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USA Today
01-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Crazy Todd Gurley stat puts into perspective just how outstanding he was with the Rams
Crazy Todd Gurley stat puts into perspective just how outstanding he was with the Rams Todd Gurley is one of the biggest 'what-if' stories of the last 10 years. He came into the NFL as a highly regarded prospect out of Georgia despite tearing his ACL in college and still managed to outperform expectations with the Rams. He won AP Rookie of the Year in 2015 in just 13 games, was named Offensive Player of the Year in 2017 and led the NFL in total touchdowns twice. He was a superstar in St. Louis and Los Angeles, but injuries robbed him of what could've been a Hall of Fame career. This mind-blowing stat shows just how productive he was in his brief time in the NFL. Since 2015, only two players have scored more rushing touchdowns than Gurley, who has 67: Derrick Henry (106) and Ezekiel Elliott (74). Rushing touchdowns since 2015 Derrick Henry: 106 (136 games) Ezekiel Elliott: 74 (135 games) Todd Gurley: 67 (88 games) Henry and Gurley came into the NFL a year later than Gurley but both are still playing. Gurley, on the other hand, hasn't played since 2020, spending the last four years in retirement. And still, he has the third-most rushing touchdowns in the league since 2015. Gurley scored his 67 career touchdowns in 88 games, while Elliott has played 135 games and Henry has played 136. The only player even somewhat close to Gurley's touchdown efficiency since 2015 is Josh Jacobs, who has scored 61 rushing touchdowns in 90 career games. Incredibly, Gurley is still only 30 years old, accomplishing all of his feats by the age of 26. In NFL history, only three running backs scored more touchdowns by the age of 26 than Gurley. Rushing touchdowns by the age of 26 Emmitt Smith: 96 LaDainian Tomlinson: 72 Jim Brown: 70 Todd Gurley: 67 That's the entire list. Gurley was on a Hall of Fame trajectory before his knee issues caused him to retire at a young age, and it's unfortunate we never got to see his prime for more than a few years. Had he been able to sustain the longevity of someone like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley, he would've put up massive numbers.
USA Today
10-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Looking back at 11 of the best first-round picks in Rams history
Looking back at 11 of the best first-round picks in Rams history Headlined by Aaron Donald and Todd Gurley, the Rams have found success in the first round. The Los Angeles Rams find themselves with the 26th pick in the 2025 NFL draft. The team has built a thriving core, especially in the last couple of years, not only in the first round but all across the draft. The Rams have a rich history with great draft picks, most notably in the first round – even despite their drought from 2017-2023 without a first-rounder. The team has always seemed to meet their needs and find guys who can contribute immediately. With April 24 quickly approaching, we're taking a look back at the best first-round picks in the team's history and seeing if any of these previous picks can give us some insight into who the Rams will take in the first round. 2014: DT Aaron Donald, No. 13 overall Donald is arguably the greatest defensive player in the league's history. He was drafted in 2014 with the 13th overall selection, which turned out to be a steal for the Rams – especially after missing on Greg Robinson 11 picks earlier. Many critics argued that Donald did not have a long enough reach or a big enough frame to contribute in a major way at the next level, and boy, that could not have been more wrong. 1983: RB Eric Dickerson, No. 2 overall Two of their better picks both happen to be running backs, with Eric Dickerson being selected second overall in 1983 and Todd Gurley going 10th in 2015, falling right in the Rams' lap due to ACL injury concerns out of college. Dickerson went on to be one of the more iconic Rams ever, becoming a Hall of Famer and breaking the rushing record just his second year in the league. He was a major piece to the Rams' success in the '80s. 2015: RB Todd Gurley, No. 10 overall Gurley, who had his career cut short due to a nagging knee injury, made an impact as one of the most dynamic players in the league. Scoring a combined 54 touchdowns in years 2017-19, the Baltimore native tallied over 2000 all-purpose yards in 2017, bringing home Offensive Player of the Year honors. 2004: RB Steven Jackson, No. 24 overall The Rams drafted Jackson prior to Marshall Faulk's final year and found someone who could make an immediate impact while securing the running back position for the future. Jackson, who played his college ball with Oregon State, was one of the few bright spots for the Franchise during his tenure, making three Pro Bowls and rushing for over 1,000 yards in eight different seasons. 1999: WR Torry Holt, No. 6 overall Torry Holt, who was selected 6th overall in 1999, became a cornerstone for the "Greatest Show on Turf' and is one of the best Receivers in Rams history. Playing his college ball at NC State, he made an immediate impact on a team that won the Super Bowl his rookie year. Totaling 10 years in the league, all seven of Holt's Pro Bowl appearances came in St. Louis, and he managed to rack up eight 1000-yard seasons during his time with the organization. It is a shame that a receiver with a body of work like his has not received a nod to Canton yet, with hopes that the invitation is soon to come. 1997: OT Orlando Pace, No. 1 overall Pace played 12 years for St. Louis and cemented himself as one of the best Tackles of his generation. Making seven straight Pro Bowls from 1999 to 2005, he played a major role during the 1999-2000 season in winning a Super Bowl. He protected Kurt Warner's blindside and truly lived up to the hype of a No. 1 pick. 1993: RB Jerome Bettis, No. 10 overall Despite only playing three years in the royal and yellow, Bettis had an impressive tenure with the Rams, rushing for 1429 yards in his rookie year and punching in 7 touchdowns. He made a Pro Bowl that exact year, and although it was a weaker year following, he managed to get the nod for yet another Pro Bowl. The Bus went on to have a Hall of Fame career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. 