DeMarco Murray
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DeMarco Murray (born February 12, 1988) is an American college
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
coach and former professional player who was a
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offense ...
in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a Professional gridiron football, professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National ...
(NFL) for seven seasons. A three-time
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
selection and one-time first-team
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list t ...
, he was the
NFL Offensive Player of the Year The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. O ...
in 2014 after leading the NFL in both
rushing yards In gridiron football, a carry or rushing attempt is a statistical term equivalent to a single rushing play. The term is typically used in reference to "yards per carry", meaning yards per attempt rushing the ball. Although running backs are typica ...
and rushing touchdowns. Murray played
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
for the
Oklahoma Sooners The Oklahoma Sooners are the college athletics in the United States , athletic teams that represent the University of Oklahoma, located in Norman, Oklahoma, Norman. The 19 men's and women's varsity teams are called the "Sooners", a reference to ...
and was selected by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
in the third round of the
2011 NFL draft The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
. After four seasons with the Cowboys, he played for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
for one year and then the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
for two years. Murray currently serves as
running backs A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. There a ...
coach at The University of Oklahoma.


Early life

Murray attended
Bishop Gorman High School Bishop Gorman High School (commonly referred to as Gorman or BGHS) is a four-year private, Roman Catholic college preparatory school located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school is administered by the Archdiocese of Las Vegas. The school opened i ...
in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
, where he played football, basketball, and ran track for the Gaels athletic teams. In
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
, Murray was an All-Conference pick three consecutive years. During his time at Gorman, his team was three-time Conference Champions. As a senior in 2005, Murray rushed for 1,947 yards and 27
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
and also caught 22 passes for 624 yards and seven more touchdowns, earning him All-State honors and the 2005 Sunset Region Offensive Player of the Year award. He also played
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
at Gorman, averaging 6.9
points A point is a small dot or the sharp tip of something. Point or points may refer to: Mathematics * Point (geometry), an entity that has a location in space or on a plane, but has no extent; more generally, an element of some abstract topologica ...
per game and his high school basketball team went on to win a 2005 state title. Murray was considered a top-30 basketball recruit in the state as well. In
track & field Track and field (or athletics in British English) is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name used in North America is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and ...
, he ran the
100-meter dash The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contested at ...
and was a member of the 4×100-meter relay squad. Considered one of the top running backs of his class, Murray drew offers from Miami (FL),
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with ca ...
, and
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
, among several others. He chose Oklahoma over
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural List of regions of California, region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Its densely populated coastal reg ...
at the 2006
U.S. Army All-American Bowl The All-American Bowl (currently branded as the Navy All-American Bowl for sponsorship reasons) is a high school football all-star game, held annually at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. Typically played in January, the All-American Bowl is p ...
.


College career

Murray attended and played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners from 2006–2010.


2006–2007 seasons

Murray
redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
the 2006 NCAA football season. In the 2007 season, Murray shared the backfield with
Allen Patrick Roland Allen Patrick III (born February 15, 1984) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He was selected by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round o ...
and Chris Brown. In his first game for the Oklahoma Sooners on September 1, 2007, against the
North Texas Mean Green North Texas Mean Green (formerly North Texas Eagles) represents the University of North Texas (UNT) in intercollegiate athletics. The teams compete in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). North Tex ...
, Murray rushed for 87 yards and five
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Scoring a touchdown grants the team that scored it 6 points. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchd ...
s in the 79–10 victory. He became the first player in school history to score four touchdowns in a half in his debut. On September 15, 2007, in the 54–3 victory over Utah State, Murray set a Sooner record when he had a touchdown run of 92 yards, which is the third longest in Oklahoma football history. In a game against
Tulsa Tulsa ( ) is the second-most-populous city in the state of Oklahoma, after Oklahoma City, and the 48th-most-populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 census. It is the principal municipality of the Tul ...
, he added two more rushing touchdowns and a kick return touchdown in the 62–21 victory. In the annual rivalry game against #19
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, Murray finished with 128 rushing yards, of which 65 yards came on a touchdown run in the third quarter of the 28–21 victory. On November 10, against Baylor, he ran for 95 yards, and three touchdowns along with a kick return touchdown in the 52–21 victory. Overall, Murray finished the 2007 season with 127 carries for 764 yards and tied
Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (; born March 21, 1985) is an American former professional football running back who played 15 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football hist ...
's freshman touchdown record with 15. He logged a 4.40 (team best) 40 time and a 36.5-inch vertical jump during the 2007 winter testing.


