Todd Gurley
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Todd Jerome Gurley II (born August 3, 1994) is an American former professional
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 ...
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 ...
who played 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 six seasons, primarily with 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 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
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The offic ...
, earning first-team All-SEC honors. He was selected by the Rams with the 10th overall pick of the
2015 NFL draft The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football, football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park ...
. Gurley immediately made an impact in his first season by rushing for over 1,000 yards and winning Offensive Rookie of the Year. From 2017 to 2018, he twice led the league in rushing
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 and was named AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year in the former. He also received three
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 ...
and two 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 ...
selections. During the 2018 playoffs, Gurley began to struggle with injuries that led to the Rams releasing him after the 2019 season. He played for 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 ...
the following year in 2020. Gurley announced his retirement in 2022 after spending a year in free agency.


Early life

Todd Jerome Gurley II was born in
Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...
,
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It borders the states of Virginia to its south, West Virginia to its west, Pennsylvania to its north, and Delaware to its east ...
. He attended Tarboro High School in
Tarboro, North Carolina Tarboro is a town located in Edgecombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is part of the Rocky Mount metropolitan area. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the town had a population of 10,721. It is the county seat of Edgeco ...
, where he was a three-sport star 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 ...
,
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 ...
, and track. He played
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 ...
and
defensive back In gridiron football, defensive backs (DBs), also called the secondary, are the players on the defensive side of the ball who play farthest back from the line of scrimmage. They are distinguished from the other two sets of defensive players, the ...
for the Vikings during his junior season, totalling 1,472 rushing yards and 26
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 ...
, as well as 79
tackles Tackle may refer to: * In football: ** Tackle (football move), a play in various forms of football ** Tackle (gridiron football position) A tackle is a playing position in American football. Historically, in the one-platoon system prevalent ...
, an
interception In Ball game, ball-playing Competitive sport, competitive team sports, an interception or pick is a move by a player involving a pass of the ball—whether by foot or hand, depending on the rules of the sport—in which the ball is intended for ...
, and a forced
fumble A fumble in gridiron football occurs when a player who has possession and control of the ball loses it before being downed (tackled), scoring, or going out of bounds. By rule, it is any act other than passing, kicking, punting, or successful h ...
. He was named '' Rocky Mount Telegram'' All-Area Offensive Player of the Year for the 2010 season. As a senior in 2011, he was the North Carolina
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
(AP) Player of the Year after totaling 2,600 yards and 38 touchdowns. As a senior, Gurley helped the Vikings football team win the 2A North Carolina state championship, rushing for 242 yards and four touchdowns in the championship game against Lincolnton High School. Gurley was also a world-class
hurdler Hurdling is the act of jumping over an obstacle at a high speed or in a sprint. In the early 19th century, hurdlers ran at and jumped over each hurdle (sometimes known as 'burgles'), landing on both feet and checking their forward motion. Today ...
and sprinter for the school's track & field team. He competed for Team USA in the 110-metres hurdles at the 2011 World Youth Championships in Athletics, where he placed 3rd in the prelims with a career-best time of 13.66 seconds, but finished 15th overall in the semifinals. Also a top competitor in 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 ...
, he ran a personal-best time of 10.70 seconds in the prelims of the 2011 NCHSAA 2A State Track Meet, placing 2nd. Gurley was considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, and was listed as the fifth best running back in his class. He committed to the
University of Georgia The University of Georgia (UGA or Georgia) is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Athens, Georgia, United States. Chartered in 1785, it is the oldest public university in th ...
to play
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 ...
under then-head coach Mark Richt.


