Rookie Spotlight: Todd Gurley Joins A Storied History Of St. Louis Rams Running Backs
By Danny Cox
Name: Todd Gurley
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 227 lbs.
Position: Running Back
School: Georgia
Draft Pick: 10th overall pick in First Round
There were concerns about running back Todd Gurley after he tore his ACL last year with the Georgia Bulldogs, and many thought he may not be ready for the start of the NFL season. Well, the St. Louis Rams were willing to take a chance on his talent, and now they've gotten a welcome surprise.
Gurley won't only be ready for the regular season, but he recently passed a conditioning test and physical with flying colors and will join his team for the start of training camp.
During his time at Georgia, Gurley was always seen as a future pro and high first round draft pick. Even during high school, everyone knew that he was going to be something special in professional sports. He excelled at football, basketball, and track, but there was one sport that had his heart.
As a freshman at Georgia, he backed up redshirt sophomore Ken Malcome, but he quickly proved that he deserved more playing time. In his first career game, Todd Gurley rushed only eight times, but had 100 yards and two touchdowns. That's not even mentioning his 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.
He racked up 1,685 yards and 17 touchdowns in his freshman year, and because just the second true freshman in Georgia history to have over 1,000 yards. The other? None other than the legendary Herschel Walker.
During his sophomore season, Gurley opened the year with a 154-yard game, which included two touchdowns. His final season numbers were 989 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. He also joined the indoor track team that year to show even more of his great ability.
For his junior year in college, Gurley started it out by being indefinitely suspended for alleged violation of NCAA rules. Gurley played sporadically before his suspension was totally lifted. In his first game back, he tore his ACL against Auburn to finish out his year with 911 yards and nine touchdowns.
Even though his final year in college was marred by the suspension and the big injury, many NFL teams already knew what he was capable of doing on the field. The Rams knew they wanted to take a chance on him and not let him slip past him at the 10th spot in the draft.
St. Louis does have a crowded backfield with Tre Mason, Isaiah Pead and Benny Cunningham, so that means Gurley is going to have a tough hill to climb. Knowing he is now healthy, the veteran running backs on the team need to be aware that the rookie is coming.
Danny Cox knows a little something about the NFL, whether it means letting you know what penalty will come from the flag just thrown on the field or quickly spouting off who the Chicago Bears drafted in the first round of the 1987 draft (Jim Harbaugh). He plans on bringing you the best news, previews, recaps, and anything else that may come along with the exciting world of the National Football League. Danny is a freelance writer covering all things NFL. His work can be found on Examiner.com.