2008 season

In the 2008 season, Murray continued to share the backfield with Chris Brown while newcomer
Mossis Madu Mossis Madu Jr. (born November 4, 1987) is a former gridiron football running back. He most recently played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 20 ...
got some carries as well. Murray started off the 2008 season with 124 yards and two touchdowns in the 57–2 victory over the Chattanooga Mocs. On September 12, against
Washington Washington most commonly refers to: * George Washington (1732–1799), the first president of the United States * Washington (state), a state in the Pacific Northwest of the United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A ...
, he rushed for 100 yards in the 55–14 victory. On October 4, against Baylor, Murray ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns in the 49–17 victory. Two weeks later against #16
Kansas Kansas ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the west. Kansas is named a ...
, he ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–31 victory. In the next game against
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...
, Murray had 17 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns to go along with four receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns in the 58–35 victory. The following week against
Nebraska Nebraska ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Ka ...
, he added two more rushing touchdowns and another receiving touchdown to his season total in the 62–28 victory. In the 66–28 victory over
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
, Murray had seven carries for 123 yards along with seven receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. On November 22, he rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns in a 65–21 victory over #2
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas, United States. Established on February 10, 1923, and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the flagship institution of the five- ...
. In the annual rivalry game against #11
Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
, Murray rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown and had seven kick returns for 196 net yards in the 61–41 victory. However, Murray tore his hamstring in the Big 12 Championship on the opening kickoff against
Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...
, which left him out of the
National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
against
Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...
. Murray finished the 2008 season with 179 carries for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns to go along with 31 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns.


2009 season

In the 2009 season, the backfield was largely dominated by the duo of Murray and Chris Brown. In the second game of the Sooners' 2009 season, Murray rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the 64–0 victory over Idaho State. On October 10, against Baylor, he had 24 carries for 107 yards in the 33–7 victory. In the next game against #3
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
, Murray had eight receptions for 116 yards in the 16–13 loss. The following week, he had 15 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns to go along with four receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown in the 42–30 victory over
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public inst ...
. On November 14, against
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, TA&M, or TAMU) is a public university, public, Land-grant university, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas, United States. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of ...
, Murray had a stellar performance with 80 rushing yards to go along with five receptions for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the 65–10 victory. On November 28, against #11
Oklahoma State Oklahoma State University (informally Oklahoma State or OSU) is a public land-grant research university in Stillwater, Oklahoma, United States. The university was established in 1890 under the legislation of the Morrill Act. Originally known ...
, he rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–0 victory. In the 2009 Sun Bowl against #19
Stanford Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth governor of and th ...
, Murray had 20 carries for 27 yards and the final go-ahead touchdown in the 31–27 victory. Murray finished the 2009 season with 171 carries for 705 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 41 receptions for 522 yards and four touchdowns.


