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http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/...ing-california-jared-goff-meeting-kobe-bryant
As the Rams adjust to their new digs in Los Angeles, the city they last called home in 1994, their soft-spoken second-year tailback is making a transition of a different sort: from River City stud to Hollywood leading man.
Fresh off a rookie campaign in St. Louis that saw him rush for 1,106 yards, good for third in the league and a Pro Bowl nod, Todd Gurley is now a marquee name in L.A., where stars are made if not born, already a rising pitchman with an endorsement portfolio that includes Gatorade, Nike and Carl's Jr.
Still, Gurley says he's more likely to be recognized in SoCal's streets for pitching burgers than shedding tacklers. How well do you really know the man who may become the face of L.A. sports? Take our quiz -- watch out for the play-fakes! -- and then read the real answers from Gurley himself.
1. When Todd Gurley found out the Rams were moving to LA, he initially felt ___.
A.) Sadness. He loved St. Louis.
B.) Surprise. He got the news on TV.
C.) Stressed. He hates moving.
D.) Like puking. LA is the worst.
ANSWER: A. "It was kind of weird because I found out on TV -- it was like, damn, we're moving to LA? But it was exciting. To go to a whole new city, just knowing the opportunities and the fan base, and the history of the Rams in LA, this is pretty cool."
2. When you ask Gurley what he wants LA Rams fans to know about him, the first thing he says is ____.
A.) "I don't like dogs. They're annoying."
B.) "I don't like people. Give me space."
C.) "Mermaids creep me out. They don't even have legs."
D.) "I like ice cream, especially when it melts and you have to lick it up."
ANSWER: A. "I don't like dogs. They're annoying. You got to take care of them and all that. If I see somebody with a puppy, I might pet it, but that's about it."
3. On his off-days in LA, Gurley prefers to pass the time by ___.
A.) Sight-seeing.
B.) Taking acting classes.
C.) Sleeping.
D.) Swiping right on the secret celebrity Tinder.
ANSWER: C. "I'm a boring person, man. I don't do too much. I like to be by the beach, but I'm not going to go in the sand or in the water or anything. But there's a lot of stuff I want to do -- Universal Studios, Disneyland, Six Flags. I was supposed to go to Six Flags a few weeks ago, but then I got lazy and just sat around in the house."
4. Gurley says he loves the following about his new city.
A.) Weather, food and creative vibe.
B.) Scenery, weather and fans.
C.) Weather, food and fans.
D.) It's far away from St. Louis.
ANSWER: B. "I love the scenery, the great weather, the fact that it doesn't rain here. And it's looking like we're going to be playing in front of sold out crowds. We haven't had that happen in years, so we're excited."
5. The one thing Gurley dislikes about LA is ___.
A.) "Traffic. It's very annoying."
B.) "The Dodgers. What can I say, I adopted the Cardinals."
C.) "Their movies. I'm into independent films, not sequels and remakes."
D.) "The Kardashians. They're rough on ball players."
ANSWER: A. "Everything is cool besides the traffic. Traffic here is very annoying. But it'll keep me inside the house and let me sleep more. I can't complain about that."
6. Gurley's favorite celebrity-encounter since moving to LA was ____?
A.) Seeing all the Rams greats at training camp.
B.) Watching the cast of Stranger Things perform karaoke.
C.) Meeting NBA stars at Staples Center.
D.) Rear-ending Justin Bieber on the 405.
ANSWER: C. "I'm not really into star-seeking, but I went to a Lakers-Cavs game, where I got to meet Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving. That was pretty cool."
7. On a recent visit to famed Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Walk of Stars and Chinese Theater, Gurley was repulsed by ___.
A.) "Snakes. I hate them."
B.) "Tourists. I hate them."
C.) "Kevin Bacon's star on the Walk of Fame. I hate that dude."
D.) "Tom Cruise's hands imprinted in cement. They're so tiny."
ANSWER: A. "There was these street performers with snakes around their necks, and people were touching the snakes! I couldn't believe it."
8. As seen on his Instagram, Gurley recently donned workout gear and journeyed into the Hollywood hills, eventually posing for a photo in front of the Hollywood sign. Why?
A.) It's a great workout.
B.) He was playing Pokémon Go.
C.) He was filming for HBO's Hard Knocks.
D.) He got sperarated from a celebrity tour.
ANSWER: C. "I can't lie: I didn't run it; I drove up to it. But I was like, I'm gonna take a picture while I'm up here, and let everybody think I ran it."
9. As the star of the LA Rams, Gurley is primed to become the face of L.A. sports. How does he feel about that?
A.) "Too much pressure. I'll just do me."
B.) "It's cool. I want to be the next Kobe."
C.) "It's cool. But there'll never be another Kobe."
D.) "It's time. I'm too gorgeous not to shine."
