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NFL Nation selects Rams' Todd Gurley midseason rookie of the year
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...rams-todd-gurley-midseason-rookie-of-the-year
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- That ESPN's NFL Nation overwhelmingly voted St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley its midseason rookie of the year speaks to just how much of a revelation Gurley has been since returning from a torn left ACL.
Unlike other contenders such as Oakland receiver Amari Cooper, Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters or Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota, Gurley didn't even play in the season's first two games and made only spot appearances in the third.
Midseason Rookie Of The Year
How our NFL Nation reporters voted:
Player Votes
RB Todd Gurley 25
WR Amari Cooper 7
CB Marcus Peters 1
So Gurley's rise has come in only five games, and most of the other rookies receiving attention have played in at least eight. But the numbers don't lie, either, and Gurley should undoubtedly be the leader in the clubhouse for every real rookie of the year award handed out at the end of the season.
In six games, Gurley has rushed for 664 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.63 yards per carry. Among qualified ball carriers, he's fourth in the league in rushing yards, third in yards per carry and tied for 10th in touchdowns. His four 40-plus yard carries leads the league and his seven 20-plus yard carries is tied for second.
And Gurley's start isn't just impressive within the context of fellow rookies or fellow rushers but from a historical perspective as well. Gurley set a record for most rushing yards by a player in his first four starts since the AFL/NFL merger and his rushing total ranks behind only running back luminaries Adrian Peterson and Eric Dickerson for the most by a rookie in his first six games.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher says he believes Gurley has the potential to be one of the best backs of all time, noting that of the many great backs he has been around he has never seen one like Gurley.
"I mean, the best back when I was playing was my teammate and that was Walter [Payton]," Fisher said recently. "But, there's no resemblance there. They're just different body styles, body types. But, as I said, it'd be unfair to compare Todd to anybody that I've either played against or with or coached with. He's just different."
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-ra...rams-todd-gurley-midseason-rookie-of-the-year
EARTH CITY, Mo. -- That ESPN's NFL Nation overwhelmingly voted St. Louis Rams running back Todd Gurley its midseason rookie of the year speaks to just how much of a revelation Gurley has been since returning from a torn left ACL.
Unlike other contenders such as Oakland receiver Amari Cooper, Kansas City cornerback Marcus Peters or Tennessee quarterback Marcus Mariota, Gurley didn't even play in the season's first two games and made only spot appearances in the third.
Midseason Rookie Of The Year
How our NFL Nation reporters voted:
Player Votes
RB Todd Gurley 25
WR Amari Cooper 7
CB Marcus Peters 1
So Gurley's rise has come in only five games, and most of the other rookies receiving attention have played in at least eight. But the numbers don't lie, either, and Gurley should undoubtedly be the leader in the clubhouse for every real rookie of the year award handed out at the end of the season.
In six games, Gurley has rushed for 664 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.63 yards per carry. Among qualified ball carriers, he's fourth in the league in rushing yards, third in yards per carry and tied for 10th in touchdowns. His four 40-plus yard carries leads the league and his seven 20-plus yard carries is tied for second.
And Gurley's start isn't just impressive within the context of fellow rookies or fellow rushers but from a historical perspective as well. Gurley set a record for most rushing yards by a player in his first four starts since the AFL/NFL merger and his rushing total ranks behind only running back luminaries Adrian Peterson and Eric Dickerson for the most by a rookie in his first six games.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher says he believes Gurley has the potential to be one of the best backs of all time, noting that of the many great backs he has been around he has never seen one like Gurley.
"I mean, the best back when I was playing was my teammate and that was Walter [Payton]," Fisher said recently. "But, there's no resemblance there. They're just different body styles, body types. But, as I said, it'd be unfair to compare Todd to anybody that I've either played against or with or coached with. He's just different."