2010 season

Murray dominated the Sooners' backfield in his final year with the program. Murray started the season off with a strong performance of 208 rushing yards and two touchdowns against Utah State in the 31–24 victory. In the next game against #17
Florida State Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
, he rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns in the 47–17 victory. The following week against
Air Force An air force in the broadest sense is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an army aviati ...
, Murray ran for 110 yards and his third consecutive game with two rushing touchdowns in the 27–24 victory. In addition, he had five receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. After posting 67 rushing yards and a touchdown against
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ; colloquially nicknamed Cincy) is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States, and its county seat. Settled in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking River (Kentucky), Licking and Ohio Ri ...
in the 31–29 win, Murray had 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the 28–20 victory over #21
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. On October 16, 2010, with 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns against
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State be ...
in the 52–0 victory, Murray passed running back Steve Owens as the all-time touchdown leader at the
University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
with 58 touchdowns. On November 20, against Baylor, Murray ran for 62 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown in the 53–24 victory. In his final collegiate game, Murray had 93 rushing yards and a touchdown against #25
Connecticut Connecticut ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York (state), New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. ...
in the 48–20 victory in the 2011 Fiesta Bowl. Murray finished his last season with the Sooners with 282 carries for 1,214 yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with 71 receptions for 594 yards and five touchdowns. He ended his college career with 65 touchdowns, becoming only the fifth player in
Big 12 conference The Big 12 Conference is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. It consists of 16 full-member universities (3 private universities and 13 public universities) in the states of Arizona, Colorado, Florida ...
history to score at least 60 career touchdowns. Murray had 3,685 career rushing yards (4.86 average) with 50 touchdowns, 157 career catches with 13 touchdowns, and 1,462 kickoff return yards with two touchdowns. He was a four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree during his career and graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in communication and a double minor in business and African American studies.


College statistics


University of Oklahoma records

* Former all-time leader in points scored (390); surpassed by kicker Michael Hunnicutt in
2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
* All-time leader in touchdowns (65) * All-time leader in all-purpose yards (6,718) * All-time leader in receiving yards for a running back (1,571) * All-time leader in kickoff return average (27.6)