ANSWER: C. "I'm embracing it. Hopefully, I can make it to the Clayton Kershaw, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul level. But there'll never be another Kobe. It's just not realistic."
Todd Gurley is ready to be a star in L.A. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images
10. When Gurley met Jared Goff for the first time, his first thought was ___.
A.) He's rich.
B.) He smells nice.
C.) He's tall.
D.) We took this dude over Carson Wentz?
ANSWER: A. "He's got a lot of money. [Laughs] But our No. 1 pick, he's a good kid - wait, I was about to call him a kid, but he's the same age as me."
11. Gurley believes he should've been selected ___ in your fantasy draft.
A.) "First, overall. But if you took Cam Newton or Antonio Brown, I won't be mad."
B.) "Anywhere in the first round. There are a lot of elite players available."
C.) "In the second round. Touchdowns will be hard to come by."
D.) "Top of the third round. I'm appealing a 4-game suspension."
ANSWER: A. "But I'm not going to tell you why. If I tell you I'm going to do something this season, and I don't, I'll be hearing from you, like, "Damn, Todd, I drafted you No. 1 and you didn't live up to the hype."
12. Gurley's personal goal for the season is ___.
A.) 2,000 rushing yards.
B.) Being a more vocal leader.
C.) Improving without the ball in his hands.
D.) Overcoming his fear of blocking.
ANSWER: C. "My teammates are always like, "Get that 2K!" But I don't have a number in my head. I want to improve my receiving, my route-running ability, and being better without the ball. Last year, I'd give myself a grade of B+/A on receiving. Having the ball in my hands, that comes natural, but play-faking, all that stuff without the ball in my hands, I can do better."
13. Gurley feels the biggest obstacle in snapping the Rams' 11-year playoff drought is ___.
A.) "Inexperience at key positions."
B.) "Offense. We have a great defense that holds its own."
C.) "Defense. We'll have to carry them."
D.) "Traffic. Seriously, it's just that bad."
ANSWER: B. "We have a great defense that holds its own, but when you're always on the field, there's not too much you can do. The offense has to stop the 3-and-outs and put some points on the board."
14. Gurley feels the Rams will ___ this season.
A.) "Have a lot of fun. The rest will fall into place."
B.) "Play well. But we can't expect a championship overnight."
C.) "Compete for a championship."
D.) "Break some records and break some rules."
ANSWER: C "I think we can compete for a championship this year. Everybody has to have that mindset. If you bring a couple of championships to this city, they treat you like a god."
As the Rams adjust to their new digs in Los Angeles, the city they last called home in 1994, their soft-spoken second-year tailback is making a transition of a different sort: from River City stud to Hollywood leading man.
Fresh off a rookie campaign in St. Louis that saw him rush for 1,106 yards, good for third in the league and a Pro Bowl nod, Todd Gurley is now a marquee name in L.A., where stars are made if not born, already a rising pitchman with an endorsement portfolio that includes Gatorade, Nike and Carl's Jr.
Still, Gurley says he's more likely to be recognized in SoCal's streets for pitching burgers than shedding tacklers. How well do you really know the man who may become the face of L.A. sports? Take our quiz -- watch out for the play-fakes! -- and then read the real answers from Gurley himself.
1. When Todd Gurley found out the Rams were moving to LA, he initially felt ___.
A.) Sadness. He loved St. Louis.
B.) Surprise. He got the news on TV.
C.) Stressed. He hates moving.
D.) Like puking. LA is the worst.
ANSWER: A. "It was kind of weird because I found out on TV -- it was like, damn, we're moving to LA? But it was exciting. To go to a whole new city, just knowing the opportunities and the fan base, and the history of the Rams in LA, this is pretty cool."
2. When you ask Gurley what he wants LA Rams fans to know about him, the first thing he says is ____.
A.) "I don't like dogs. They're annoying."
B.) "I don't like people. Give me space."
C.) "Mermaids creep me out. They don't even have legs."
D.) "I like ice cream, especially when it melts and you have to lick it up."
ANSWER: A. "I don't like dogs. They're annoying. You got to take care of them and all that. If I see somebody with a puppy, I might pet it, but that's about it."
3. On his off-days in LA, Gurley prefers to pass the time by ___.
A.) Sight-seeing.
B.) Taking acting classes.
C.) Sleeping.
D.) Swiping right on the secret celebrity Tinder.
ANSWER: C. "I'm a boring person, man. I don't do too much. I like to be by the beach, but I'm not going to go in the sand or in the water or anything. But there's a lot of stuff I want to do -- Universal Studios, Disneyland, Six Flags. I was supposed to go to Six Flags a few weeks ago, but then I got lazy and just sat around in the house."
4. Gurley says he loves the following about his new city.
A.) Weather, food and creative vibe.
B.) Scenery, weather and fans.
C.) Weather, food and fans.
D.) It's far away from St. Louis.
