AUBURN, Ala. – When Auburn freshman distance runners Cooper and Benson Atkins were in junior high in Scottsboro, Alabama, they pulled off the ultimate identical twin prank.
"We switched seats for about a week and a half," said Cooper. "Our teacher could not tell the difference between us to save her life."
"It's hard to tell us apart," Benson said.
They switched back after 10 days and didn't take any tests during their identity swap.
"I don't think she ever found out that we switched seats," Cooper said.On track: Benson (left) and Cooper plan to become dentists after graduating from Auburn
Occurring in one of 250 births, identical twins statistically are not more likely to happen within a family tree, but don't tell that to the Atkins family.
Their mother is an identical twin. Their father is a fraternal twin. Their mother's twin sister also had a set of twins, Benson and Cooper's cousins.
Twins may not run in families, but the Atkins twins run in their family, whether it's Benson's preferred distance, the mile, or the 8-kilometer course on which Cooper finished fifth among Southeastern Conference newcomers this fall, earning SEC All-Freshman honors.
State champions at Scottsboro High School, Benson and Cooper decided early in the recruiting process that they would continue being teammates and roommates in college.
"I always grew up an Auburn fan," Cooper said. "That was the dream to one day run here. Auburn had that fit of a good family atmosphere."
SEC All-Freshman: Cooper Atkins finished fifth among newcomers at the 2021 Southeastern Conference meet
"Auburn was one of those places where everybody was in unison with each other," Benson said. "It provides an atmosphere of, 'How can I do more to help the team?' than just focusing on myself.
"We've been here only three months and it feels like we've been here forever," Benson said. "Auburn has made that adjustment so much better and the team is super welcoming."
The similarities don't stop on the track. They continue in the classroom, where both are biomedical sciences majors, and in their career plans as Cooper and Benson are each aspiring dentists.
"We're really big on being able to balance having a family and being able to see your kids if they have sporting events, with having financial security, while also being able to help people," Benson said.
Who better to evaluate each other's strengths and styles than someone who was there from day one? Cooper, says Benson, runs with attitude.
"It's hard to beat somebody when they have a chip on their shoulder," Benson said.
'Natural talent': Cooper says Benson (above) combines natural ability with a strong work ethic
"He has a lot of natural talent," Cooper said of Benson. "Probably a lot more natural talent than I do, and he works hard."
At 6-foot-2, the twins played other sports growing up but focused on running in high school as they started becoming elite. With seven semesters remaining to run indoor, outdoor and cross country, the Atkins twins want to elevate the distance program on the Plains.
"I want everybody to see Auburn and think, 'There's somebody who can get top three in the SEC. There's somebody who can take a team to nationals,'" Benson said. "I think our whole team is starting to get toward that goal. I want to look back and say I was a part of that Auburn team that took it to the next level."
Benson (left) and Cooper are just beginning their Auburn running careers
Jeff Shearer is a Senior Writer at AuburnTigers.com. Follow him on Twitter: @jeff_shearer