Professional career


Dallas Cowboys


2011 season

Murray was selected in the third round with the 71st overall pick in the
2011 NFL draft The 2011 NFL draft was the 76th installment of the annual National Football League draft, NFL draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Rad ...
by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
. He was the sixth running back chosen in the 2011 draft. On July 29, 2011, Murray signed a four-year contract worth $2.97 million including a signing bonus worth $622,000. Murray started his rookie year as the third string running back behind starter
Felix Jones Felix Jones Jr. (born May 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Arkansas Razo ...
and second string running back
Tashard Choice Tashard J. Choice (born November 20, 1984) is an American football coach and former player who currently serves as the running backs coach for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Georgia ...
. From Week 1 to Week 4, Murray had 14 carries for 39 yards (2.78 average) and added three receptions for 16 yards. On October 16, the Cowboys traveled to
Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States. The stadium is southwest of Downtown Boston and 18 miles (29 km) northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and admi ...
to face the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
. Felix Jones went down with a high-ankle sprain, which increased the amount of opportunities for Murray. Murray finished the day with 11 carries for 34 yards and added one reception for seven yards in the 20–16 loss. With the Cowboys owning a record of 2–3, they faced the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
in Week 7. Felix Jones was declared out for the game due to the high ankle sprain injury sustained the week before. The team declared Tashard Choice as the starter for the game and Murray as the second-string running back. Murray had 25 carries for 253 yards and a touchdown during the 34–7 victory, breaking
Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, 13 as a member of the Dallas Cowboys and 2 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals ...
's single-game rushing record for a Cowboys running back of 237 yards set at Philadelphia against the
Eagles Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...
on October 31, 1993. The record total included a first-quarter 91-yard touchdown run that was the longest rush of the 2011 season and was second-longest in Cowboys history, after an NFL-record 99-yard run by
Tony Dorsett Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is an American former professional American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. Raised in western Pennsylvani ...
in January 1983. Among the other records Murray set during this game were a rookie rushing record for a game in franchise history, previously held by Dorsett with 206 yards in 1977. Murray’s 10.1 yards-per-carry is the highest rushing average with 20-or-more attempts for a game in club history, previously held by Dorsett with 8.96 in 1977, the tenth most rushing yards in a game in league history, the second-most rushing yards in a game by a rookie in league history, the second-longest touchdown run on a player's first career rushing touchdown in league history, and the most rushing yards by a running back in one game ever allowed by the Rams in franchise history. Murray earned the Rookie of the Week award and FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week for his game against the Rams. After the Rams game, Tashard Choice was released leaving the team with only two healthy running backs, rookie Phillip Tanner and Murray, with Felix Jones still sidelined with an injury. Murray's historic day ended up being the most rushing yards by a single player in any game in the 2011 season. Murray followed his record-breaking game by getting his first NFL start against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
in Week 8. In Weeks 8 and 9, Murray totaled 30 carries for 213 yards for a 7.1 average and five receptions for 45 yards in a 34–7 road loss to the Eagles and a 23–13 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
. With his second game with at least 100 rushing yards of the season, Murray became the first Cowboy since Julius Jones in 2004 to post multiple games with at least 100 rushing yards as a rookie. With 466 rushing yards over the last three games, Murray tied
Eric Dickerson Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 11 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the SMU Mustangs, earning unanimous ...
for the fifth-highest total all-time by an NFL rookie during a three-game span. The record is 577 set by Mike Anderson of the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football team based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC West, West division. The team is headquartered in E ...
in 2000. The 466 rushing yards in the three game span is the most ever by any Cowboys player, surpassing 446 yards by Emmitt Smith during his MVP season of 1993. From Weeks 10 to 13, Murray had 79 carries for 333 yards and a touchdown for a 4.21 average and added 16 receptions for 109 yards as the Cowboys went 3–1 during this stretch. In Week 10 against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
, he fumbled the ball for the first time in his NFL career, although the fumble was recovered by Murray himself. In Week 14 against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, Murray carried the ball five times for 25 yards and added a reception for six yards before suffering a fractured right ankle and high ankle sprain that ended his rookie season. Murray was named NFL Rookie of the Month for the month of November. At the end of the 2011 season, Murray led all NFL rookie players (with 40 or more carries) in average per carry (5.5 per carry), yards per game (69.0 yards) and rushing yards (897 yards) on 164 carries (second-most among rookie players, Daniel Thomas had 165 carries). Murray tied for third among rookie players for rushing touchdowns with two;
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The t ...
' quarterback and 2011 Rookie of the Year
Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American former professional American football, football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers. He is the NFL le ...
led all rookie players with 14 rushing touchdowns. Murray also was 14th in receptions among all rookie players and second among rookie running backs with 26 receptions. He finished fourth in receiving yards among rookie running backs with 183. Among all NFL running backs, Murray with seven starts in 12 games, tied for the second-highest average per carry for a running back with 80 or more carries trailing only
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American professional football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for th ...
' 6.9 yards per carry on 63 attempts. Murray's 897 rushing yards ranked 22nd among all NFL running backs and ninth in the NFC. The Cowboys went 5–0 for the season when Murray received 20+ touches in the game and 2–5 when he did not. In the five games where Murray got 20 or more touches, starting quarterback
Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football for the Eastern Illinois Pan ...
averaged a passer rating of 112.10, 246.6 yards per game, along with 12 combined touchdown passes with 2 interceptions and a 66.99% pass completion rate.


2012 season

Murray started the season off strong with 20 carries for 131 yards in a 24–17 road victory over the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
. Over the next three games, he had 41 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown to go along with 14 receptions for 105 yards. During a Week 6 31–29 road loss to the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its home g ...
, Murray had 14 carries for 93 yards before suffering a sprained foot. He missed six games as a result of the injury. After returning from his injury, Murray rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries during a Week 13 38–33 victory over the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. In the next game against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
, he recorded his third touchdown of the year while rushing for 53 yards on 21 attempts in the 20–19 road victory. This marked the eighth straight game where the Cowboys have won with Murray rushing the ball 20 or more times as the starting running back. Despite missing six games, Murray finished his second professional season with 161 carries for 663 yards and four touchdowns to go along with 35 receptions for 251 yards.


