spring, you could tell he was excited about being [back] in the room," Cobbs said. "His energy was good every day and was focused in on learning and soaking everything up. It started with a few carries here and there. Every time he had the ball in his hands, I could see the potential. So he earned a few more each practice. By the end of spring I was super impressed with him and his rapid growth at the position."
By the time fall camp rolled around, Siggers had been climbing the ranks.
"When fall camp started, he picked up right where he left off. Working his tail off at getting better every single day." Cobbs continued. "He earned his carries a day at a time and it carried through the entire season."
Siggers burst onto the scene in week two last season, his first appearance at running back, at SMU. He announced his presence with a physical, punishing style of running that defined his season. The new back carried 18 times for 164 yards and a touchdown. Siggers scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career running through a defender, and had a pair of 40-plus yard runs, including a statement run in the second quarter, running over an SMU defender on his way down the Mean Green sideline.
That physicality is something Siggers enjoys, and quite frankly doesn't know any differently. Some of it may come from his prowess on the defensive side of the ball throughout his football career, but a lot of it definitely was ingrained early.
"That is something at a young age, I was always taught to finish hard," Siggers said while laughing. "Our coaches didn't like us going out of bounds, they wanted us to finish the run."
Siggers' 5.6 yards per carry ranked 45th nationally and was up as high as seventh nationally during the season in rushing yards per game.
"He had a good fall season, but Tre will be the first to tell you he has a lot of work to do and that should be his approach," Cobbs said. "The same mentaility he had in his first spring with me, should be and has been, the one that will carry him throughout his entire career. If that's the case, his potential will be limitless on and off the field."
Siggers also had the opportunity to reunite at running back with his good friend, fellow running back Evan Johnson.
"He's one of my best friends," Siggers said. "We really are like the same. I call him my brother from another mother, we see eye-to-eye on a lot of stuff and we came up the same. We understand each other. He pushes me hard and I feed off of him and his energy."
The pair came in during the same class and bonded immediately. A lot of where they thrive is driving each other to constantly work towards improving.
"Tre is a dedicated student-athlete who takes pride in trying to perfect his craft every day in some way," Johnson said. "He's also a big help when it comes to my training. In other words, he is a dog, my dog, my big brother."
The journey from running back to safety, back to running back has provided a positive learning experience and has allowed him to shift his focus to working even harder now that the expectation has been placed on his shoulders to be a playmaker in Littrell's offense.
"I feel like I have to go like 10 times harder now, since it's expected for me to go out and make plays," Siggers said. "Now I have to go out and play 10 times harder. I just look at it as motivation to keep working hard. I just want to be able to do my job and be the best player I can be and try to be 100% healthy the whole entire season."
Despite the fact that he is coming back from an injury suffered toward the end of 2019, Siggers is confident he'll be ready to go when the time comes.
"I've been strictly rehabbing five days a week and just getting myself ready for when they tell me we it's go time for the season," Siggers continued. "Whenever that is, I'm going to be ready."
There's no doubt that when that time comes, Mean Green fans will be ready to see him run through some more defenders this season as well.
Siggers was a decorated three-star prospect who finished his high school career at Duncanville High School, where he was a two-way star at running back and safety. Part of the appeal of North Texas had to do with then-running backs coach Tashard Choice (who currently holds the same title at Georgia Tech). The opportunity to work with a coach with his NFL pedigree was huge.
Entering his first fall camp ahead of the 2017 season, Siggers came in as a running back and redshirted while gaining valuable experience and tutelage from Choice. The issue at the time was a very crowded and talented position group.
Outgoing following 2017 was Jeffery Wilson, now a member of the defending NFC Champion San Francisco 49ers. He was the focal point as a senior in 2017, and despite his exit, there were still very talented and more experienced backs ahead of Siggers on the depth chart in junior college transfer DeAndre Torrey (who led the team in rushing that season with 977 yards and 17 offensive touchdowns) and the previous season's No. 2 in Nic Smith, along with another transfer from Stephen F. Austin Loren Easly and the versatile Evan Johnson.
How much time on the field was there for Siggers at running back? With his position coach leaving for his alma mater at Georgia Tech, there was some uncertainty. One thing however was certain – Siggers was too talented a football player to continue to be kept off the field.
