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Practice Report 11/3: Gurley, Peterson Headline Matchup of Strong RBs
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-113-Gulrey-Peterson-Headline-Matchup-of-Strong-RBs/865ede14-cd0d-4d4e-afb2-b983e74c5472
Adrian Peterson has long been thought of as one of the best running backs in the league. While he played only one game in 2014 -- perhaps ironically against the Rams in Week 1 -- the 30-year-old has returned this season in top form. He’s currently No. 3 in yards rushing with 633, and has averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
But Todd Gurley will be on the other sideline, and he has been at least as equally impressive through the first four starts of his NFL career. The rookie out of Georgia already ranks No. 5 in yards rushing with 575, and on Sunday became the only rookie running back in NFL history to rush for at least 125 yards in four straight games.
It’s those performances plus his demeanor off the field that have earned Gurley the respect of his teammates.
“He's been our best football player on the field,” defensive end William Hayes said, praising Gurley’s work ethic. “He's a pro already at a young age.”
While Sunday will present a compelling matchup for spectators, Gurley said he’s staying focused on the task at hand.
“I’m just going to go out there and play like I always play,” Gurley said after Tuesday’s practice. “Try to play hard and get a win.”
As a 21-year-old, Gurley in many ways grew up watching Peterson, calling the Vikings’ back “the gold standard.”
“A guy as great as him, everybody is going to look at him and try to model their game after him,” Gurley said. “You can consider him the best.”
There have been plenty of comparisons with Gurley and Peterson, and the Rams running back said he can see why.
“We kind of have the same physique,” Gurley said. “He’s probably a lot more muscular. We both kind of run hard and don’t like to go down.”
Gurley’s teammates were similarly diplomatic when asked about the two backs on Tuesday.
“It's hard to compare,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “My decision is biased because I love Gurley, like what he's doing now. But how do you go against AP who's proven and has the Pro Bowls? We'll see Sunday.”
“Peterson's body of work is unheard of,” Hayes said. “He's been dominating this thing since he came in the league. Gurley is starting off on a good path.
“In this game the older you get you need to realize that a younger guy is going to take that spotlight,” Hayes added. “If he stays healthy, we can probably see some amazing things from Todd Gurley. As long as he keeps grinding and stays the same as he is now, the sky is his limit.”
And so even though the two running backs will be a major point of intrigue all week, it’s Minnesota’s defense that has Gurley’s full attention.
“They’re definitely an extremely physical defense,” Gurley said. “They swarm to the ball fast. It’s not just one person that stands out. They have a lot of good players. Their safeties are hard-hitters. Definitely have to do a great job this week.”
SPECIAL GUEST
With MMA competitors in St. Louis for an event downtown on Friday night, legendary Georgia running back Herschel Walker attended Tuesday’s practice.
“Yeah, how about that? Obviously, he’s involved in the MMA. He’s still, actually, believe it or not at 53 years [old], he’s competing right now,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s got a couple of guys that are here in town that are competing on Friday night, so we invited him over. So, it’s kind of cool.”
“I’m really lucky I never had to tackle him,” Fisher added with a laugh. “That was a scheduling thing.”
Walker gave a small talk to the running backs after practice. Given that Gurley is also a Georgia product, it was a special meeting between the two.
“I think I talked to him over the phone, but I’ve never met him before,” Gulrey said, adding Walker told them, “good job and keep it up. It was good seeing him.”
Our Dani Kluppenger had a chance to catch up with Walker and Gurley after practice. You can watch what they had to say about one another in the videos on this page.
By Myles Simmons
View: http://www.stlouisrams.com/news-and-events/article-practicereport/Practice-Report-113-Gulrey-Peterson-Headline-Matchup-of-Strong-RBs/865ede14-cd0d-4d4e-afb2-b983e74c5472
Adrian Peterson has long been thought of as one of the best running backs in the league. While he played only one game in 2014 -- perhaps ironically against the Rams in Week 1 -- the 30-year-old has returned this season in top form. He’s currently No. 3 in yards rushing with 633, and has averaged 4.5 yards per carry.
But Todd Gurley will be on the other sideline, and he has been at least as equally impressive through the first four starts of his NFL career. The rookie out of Georgia already ranks No. 5 in yards rushing with 575, and on Sunday became the only rookie running back in NFL history to rush for at least 125 yards in four straight games.
It’s those performances plus his demeanor off the field that have earned Gurley the respect of his teammates.
“He's been our best football player on the field,” defensive end William Hayes said, praising Gurley’s work ethic. “He's a pro already at a young age.”
While Sunday will present a compelling matchup for spectators, Gurley said he’s staying focused on the task at hand.
“I’m just going to go out there and play like I always play,” Gurley said after Tuesday’s practice. “Try to play hard and get a win.”
As a 21-year-old, Gurley in many ways grew up watching Peterson, calling the Vikings’ back “the gold standard.”
“A guy as great as him, everybody is going to look at him and try to model their game after him,” Gurley said. “You can consider him the best.”
There have been plenty of comparisons with Gurley and Peterson, and the Rams running back said he can see why.
“We kind of have the same physique,” Gurley said. “He’s probably a lot more muscular. We both kind of run hard and don’t like to go down.”
Gurley’s teammates were similarly diplomatic when asked about the two backs on Tuesday.
“It's hard to compare,” defensive tackle Michael Brockers said. “My decision is biased because I love Gurley, like what he's doing now. But how do you go against AP who's proven and has the Pro Bowls? We'll see Sunday.”
“Peterson's body of work is unheard of,” Hayes said. “He's been dominating this thing since he came in the league. Gurley is starting off on a good path.
“In this game the older you get you need to realize that a younger guy is going to take that spotlight,” Hayes added. “If he stays healthy, we can probably see some amazing things from Todd Gurley. As long as he keeps grinding and stays the same as he is now, the sky is his limit.”
And so even though the two running backs will be a major point of intrigue all week, it’s Minnesota’s defense that has Gurley’s full attention.
“They’re definitely an extremely physical defense,” Gurley said. “They swarm to the ball fast. It’s not just one person that stands out. They have a lot of good players. Their safeties are hard-hitters. Definitely have to do a great job this week.”
SPECIAL GUEST
With MMA competitors in St. Louis for an event downtown on Friday night, legendary Georgia running back Herschel Walker attended Tuesday’s practice.
“Yeah, how about that? Obviously, he’s involved in the MMA. He’s still, actually, believe it or not at 53 years [old], he’s competing right now,” head coach Jeff Fisher said. “He’s got a couple of guys that are here in town that are competing on Friday night, so we invited him over. So, it’s kind of cool.”
“I’m really lucky I never had to tackle him,” Fisher added with a laugh. “That was a scheduling thing.”
Walker gave a small talk to the running backs after practice. Given that Gurley is also a Georgia product, it was a special meeting between the two.
“I think I talked to him over the phone, but I’ve never met him before,” Gulrey said, adding Walker told them, “good job and keep it up. It was good seeing him.”
Our Dani Kluppenger had a chance to catch up with Walker and Gurley after practice. You can watch what they had to say about one another in the videos on this page.