2013 season

During a Week 3 31–7 victory over the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
, Murray recorded a season-high 175 yards on 26 carries and three receptions for 28 yards. This marked the second time in as many games that he ran for over 175 yards against the Rams. During Week 6 game against the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
, Murray suffered a sprained MCL and missed the next two games. Rookie
Joseph Randle Joseph David Randle (born December 29, 1991) is an American former professional football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys. He was selected by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL draft. He playe ...
took Murray's place because second-string running back
Lance Dunbar Lance Dunbar Jr. (born January 25, 1990) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the North Texas Mean Green and was signed by the Dallas Cow ...
was also battling an injury of his own. Returning from injury in Week 9, Murray was limited with four carries for 31 yards as the Dallas coaching staff abandoned the running game with 51 passing plays to 10 rushing plays in a 27–23 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
. Although he did not have many opportunities in this game, Murray would improve as 61% of his rushing yards came from the second half of the season. During Week 13 against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, he ran for 63 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the 31–24 victory. Three weeks later against the Redskins, Murray scored a ten-yard receiving touchdown from Tony Romo late in the fourth quarter to help give the Cowboys the game-winning points in the narrow 24–23 victory. After the final game of the season, Murray was fined $21,000 for violating the crown-of-the-helmet rule on a collision with
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
' defensive lineman Damion Square. Murray finished the 2013 season ranked 11th in total yards from scrimmage with 1,471 while missing two games due to injury. He had 217 carries for 1,121 yards and nine touchdowns, all career highs and ranking tied for 17th, tenth, and tied for sixth, respectively among running backs. Murray's 5.2 yards per attempt was the most in the league among players with 150 or more attempts. He also recorded 53 catches for 350 yards and a touchdown, ranking 11th, 14th, and tied for 16th among running backs. Murray replaced
Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third ...
in the
2014 Pro Bowl The 2014 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2013 season. It took place at 2:30 pm local time on January 26 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was televised nationally by NBC and was the final P ...
after Gore got injured during the NFC Championship against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
. This marked Murray's first Pro Bowl nomination. He had four rushes for 25 yards and caught four passes for another 37 yards as he scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 20-yard reception from quarterback
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football for the Utah Utes, earning first-team All-American ho ...
to give Team Rice the 22–21 victory. Murray was ranked 87th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.


2014 season: Rushing title

In 2014, Murray and an improved
offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
helped the team find a new identity. In the first eight games, Murray broke
Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (February 17, 1936 – May 18, 2023) was an American professional American football, football player, civil rights activist, and actor. He played as a Fullback (gridiron football), fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the ...
's 1958 NFL rushing record for most consecutive 100-yard games to start a season. Given his previous injury history, the team considered limiting some of his workloads, but he was such an integral part of the offense success, that the Cowboys could not cut back on his playing time. Murray had 22 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown during the season-opening 28–17 loss to the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners and nicknamed the Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member ...
. He followed that up 29 carries for 167 yards and a touchdown in a 26–10 road victory over the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
in the next game. The following week against the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis, Missouri, from 1995 through the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, California, where the team had played ...
, Murray rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in the 34–31 road victory. During a Week 4 38–17 victory over the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. Since 1975, the team ...
, he rushed 24 times for 149 yards and two touchdowns for his fourth straight game finding the endzone. In the next game against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
, Murray had a season-high 31 carries for 136 yards in the 20–17 victory. The following week against the defending
Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion 2013 Denver Broncos season, Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion 2013 Seattle Seahawks season, Seattle Seahawks to ...
champion
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, he ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in the 30–23 road victory. During a Week 7 31–21 victory over the NFC East divisional rival
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, Murray rushed for 128 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in the 31–21 victory. In the next game, the Cowboys' win streak ended as the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
defeated them 20–17. In the loss, Murray had 19 carries for 141 yards and four receptions for 80 yards. In the following game, a 28–17 loss to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
, he had 19 carries for 79 yards and was held to under 100 rushing yards for the first time in the 2014 season. In the next three games, Murray bounced back with 100 yards in the 31–17 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium, currently branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE Limited, EE for sponsorship reasons, is an association football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Sta ...
in London, 121 yards in the 31–28 road victory over the Giants, and 73 yards and a touchdown in the 33–10 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
. During a Week 14 41–28 road victory over the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They are one of two remaining ...
, he had a season-high 32 carries for 179 yards and a touchdown. In the next game against the Eagles, Murray suffered a broken left hand that required surgery the following day. Heavily bandaged, he did not miss any time and played the following week against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
and had 22 carries for 58 yards in the 42–7 victory. In the regular-season finale with his hand still bandaged, Murray rushed 20 times for 100 yards in the 44–17 road victory over the Redskins to pass Emmitt Smith's Cowboys franchise single-season rushing record. Murray finished the 2014 season with 392 carries for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with 57 receptions for 416 yards. The Cowboys finished atop the
NFC East The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It has four members: the Dallas Cowboys, New Yo ...
with a 12–4 record. In the
Wild Card Round A wild card (also wildcard or wild-card and also known as an at-large berth or at-large bid) is an invitation to a tournament or a playoff berth awarded to a team or individual that does not qualify via an automatic bid. In some events, wildcards ...
against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, Murray had 19 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown to go along with three receptions for 22 yards in the 24–20 victory. During the Divisional Round against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, he had 25 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown in the controversial 26–21 road loss. Murray earned the NFL's Offensive Player of The Year award at the end of the season. Murray also finished tied with his quarterback Tony Romo for third place in MVP voting. Murray set the franchise single season rushing record with 12 games rushing for at least 100 yards and passed Walt Garrison for seventh on the Cowboys all-time rushing yards list. Murray finished the season as the league's top rusher and was named as a First-team All-Pro and to his second
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
, while having his second straight 1,000 yard season. Murray was ranked fourth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015 list.


