Ringer and Caulcrick covertly creep behind Dantonio. They breathe in, step forward and shove their coach from behind.

The players await a reaction. Dantonio smiles.

Apparently he’s in a good mood.

“We’re always clowning here in practice,” Ringer said. “Laughing with each other, laughing with all the other teammates, messing around with Coach D.”

Caulcrick and Ringer have developed a relationship in their three years together that Dantonio said makes them “almost like brothers.” But unlike most brothers, Caulcrick and Ringer — who room together for home and away games — don’t display sibling rivalry, despite playing the same position in a run-emphasizing offense.

Dantonio, who has devoted time to generating a team atmosphere and attitude, viewed the running backs’ relationship as a positive message for his team.

“They just work off each other, and it’s great to see,” Dantonio said.

“It talks about team for your football team and it sets a great example of how two great players can coexist on one football team at one position.”

Ringer will always appreciate and respect Caulcrick for his support when Ringer hurt his knee last season. While Caulcrick could have taken the position in Ringer’s absence and excelled, he consistently encouraged Ringer to stay motivated and told him he would make a healthy return to the starting lineup.

Not only do the running backs willingly split time on the field, they also are proud of each other’s accomplishments.

Ringer walked off the practice field Tuesday shouting, “I line ‘em up, he knocks ‘em down,” referring to how Ringer often gets Caulcrick in the position to score touchdowns.

With 1,298 rushing yards, Ringer has six touchdowns, while Caulcrick has 714 yards and an MSU single-season record 20 touchdowns. If Ringer wanted to, junior quarterback Brian Hoyer said, he could have more than six scores.

But when Ringer takes himself out of goal line situations to give Caulcrick the touchdown, the brotherly love shows.

“They don’t care who gets the credit. The first to congratulate Jehuu after a touchdown is Javon,” Hoyer said. “They’re unselfish.

“For those two guys to go out there and not have an ego, it just says something about how good of people they are.”

While mutual respect trumps hogging glory, that doesn’t mean the running backs don’t care about personal success.

They’ve just learned how to share it.

“We’re both very much competitors, but we still have that respect for each other,” Caulcrick said.

“That’s the biggest thing. I think that’s the thing that is unique about our relationship.”