1971: DL Jack Youngblood, No. 20 overall Jumping to the defensive side of the ball once again, another pick that jumps off the screen is Jack Youngblood, who the Rams took at 20th in 1971. Youngblood went on to become a Rams legend, making seven Pro Bowls and receiving All-Pro honors five times. Winning Defensive Player of the Year in 1975, the 14-year Ram finished with 151.5 career sacks. 1966: G Tom Mack, No. 2 overall Mack is player who should be talked about more often as one of the best players at his position. He played 13 years, all with the Rams, and made Pro Bowls in 11 of those years. He also started every game in 10 seasons, showing his longevity and leaving a legacy as one of the best in the game. 1962: DL Merlin Olsen, No. 3 overall Olsen, one of the leaders of the Fearsome Foursome featuring other stars like Deacon Jones, Lamar Lundy, and Rosey Grier, played in all 208 games of his career. He was a dominant force at the defensive tackle position and made fourteen Pro Bowls while receiving five All-Pro honors. Olsen was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1982. 1945: WR Elroy Hirsch, No. 5 overall Hirsch, nicknamed Crazy Legs, played 12 years with the Rams, both in Cleveland and Los Angeles. His best year came in 1951, where he recorded 66 catches, 1,495 yards, and 17 touchdowns. These are truly unheard-of numbers in this era, especially when there were only 12 games in a season at the time. Hirsch made three Pro Bowls and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1968. With the draft upcoming, the Rams are hoping to strike gold at pick 26. Will they strike gold once again like they have in years past? We will see in just a couple of weeks.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Could Kaleb Johnson be this draft class' Todd Gurley?
Yahoo Sports NFL analyst Nate Tice and PFF's lead draft analyst Trevor Sikkema discuss the strengths and weaknesses of former Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson and give some potential team fits. Hear the full conversation on 'Football 301' - and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Caleb Johnson is like science guy meme hands up, like, I don't know what to do with you here, um, because this breakdown Cale Johnson because he's he's a unique watch. Yeah. So there are plays of Caleb Johnson and and a handful of plays. I'm not just talking about a couple where I go. That's Todd Gurley. Like, that's like, that's, that's today's version of Todd Gurley, like who he is as a runner. Um, I love him in outside zone. I love when you can get him towards the sideline and he could just put his foot in the ground and just take off up the field. I think for being 6'1, 225 pounds, the long speed that he has, the top speed when he gets up to it, ton of speed to power that he converts there with his momentum, can really get up the field and hit those home runs for you. I thought where there were good plays, he was inconsistent when it came to those 3rd down abilities. So like, pass catching and pass protecting. Not that he can't do it. Obviously, he's built like somebody who I felt as though could be a nice 3rd down player, but I didn't think that he was consistent in either of those areas. And then there were times when I just didn't love his vision between the tackles in those man and gap scheme run blocking concepts. So if you tell me that like, If you put Caleb Johnson. With the Minnesota Vikings, the San Francisco 49ers, like teams like that, where, where you were just able to get to the outside and run outside zone a lot, like, I mean, like he would be a 1000 yard back for you, even as a rookie. But I don't think One thing that we're doing at PFF this year, which I'm super excited about is we're getting into more like team-centric big boards. So we're gonna release team like top 100s, like for every team, like given what they need, given their styles, like all these kinds of stuff. And Caleb Johnson to me is gonna be one that's gonna have a ton of different range, cause for some teams, I might go, I don't love him behind that blocking concept that they're trying to run. And in other concepts, I might go, this dude's gonna be a 1000 yard runner if they draft him as a rookie. So, To me, there were just too many areas of his game where I felt like it was inconsistent, specifically in the 3rd down, like, pass. Uh, what do I say, like, like past game pluses. I just felt as though he was a little bit lack in that regard, but like as a runner, like I said, there are times when I watch him and I go, this is Todd Gurley again. So there's just, it's, I, I'm very indifferent about where I'm gonna end up on Caleb Johnson. Yeah, he, I have him and Judkins right next to each other, um, that's kind of like running back 34, and I'm totally with you is that. He grew on me. He was a guy that I actually was lower on the most, and then he kind of grew on me and I feel like I'm gonna stay right here in this range where I have the overall like mid-40s kind of overall my big board somewhere around there. Um, there's some Aarian Foster there, and I think maybe it's just some zone, zone zone, but they're the same size, they kind of have the same speed. That's the guy that I keep watching, that's the upside that you're hoping for. But again, where A Foster go on the draft rafted. And that, that, you know, do you take that skill set on day two? Like, you know, and again, that's kind of going with the result of Aaron Foster was, but again, just saying some of the limitations. He's a classic early down only back. I like this guy to take the majority share of touches, but then you need somebody else on your team to balance them out, to help him out, to do some of the dirty work stuff to be the classic scap back protection back. If I could get. Shoot, if I can get Johnson and Traveon Henderson on the same team, we're gold. Let's get these two like we're awesome. Close