Philadelphia Eagles

On March 9, 2015, it was reported in the media that
Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former professional football player who was a running back for 16 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third ...
had agreed in principle to a contract with the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The team plays its ...
to replace
LeSean McCoy LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady", is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Pittsburgh Panthers and was selecte ...
, who was recently traded to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo–Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East div ...
. However, the following day, Gore had second thoughts and signed instead with the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. Since the 2008 India ...
. Following this setback, the team reached an agreement with Ryan Mathews for a three-year deal. However, the Eagles quickly turned their attention into signing Murray, who was still available in
free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
. On March 12, Murray agreed to a five-year, $42 million contract, joining his former college teammate,
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback for nine seasons in the National Football League (NFL). Bradford attended Putnam City North High School, where he starred ...
. In his first game with the Eagles, Murray had just eight carries for nine yards. However, he scored two touchdowns, an eight-yard run and a five-yard reception, in a narrow 26–24 road loss to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC South, South division. The Falcons were founded o ...
on ''Monday Night Football''. The team received criticism due to his sparse usage. In the next game against his former team, the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. T ...
, Murray was held up again, rushing for only two yards on 13 carries and catching five passes for 53 yards in a 20–10 loss. Murray's Week 2 performance marked the fewest rushing yards through the first two games for a defending rushing champion since Doug Russell of the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...
in
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King Edward VIII, following the death of his father, George V, at Sandringham House. * January 28 – Death and state funer ...
. Murray missed Week 3 against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team p ...
due to a hamstring injury, while Mathews ran for 108 yards and
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American professional football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for th ...
scored two touchdowns. Despite Mathews' success, Murray was named the starter for a Week 4 divisional matchup with the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East ...
. He had a 30-yard run in the first quarter, but finished the 23–20 road loss with eight carries for 36 yards. During a Week 6 27–7 victory over the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC East, East division. The ...
, Murray rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, which turned out to be his only 100-yard game of the season. As the weeks progressed, Murray grew increasingly frustrated, with the
offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line (OL), while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line ( ...
not generating the running lanes needed, being required to frequently run laterally instead of downhill and not being seen as a good fit in the team's offensive system, which always ran in the shotgun. During a Week 13 35–28 road victory over the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. The Patriots compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The Pa ...
, Murray was demoted because the team decided the smaller, quicker
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American professional football executive and former running back. He is now a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for th ...
would be more effective. Murray registered eight carries for 24 yards in the game, while Sproles recorded 66 yards on 15 carries, and 34 yards on four catches. Murray reportedly had a conversation with owner Jeffrey Lurie over his role in the offense during the flight back to Philadelphia. Murray struggled to get touches after the return of Ryan Mathews, who started the remaining four games. Murray finished third on the team in rushing in the next two games, behind Sproles and Mathews, posting only eight snaps with two rushing attempts in a 40–17 loss to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The ...
for three yards. He led the team in carries and rushes during the Week 16 38–24 loss to the Redskins with five carries for 27 yards and a touchdown. Murray fumbled a pitch that was returned by DeAngelo Hall for a touchdown just when the Eagles were within six points. Going into the final game of the season against the Giants, head coach
Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American professional American football, football coach who is the offensive coordinator for the Las Vegas Raiders of the National Football League (NFL). He came to prominence as a college foo ...
was fired and offensive coordinator
Pat Shurmur Patrick Carl Shurmur (born April 14, 1965) is an American football coach who serves as the offensive coordinator at the Colorado Buffaloes football team, University of Colorado. Prior to joining the staff at Colorado, he most recently served as ...
became the interim head coach. Murray rushed for a 54-yard touchdown on his first carry and finished the 35–30 victory with 5.8 yards per carry average, his highest of the year. Murray finished the 2015 season with 193 carries for 702 yards, and had only two games with over 20 carries, his lowest output since 2012. Murray's contract with the Eagles is frequently regarded as one of the worst free agent contracts in NFL history.


