Neiko Thorpe and Demond Washington were on the field for the entirety of last year’s Outback Bowl, sprinting and darting across the field as Northwestern’s Mike Kafka tossed 78 passes to keep the game revved up at fervent pace.

Afterward, while their teammates were still wiping sweat off their foreheads, the duo was all smiles. This was their definition of fun.

“It seemed like every play was coming your way,” Thorpe said. “It really tests your stamina a lot, but you just have to keep fighting.”

This was nothing new for either player. Just another day at the office.

“It’s really unheard of,” cornerbacks coach Phillip Lolley said. “I’ve just never seen too many kids that can play that many reps in this league. We were fortunate we had some kids last year with a lot of intestinal fortitude.”

Lolley wants that intestinal fortitude to hold strong this season. He just hopes his starting cornerbacks don’t have to tap into their supply on a weekly basis.

Lolley wants to be three-deep at both cornerback positions. He has two veterans with experience in Thorpe and Washington, a backup who was impressive at the Outback Bowl but hasn’t seen the field much in T’Sharvan Bell, a work-in-progress in Anthony Morgan and two athletic freshmen in Chris Davis and Jonathon Mincy.

Add that up, and that’s just enough to go three-deep. It wouldn’t be smart money to bet Davis and Mincy will remain on the sidelines very long in the Tigers’ season opener against Arkansas State.

“We need them and that’s the reason we signed them,” Lolley said. “It’s a long season, but I expect them to be playing.”

There might not be a coach on Auburn’s staff that has to do more teaching than Lolley. Thorpe and Mincy are the only two members of his group who have been true cornerbacks since high school.

Bell was a quarterback at Osceola (Fla.) High while Morgan, Davis and Washington served as do-it-all offensive threats at their respective schools. Morgan was even considered an offensive option first at Auburn before he made the position switch midway through his freshman season.

“It’s different than I thought it would be,” Morgan said. “You’ve got to be physical and know a lot of stuff. I’m adjusting to it pretty well.”

Lolley’s top two options, though, remain an area of minimal concern.

Thorpe had his ups and downs as a sophomore, as he often was on the wrong end of SportsCenter highlights during Auburn’s three-game losing streak. The rest of the season, though, Thorpe was tough to beat and his potential is considered as high as anyone’s on Auburn’s roster.

Last week, ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. wrote that Thorpe was the most “NFL ready” player on the Tigers.

“He’s the type of leader that leads by example,” Lolley said of the soft-spoken Thorpe. “He’s going to excite the team with a big hit, his hustle. He’s not one to cheerlead. He just does his job and he leads that way.”

Washington, meanwhile, has no trouble talking a little smack to the receivers he shuts down.

One of the most affable and outwardly confident players on Auburn’s roster, Washington can now add “comfortable” to his list of superlatives. When Zac Etheridge went down with a severe neck injury last season, Washington was forced into action at safety, a position at which he had no experience.

He performed better than expected and rarely made noticeable mistakes, but his true home was at cornerback. Only another worse-case scenario will force Washington to leave his position.

“I feel like they’re putting me in a great position to make plays this year,” Washington said. “So I’m feeling very comfortable.”

Lolley has certainly noticed. He hasn’t heard the end of it.

“Confidence is one thing that Demond Washington does not lack,” Lolley said. “If you ask him tonight, he’ll tell you he’s the best tailback on this team, he’s the best receiver, he’ll tell you he’s the best (defensive back). That’s the kind of kids I like.”

Lolley can’t make all his cornerbacks play with the swagger that Washington does. All he can do is make them play, which is something all six, young and old, should expect sooner rather than later.

“It’s my job to bring them along,” Lolley said. “And that’s what I plan to do.”