As the sudden, huge grin sliced across his face, Dolphins running back Ronnie Brown no longer resembled the fierce, bullying running back he has become.

He looked sneaky and sly. He looked fun and feisty. He looked, almost eerily, like the Cheshire Cat, straight from the pages of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

But at such an important moment, was he really smiling? Five yards from the end zone, lined up at quarterback in the Wildcat formation, calling for the ball to be snapped as the play clock wound down, was that really a grin on his face?

''Yup,'' Brown said, exposing those huge, white trademark teeth once more.

And why, Ronnie, would you be smiling in such a critical situation?

''Because,'' Brown said. ``I knew I was about to score!''

Welcome to Ronnie's World, where rain tastes like sugar and sewage smells like orange blossoms.

''Whether he's recovering from a torn ACL or he just scored five touchdowns in a game, Ronnie is always going to have a smile on his face,'' teammate Ricky Williams said. ``It's refreshing to be around.''

If you're wondering whether Brown is also smiling when he's carrying the ball, or whether your eyes were simply deceiving you, it's true: He does smile when he runs. And the reason illuminates his playful personality: ''Just trying to have a good time!'' he said, laughing.

TOUGH TIMES

Surely, though, at some point over the past 11 months, there was a point when Brown's optimistic mind was polluted. Then again, maybe not.

Last year, as Brown appeared on the verge of a Pro Bowl year, his knee decided otherwise.

A torn anterior cruciate ligament in his eighth game derailed one of the great starts to a season in Dolphins history -- Brown already had piled up 602 yards on just 119 carries.

But Brown's optimism never faded. It remained as perennial as the light heart that has so far confused three coaches, who wondered whether Brown is soft -- or simply happy. These days, the answer is absolutely clear.

Williams, who has become close with Brown, said he believes his protégé endured his rehabilitation so easily because of his glass-always-full approach to life.

Occasionally, it's important to remind Brown that bad things can still happen -- which is why coach Tony Sparano stays in his star's ear about continuing to rehabilitate his knee even though it might seem fully healed.

Asked Friday if Brown's rehabilitation is complete, Sparano noted he had a conversation earlier this week about that very topic.

'I said to him, `Your effort right now in the training room and what you do rehab-wise needs to be the same as it was several weeks ago,' '' Sparano said. ``And he said it was. [The training staff] does a tremendous job down there in the training room, staying on top of Ronnie that way.''

Make no mistake, though. Brown isn't lazy or lethargic. It isn't as if his rehabilitation has been as easy as he might make it look. Brown was one of the first people Sparano met after he was hired -- because he was constantly working out at the team's facility during the offseason. Even now, when the Dolphins get their weekly day off on Tuesday, Brown is an exception.

''Ronnie doesn't have days off,'' Sparano said. ``When everybody else is home on their day off, [Brown] is spending time here doing the extra, and I think that's helping us.''

LOOKING AHEAD

Four games into the season -- even after the first two games yielded minimal opportunities -- Brown has worked his way up to fifth among AFC running backs. He has 286 yards on 58 attempts with six touchdowns.

And Brown is a tough critic of his own ability, so while he might be excited about his recovery, his smile is not one of the content nature.

''My expectations for myself are pretty high,'' Brown said. ``I think they pretty much exceed what everyone else would have expected me to do. I'm pretty tough on myself as far as the things I do and the way I perform on the field.

``So I'm glad that I've made a lot of progress over these first few weeks, but at the same time I still have a ways to go.''

This week, less than a year after the injury, Brown was asked if he still thinks about it when he's on the field each Sunday.

''What injury?'' Brown said, the smile splashing across his face once more.

The smile never leaves. And if he keeps playing as he has, it likely never will.

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