Tennessee Titans


2016 season: Resurgent season

On March 9, 2016, Murray was traded to the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. They play the ...
along with the Eagles'
2016 2016 was designated as: * International Year of Pulses by the sixty-eighth session of the United Nations General Assembly. * International Year of Global Understanding (IYGU) by the International Council for Science (ICSU), the Internationa ...
fourth round draft pick, in exchange for the Titans' 2016 fourth round draft pick. During the season-opening 25–16 loss to the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. The Vikings compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. Founded in 1960 as ...
, Murray had 42 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns. In the next game against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. The team plays their home game ...
, he had a 67-yard rush as part of a 89-yard performance as the Titans narrowly won on the road by a score of 16–15. The following week against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team based in Oakland, California, from its founding in 1960 to 1981, and again from 1995 to 2019 before Oakland Raiders relocation to Las Vegas, relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan ...
, Murray had 16 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown during the 17–10 loss. During Week 4 against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division. The team plays its home games at N ...
, he had 25 carries for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–20 road loss. In the next game against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. The Dolphins compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East division. The team ...
, Murray had 121 yards on 27 carries during the 30–17 road victory. Following the Dolphins game, Murray had six straight games with a touchdown and went over 100 rushing yards in three of them. Murray posted 1,287 rushing yards on 293 carries in his first year with the Titans. His 12 total touchdowns, nine rushing and three receiving, ranked sixth among NFL running backs in 2016. Additionally, in a Week 10 47–25 victory over the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...
, Murray threw his first NFL touchdown on a 10-yard halfback pass to Delanie Walker. The Titans finished with a 9–7 record from a league-worst 3–13 record the season before, with Murray leading the AFC in rushing yards and finishing third in the league. He was named to his third career
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (since 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's All-star, star players. The format has changed ...
on December 20, 2016, as a result of his successful season with the Titans. Murray was ranked 33rd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017.