College career


2012 season

Gurley became an immediate contributor to the Bulldogs' backfield as a freshman in their 12–2 season. In his first game against the
Buffalo Bulls The Buffalo Bulls are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University at Buffalo (UB) in Buffalo, New York. The Bulls compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) at the Division I level as a member of Mid-Ame ...
, he rushed for 100 yards on eight carries with two rushing touchdowns. In addition, he had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the 45–23 home victory. Gurley took over as the starter the second game of the season against
Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is a collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central United States, South Central and Southeastern United States. Its 16 members in ...
(SEC) East opponent
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 ...
and rushed for 65 yards on 10 carries in the 41–20 victory. In the following game against FAU, he had 10 carries for 111 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 56–20 victory. The next week, he had 16 carries for 130 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in a 48–3 victory over Vanderbilt. In the following week's rivalry game against
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, he had 24 carries for 130 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 51–44 victory. On October 27, 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 ...
, he had 27 carries for 118 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown in the 17–9 victory in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. On November 3, against
Ole Miss OLE, Ole or Olé may refer to: * Olé, a cheering expression used in Spain * Ole (name), a male given name, includes a list of people named Ole * Overhead lines equipment, used to transmit electrical energy to trams, trolleybuses or trains Co ...
, he had 18 carries for 117 rushing yards in the 37–10 victory. In the following rivalry game against Auburn, he had 11 carries for 116 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 38–0 victory. In the next game against Georgia Southern, Gurley became the second true freshman in Georgia history to rush for 1,000 yards, the only other being
Herschel Walker Herschel Junior Walker (born March 3, 1962) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. He was also the Republican nominee in the 2022 United States Senate election ...
in 1980. In the regular season finale against
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
, he had 12 carries for 97 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 42–10 victory. Georgia won the SEC East and faced off against
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
in the SEC Championship. In the 32–28 loss, he had 23 carries for 122 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Georgia ended up qualifying for the Capital One Bowl 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 ...
. In the 45–31 victory, he had 23 carries for 125 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown. In the 2012 season, Gurley started 12 of 14 games and rushed for 1,385 yards on 222 carries with 17 rushing touchdowns. His 17 rushing touchdowns finished tied for third in a single season in school history. Gurley finished second in the SEC in rushing yards, only trailing Johnny Manziel. After the season, Gurley was named First-Team All-SEC by the AP. He was one of two true freshman running backs to accomplish this feat in 2012, the other player being T. J. Yeldon of
Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...
.


2013 season

Gurley saw an expanded role in Georgia's receiving game in their 8–5 season in 2013. On August 31, in Georgia's season opener at Clemson's Memorial Stadium, Gurley led the Bulldogs with a career-high 154 rushing yards on 12 carries and two rushing touchdowns. Even though the Bulldogs lost the game 38–35, Gurley had an impressive performance against Clemson which included a 75-yard touchdown run early in the first quarter. In the following game against
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
South Carolina South Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders North Carolina to the north and northeast, the Atlantic Ocean to the southeast, and Georgia (U.S. state), Georg ...
, he had 30 carries for 132 rushing yards and one rushing touchdown to go along with an eight-yard receiving touchdown in the 41–30 victory. On November 2, 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 ...
, he had 17 carries for 100 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with three receptions for 87 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 23–20 victory. On November 30, against
Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology (commonly referred to as Georgia Tech, GT, and simply Tech or the Institute) is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. Established in 1885, it has the lar ...
, he had 20 carries for 122 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go along with four receptions for 36 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 41–34 victory. In the 2014 Gator Bowl 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 had 86 rushing yards and 97 receiving yards and a receiving touchdown in the 24–19 loss. In ten games, he rushed for 989 rushing yards on 165 carries with ten rushing touchdowns to go along with 37 receptions for 441 receiving yards and six receiving touchdowns. He led the team in all major rushing categories and receiving touchdowns. After the season, Gurley was named Second-Team All-SEC by the AP. In the spring of 2013, Gurley joined the
Georgia Bulldogs The Georgia Bulldogs are the College athletics in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in NCAA Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The offic ...
indoor track team. He competed in the 60-meter hurdles, and recorded the seventh-fastest time in school history at 8.12 seconds, to take sixth place at the VT Elite Meet.


2014 season

Georgia's 10–3 season in 2014 saw some unfortunate circumstances arise for Gurley in terms of compliance and injury. In the season opener against Clemson on August 30, Gurley rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries to go along with a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown in the 45–21 victory. On September 27, against
Tennessee Tennessee (, ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders Kentucky to the north, Virginia to the northeast, North Carolina t ...
, he had 28 carries for 208 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 35–32 victory. His 208 rushing yards were the most in a single game by a Georgia running back since Garrison Hearst had 246 against Vanderbilt in 1992. On October 9, Gurley was indefinitely suspended by the University of Georgia over an alleged violation of NCAA rules. It only took two days of investigation to determine that Gurley had received $3,000 over two years for signed autographs and memorabilia. Gurley missed the
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 ...
and
Arkansas Arkansas ( ) is a landlocked state in the West South Central region of the Southern United States. It borders Missouri to the north, Tennessee and Mississippi to the east, Louisiana to the south, Texas to the southwest, and Oklahoma ...
games before the NCAA upheld its decision to suspend Gurley for four total games. Gurley sat out for two more games until he was eligible to play against Auburn in their annual rivalry game. In his first game back from suspension on November 15, Gurley tore his ACL against Auburn, ending his junior season and his career at the University of Georgia. He finished the 2014 season with 123 carries for 911 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns in six games. Gurley decided to forego his senior season and entered the
2015 NFL draft The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football, football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park ...
. His 3,285 rushing yards ranked second and his 36 rushing touchdowns tied for second in school history at the time of his departure from Georgia.