ANSWER: B. "I love the scenery, the great weather, the fact that it doesn't rain here. And it's looking like we're going to be playing in front of sold out crowds. We haven't had that happen in years, so we're excited."
5. The one thing Gurley dislikes about LA is ___.
A.) "Traffic. It's very annoying."
B.) "The Dodgers. What can I say, I adopted the Cardinals."
C.) "Their movies. I'm into independent films, not sequels and remakes."
D.) "The Kardashians. They're rough on ball players."
ANSWER: A. "Everything is cool besides the traffic. Traffic here is very annoying. But it'll keep me inside the house and let me sleep more. I can't complain about that."
6. Gurley's favorite celebrity-encounter since moving to LA was ____?
A.) Seeing all the Rams greats at training camp.
B.) Watching the cast of Stranger Things perform karaoke.
C.) Meeting NBA stars at Staples Center.
D.) Rear-ending Justin Bieber on the 405.
ANSWER: C. "I'm not really into star-seeking, but I went to a Lakers-Cavs game, where I got to meet Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kyrie Irving. That was pretty cool."
7. On a recent visit to famed Hollywood Boulevard, home to the Walk of Stars and Chinese Theater, Gurley was repulsed by ___.
A.) "Snakes. I hate them."
B.) "Tourists. I hate them."
C.) "Kevin Bacon's star on the Walk of Fame. I hate that dude."
D.) "Tom Cruise's hands imprinted in cement. They're so tiny."
ANSWER: A. "There was these street performers with snakes around their necks, and people were touching the snakes! I couldn't believe it."
8. As seen on his Instagram, Gurley recently donned workout gear and journeyed into the Hollywood hills, eventually posing for a photo in front of the Hollywood sign. Why?
A.) It's a great workout.
B.) He was playing Pokémon Go.
C.) He was filming for HBO's Hard Knocks.
D.) He got sperarated from a celebrity tour.
ANSWER: C. "I can't lie: I didn't run it; I drove up to it. But I was like, I'm gonna take a picture while I'm up here, and let everybody think I ran it."
9. As the star of the LA Rams, Gurley is primed to become the face of L.A. sports. How does he feel about that?
A.) "Too much pressure. I'll just do me."
B.) "It's cool. I want to be the next Kobe."
C.) "It's cool. But there'll never be another Kobe."
D.) "It's time. I'm too gorgeous not to shine."
ANSWER: C. "I'm embracing it. Hopefully, I can make it to the Clayton Kershaw, Blake Griffin, Chris Paul level. But there'll never be another Kobe. It's just not realistic."
Todd Gurley is ready to be a star in L.A. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images
10. When Gurley met Jared Goff for the first time, his first thought was ___.
A.) He's rich.
B.) He smells nice.
C.) He's tall.
D.) We took this dude over Carson Wentz?
ANSWER: A. "He's got a lot of money. [Laughs] But our No. 1 pick, he's a good kid - wait, I was about to call him a kid, but he's the same age as me."
11. Gurley believes he should've been selected ___ in your fantasy draft.
A.) "First, overall. But if you took Cam Newton or Antonio Brown, I won't be mad."
B.) "Anywhere in the first round. There are a lot of elite players available."
C.) "In the second round. Touchdowns will be hard to come by."
D.) "Top of the third round. I'm appealing a 4-game suspension."
ANSWER: A. "But I'm not going to tell you why. If I tell you I'm going to do something this season, and I don't, I'll be hearing from you, like, "Damn, Todd, I drafted you No. 1 and you didn't live up to the hype."
12. Gurley's personal goal for the season is ___.
A.) 2,000 rushing yards.
B.) Being a more vocal leader.
C.) Improving without the ball in his hands.
D.) Overcoming his fear of blocking.
ANSWER: C. "My teammates are always like, "Get that 2K!" But I don't have a number in my head. I want to improve my receiving, my route-running ability, and being better without the ball. Last year, I'd give myself a grade of B+/A on receiving. Having the ball in my hands, that comes natural, but play-faking, all that stuff without the ball in my hands, I can do better."
13. Gurley feels the biggest obstacle in snapping the Rams' 11-year playoff drought is ___.
A.) "Inexperience at key positions."
B.) "Offense. We have a great defense that holds its own."
C.) "Defense. We'll have to carry them."
D.) "Traffic. Seriously, it's just that bad."
ANSWER: B. "We have a great defense that holds its own, but when you're always on the field, there's not too much you can do. The offense has to stop the 3-and-outs and put some points on the board."
14. Gurley feels the Rams will ___ this season.
A.) "Have a lot of fun. The rest will fall into place."
B.) "Play well. But we can't expect a championship overnight."
C.) "Compete for a championship."
D.) "Break some records and break some rules."
ANSWER: C "I think we can compete for a championship this year. Everybody has to have that mindset. If you bring a couple of championships to this city, they treat you like a god."