Enter the thought of a switch to safety, a position he excelled at in high school. Siggers was open to the discussion with head coach Seth Littrell and then-defensive coordinator Troy Reffett, and decided to make the switch.
"I was [just] ready for it and ready to play. I didn't care whether I played offense or defense. I didn't really have to think about it much since I had played defense before and I was comfortable with it."
While he performed well in the lead-up to 2018, he still had incumbent starter Khairi Muhammad and rising junior Taylor Robinson to contend with for a safety spot. Eventually it was that pair who seized the jobs, and Siggers was a key fixture on special teams.
Siggers made the decision following a New Mexico Bowl loss that he wanted to make the switch back. When the topic was broached, he was encouraged to stick it out at safety through the spring, but the allure of competing at running back was too much to ignore for Siggers. Following a few weeks of thinking and some more discussion with Littrell, Siggers made the switch back ahead of spring ball to join another running back coach with a decorated NFL pedigree in Patrick Cobbs.
"When I met Tre last spring, you could tell he was excited about being [back] in the room," Cobbs said. "His energy was good every day and was focused in on learning and soaking everything up. It started with a few carries here and there. Every time he had the ball in his hands, I could see the potential. So he earned a few more each practice. By the end of spring I was super impressed with him and his rapid growth at the position."
By the time fall camp rolled around, Siggers had been climbing the ranks.
"When fall camp started, he picked up right where he left off. Working his tail off at getting better every single day." Cobbs continued. "He earned his carries a day at a time and it carried through the entire season."
Siggers burst onto the scene in week two last season, his first appearance at running back, at SMU. He announced his presence with a physical, punishing style of running that defined his season. The new back carried 18 times for 164 yards and a touchdown. Siggers scored the first touchdown of his collegiate career running through a defender, and had a pair of 40-plus yard runs, including a statement run in the second quarter, running over an SMU defender on his way down the Mean Green sideline.
Take a look Beyond the Green at last week's game at SMU, presented by @DosEquis
— North Texas Football 😷 (@MeanGreenFB) September 10, 2019
Watch full episode: https://t.co/888WMpuypY#GMG #UNiTeNorthTexas pic.twitter.com/rTy7gSficV
That physicality is something Siggers enjoys, and quite frankly doesn't know any differently. Some of it may come from his prowess on the defensive side of the ball throughout his football career, but a lot of it definitely was ingrained early.
"That is something at a young age, I was always taught to finish hard," Siggers said while laughing. "Our coaches didn't like us going out of bounds, they wanted us to finish the run."
Siggers' 5.6 yards per carry ranked 45th nationally and was up as high as seventh nationally during the season in rushing yards per game.
"He had a good fall season, but Tre will be the first to tell you he has a lot of work to do and that should be his approach," Cobbs said. "The same mentaility he had in his first spring with me, should be and has been, the one that will carry him throughout his entire career. If that's the case, his potential will be limitless on and off the field."
Siggers also had the opportunity to reunite at running back with his good friend, fellow running back Evan Johnson.
"He's one of my best friends," Siggers said. "We really are like the same. I call him my brother from another mother, we see eye-to-eye on a lot of stuff and we came up the same. We understand each other. He pushes me hard and I feed off of him and his energy."
The pair came in during the same class and bonded immediately. A lot of where they thrive is driving each other to constantly work towards improving.
"Tre is a dedicated student-athlete who takes pride in trying to perfect his craft every day in some way," Johnson said. "He's also a big help when it comes to my training. In other words, he is a dog, my dog, my big brother."
The journey from running back to safety, back to running back has provided a positive learning experience and has allowed him to shift his focus to working even harder now that the expectation has been placed on his shoulders to be a playmaker in Littrell's offense.
"I feel like I have to go like 10 times harder now, since it's expected for me to go out and make plays," Siggers said. "Now I have to go out and play 10 times harder. I just look at it as motivation to keep working hard. I just want to be able to do my job and be the best player I can be and try to be 100% healthy the whole entire season."
Despite the fact that he is coming back from an injury suffered toward the end of 2019, Siggers is confident he'll be ready to go when the time comes.
"I've been strictly rehabbing five days a week and just getting myself ready for when they tell me we it's go time for the season," Siggers continued. "Whenever that is, I'm going to be ready."
There's no doubt that when that time comes, Mean Green fans will be ready to see him run through some more defenders this season as well.
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