USA Today
08-02-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-Rams RB shares what Patriots players said after Super Bowl LIII win
Former Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley hasn't forgotten the defensive dominance the New England Patriots displayed at Super Bowl LIII. When appearing on the 'Run Your Race' podcast, the former All-Pro running back claimed the Patriots were so prepared for that matchup that it was an easy game for them. 'Talking to a couple of the Patriots defensive players, they were like, 'Yo bro, this the easiest game we've ever played in,' said Gurley. 'They were like, 'We just knew y'all was coming with some stuff like at halftime or whatever. 'Y'all just never made no adjustments.' That's no shade to any coaches or anything like that. We just didn't execute offensively. …They just thought we were just gonna come out in the second half, make some crazy adjustments. They were just like, 'Honestly we've never played a game that easy.' You know from like an X's and O's standpoint.' The defensive game plan was masterful for the Patriots, who held the Rams to only three points and 260 total yards on offense in a 13-3 win. Gurley was held to only 10 carries for 35 yards. It was a surprising defensive showing by the Patriots against a Rams team that had the No. 2-ranked scoring offense behind the Kansas City Chiefs. That performance led to the sixth and final Super Bowl win of the Patriots' dynasty.
Fox News
06-02-2025
- Sport
- Fox News
Ex-NFL star Todd Gurley details what Chiefs, Eagles players going through mentally to prepare for Super Bowl
NEW ORLEANS – The Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles have both been in this position before, ahead of Super Bowl LIX. Experience in this high-pressure environment is certainly an advantage for those players that went through this nerve-wrecking week, but what exactly are these players experiencing behind closed doors? One former NFL player revealed what was on his mind before he got a crack at the Lombardi Trophy. "Honestly, you start thinking about gifts that you're gonna buy yourself when you win, and you get the winning earnings," ex-Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons running back Todd Gurley told Fox News Digital on Radio Row on Wednesday. "You're not thinking ahead, but you're like, 'We're gonna go to Vegas and celebrate.'" Gurley joked that, with both Kansas City and Philadelphia cold this time of year, whoever wins will not be staying long after the parade. Now, Gurley, unfortunately, didn't get that winning feeling in Super Bowl LIII, falling to Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, 13-3, to cap the 2018 season. Gurley had just 10 carries for 35 yards, as the Rams struggled mightily on offense. Gurley explained how the team was trying to prepare like it was a normal week when they got to Atlanta. "You just try to treat it like a normal week, but you know you only got a couple days left so you just want to lock in," he explained while also discussing his partnership with Bush's Beans. "You're like, 'Couple days left. Let's lock in.' And then you try to be as cliché as possible like, 'it's just another game, it's just another game.'" However, what the Chiefs and Eagles might have figured out the first time facing each other in the Super Bowl was this, at least from Gurley's perspective. "Honestly, when the game came, I can definitely say it was by far one of the fastest games I've ever played in," he said. "It was like a blur. I really don't remember too much from it. It was super, super fast." The adrenaline pumping with millions watching can reach all-time highs for players, and Gurley even mentioned halftime being too long due to the pomp and circumstance of the signature halftime show. Again, there are only a handful of players on each team who do not know this feeling of going through meetings, media availabilities and practices, knowing only one game remains for glory. For the Chiefs, they basically have a routine now with the Super Bowl, as they can make history with three straight Lombardi Trophies won, becoming the first team in NFL history to do so. However, players like Jalen Hurts, A.J. Brown, DeVonta Smith and others want revenge, as the Eagles fell to the Chiefs, 38-35, in Arizona in this game two years ago. Preparation is key, but even with that and experience, the pressure of performing on the biggest stage anywhere is immense. The Super Bowl is where legends are made, and Gurley understood that when he took the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in February 2019. COOKIN' UP SUPER BOWL DELIGHTS WITH BUSH'S BEANS Today, Gurley's preparation for the "Big Game" involves getting in the kitchen to whip up some tasty eats at home, which he always loves to do. Being out in Los Angeles, Gurley said he gets to have cookouts all the time. What he cooks is the main question, but there seems to be a constant: baked beans. It is not just the standard Bush's Original, which Gurley believes is more than fine. He prefers his family's secret recipe. "You want to spice it up a little bit," he said. "Obviously, you usually go with the original. But you just start seeing stuff. Before YouTube and all this stuff, you learn it from the family or your learn it from your friends like, 'Hold on, what was that you put in it the other day?' And then you start adding stuff, so you do ground beef if you're a beef guy, or you do turkey. Obviously, onions go with a lot of things – can't go wrong with that. Some green peppers, some brown sugar, and then some bacon bits." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