2017 season

Murray split carries with
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy ( ; also known simply as the Heisman) is awarded annually since 1935 to the top player in college football. It is considered the most prestigious award in the sport and is presented by the Heisman Trophy Trust followin ...
-winning second-year running back
Derrick Henry Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American professional football running back for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "King Henry", he is known for his imposing style of play and larger build t ...
and run-oriented quarterback
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American professional American football, football quarterback for the Washington Commanders of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon Ducks footb ...
, reaching 15 rushing attempts just once through Week 10. Despite the limited touches, Murray had 14 carries for 115 yards, including a 75-yard rushing touchdown, during a Week 3 33–27 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West division. The club entered the NFL a ...
, and two rushing touchdowns along with the game-winning receiving touchdown during a Week 10 24–20 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team plays its h ...
. Murray made his final appearance of the regular season in Week 16 against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC West, West ...
. He had 15 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown and three receptions for 11 yards before leaving the eventual 27–23 loss with a knee injury that kept him out of the regular-season finale and the playoffs. Murray finished the 2017 season with a career-low 659 rushing yards and six touchdowns to go along with 39 receptions for 266 yards and a touchdown. On March 8, 2018, Murray was released by the Titans.


Retirement

On July 13, 2018, Murray announced his retirement from the NFL.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


NFL records and awards

* NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month: November 2011 * NFL Rookie of the Week: Week 7, 2011 * NFL rushing yards leader: 2014 * NFL Offensive Player of the Year: 2014 * NFL rushing touchdowns leader: 2014 * 2x NFC Offensive Player of the Month: September and October 2014 * 6x FedEx Ground Player of the Week * Second-most rushing yards in a single game by a rookie in NFL history: 253 (October 23, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams) * First player in NFL history to start a season with eight consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards


Cowboys franchise records

* Most rushing yards in a game by a rookie: 253 (October 23, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams) * Most Rush Yds/Att in a game/as a rookie: 10.12 (October 23, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams) * Most rushing yards over a three-game span: 466 (2011) * Most rush attempts in a season: 392 (2014) * Most rushing yards in a season: 1,845 (2014) * Most scrimmage yards in a season: 2,261 (2014) * Most games with at least 100 rushing yards (12 + 1 in postseason, 2014) * Most Rush Yds/Att (career): 4.85 (tied with Tony Pollard) * Most Rush Yds/Att (rookie season): 5.5 (2011) * Most Rush Yds/Game (season): 115.3 (2014) * Most All Purpose Yds (season): 2,261 (2014)


Post-playing career

In August 2018, a month after his retirement, Murray was added as a college football commentator for
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The name originates from Fox Broadcasting Company in the United States, which in turn derives its name from Fox Fi ...
.


Coaching career

On January 2, 2019, Murray joined
Kevin Sumlin Kevin Warren Sumlin (born August 3, 1964) is an American football coach who is the associate head coach, co-offensive coordinator, and tight ends coach for the University of Maryland. Sumlin served as the head football coach at the University of ...
's staff at the
Arizona Wildcats football The Arizona Wildcats football program represents the University of Arizona (UA) in the sport of American college football. Arizona competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) as a member ...
team as the running backs coach. On January 27, 2020, Murray returned to his alma mater, the
University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma, United States. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two territories became the ...
, as running backs coach.


Personal life

Murray wed actress Heidi Mueller in 2015. They have two children. Murray started the DeMarco Murray Foundation with the mission to provide families with seriously and chronically ill kids with daily encouragement and life-changing experiences. Murray also serves as The Chief Athletics Officer of Wellness in the Schools, a non profit organization that promotes healthy eating, environmental awareness and fitness for children in New York City public schools.


See also

* List of Division I FBS rushing touchdown leaders * List of NCAA Division I FBS career rushing touchdowns leaders *
List of National Football League annual rushing touchdowns leaders In American football, rushing and passing are the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back, but o ...
*
List of National Football League rushing champions In American football, rushing and passing are the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back, but o ...


References


External links

*
Oklahoma Sooners coaching bioOklahoma Sooners playing bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Demarco 1988 births Living people American Conference Pro Bowl players American football running backs Bishop Gorman High School alumni Dallas Cowboys players Oklahoma Sooners football players Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Las Vegas Tennessee Titans players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players 21st-century African-American sportsmen 20th-century African-American sportsmen NFL Offensive Player of the Year winners Coaches of American football from Nevada Arizona Wildcats football coaches Oklahoma Sooners football coaches