Kevin Smith has been working with Devin Singletary since he was Singletary's running backs coach at Florida Atlantic.

Even though Singletary's now in the NFL with the Bills and Smith's moved on to become the RB coach at Ole Miss, the two stay connected, including Smith watching and evaluating every snap of Singletary's rookie season.

"For you to finish top five in the league in yards per carry with over 100 carries kind of speaks volumes," Smith said. "I thought, like most rookies, he kind of felt his way around in a sense to where his ceiling is super, super high and he has so much upside."

The two have been back together again this offseason, with Smith training Singletary down in Florida. Like everyone else, they have had to get creative with the workouts.

"I think, most importantly, we had to take it back to our roots," Smith said.

That is exactly what they did, setting up where Smith used to train in 2011 when still in the NFL himself.

"We had about 15 cones. We had three hurdles and a resistance band," Smith said. "We called it our pro mindset facility and we just got it in. Obviously we had to adapt, but it ended up working out for the better because those guys, they've trained really, really hard."

That training was done primarily on a hill, with Smith believing that was the best place to make what Singletary does best, short-space quickness, even better.

"The videos don't do it any justice, I'll be honest with you," Smith said. "On a regular work day he was doing about 25 reps with various movements up the hill. On a light day we were cutting it down to about 10. But we really just focused on that short-area attack. Cleaning up his run form, making sure he stays vertical with his knees. And always working the every day drills like  the ball security and making sure he's catching footballs and staying in that football shape."

Smith and Singletary worked out five days a week for six-straight weeks. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday were the days they would do drills on the hill. Wednesday was recovery work done in the pool at Smith's mothers house.

"I think these circumstances kind of go with his personality," Smith said. "He is very, very low maintenance. If anybody's every been around him, he's not much of a talker. You'll see him before you hear him. And he just loves to work."

All this work coming as there has been a shift to the Bills running back room. Veteran leader Frank Gore is gone after pulling Singletary under his wing last season.

"It was a blessing for him to have Frank [Gore] on the side," Smith said. "That's where the most benefit came from."

The Bills using a 3rd round pick on Utah's Zack Moss to be Singletary's next running mate. It remains to be seen how the reps will be divided, but Smith believes Singletary's approach will remain the same.

"He knows that you're good if you're available. You're only good if you're available and it's a production league and nothing that he did last year matters at all. He doesn't focus on that," Smith said. "He knows that he's counted on to be a great teammate and, most importantly, he's counted on to produce. And that's where his focus is. I know he welcomes anybody that comes into the room just like Frank [Gore] did him. It's a brotherhood and at the end of the day, any piece that the Buffalo Bills can add to take that next step, I can speak for Devin and say that he's all for."

Singletary already showing this offseason that he isn't afraid of an uphill climb.