College statistics


Professional career


St. Louis / Los Angeles Rams


2015 season

Gurley was selected in the first round with the 10th overall pick by 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 the
2015 NFL draft The 2015 NFL draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football, football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park ...
. He was the first running back to be selected in that year's draft. He was the highest drafted running back out of Georgia since Garrison Hearst went third overall in 1993. Gurley's rehabilitation went ahead of schedule and during the team's preseason, while he did not play, he practiced without wearing pads. Shortly after, Gurley was medically cleared for full contact by St. Louis team physicians. On September 27, 2015, Gurley made his NFL debut against the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
in Week 3. He was eased into action and finished the game with six rushes for nine yards in the 12–6 loss. The following week, the Rams visited the undefeated
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 an
NFC West The National Football Conference – Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Card ...
divisional matchup. Gurley started slow with just two rushing yards at halftime, but rushed for 144 yards in the second half as the Rams edged the Cardinals by a score of 24–22. The next three games 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 ...
,
Cleveland Browns The Cleveland Browns are a professional American football team based in Cleveland. The Browns compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The team is named after ...
, and 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 ...
would see Gurley rush for at least 128 rushing yards per game. He scored his first NFL touchdown on October 25, 2015, against the Browns the Week 7 matchup. With 566 yards in his first four NFL starts, Gurley became the most prolific rusher in his first four NFL games since the
AFL–NFL merger The AFL–NFL merger was the merger of the two major professional American football leagues in the United States at the time: the National Football League (NFL) and the American Football League (AFL). It paved the way for the combined league, wh ...
. Following the 27–6 win over the 49ers in Week 8, Gurley's jersey and cleats were inducted into the
Pro Football Hall of Fame The Pro Football Hall of Fame is the hall of fame for professional football (gridiron), professional American football, located in Canton, Ohio. Opened on September 7, 1963, the Hall of Fame enshrines exceptional figures in the sport of profes ...
. In Week 9, Gurley was held to 89 yards on 24 carries in the Rams' 21–18 overtime 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 ...
. In Week 10, he was contained to just 45 rushing yards on 12 carries in a 37–13 loss to 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 ...
. In Week 11, Gurley rushed for 66 yards on 25 carries against 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 ...
and scored a touchdown in a 16–13 loss. In Week 12, Gurley was limited to 19 yards on nine carries in a 31–7 loss to 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 ...
. The following week, he was held to 41 rushing yards on nine carries in a 27–3 loss at home in the second divisional matchup against the Arizona Cardinals. In Week 14, Gurley rushed for 140 yards in the Rams' 24–14 win over 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 ...
. In Week 15, Gurley rushed for 48 yards, scored a touchdown, and became the third rookie in Rams history to rush for 1,000 yards in a season (
Jerome Bettis Jerome Abram Bettis Sr. (born February 16, 1972) is an American former professional football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons, primarily with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Nicknamed "the Bus" due to his l ...
and
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 ...
) in a 31–23 victory over the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
. In Week 16, Gurley rushed for 85 yards on 19 carries in a 23–17 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 ...
, becoming the second Rams rookie, the first being Dickerson in 1983, to rush for 1,000 yards and 10 touchdowns. Gurley finished his rookie year with 1,106 rushing yards and ten touchdowns on 229 attempts despite making only 12 starts (he sat out the Rams' season-ending loss at San Francisco). On December 22, 2015, Gurley was selected to be part of the
2016 Pro Bowl The 2016 Pro Bowl (branded as the 2016 Pro Bowl presented by USAA for sponsorship reasons) was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2015 season, which was played at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii on January 31, 2016. As of 2 ...
along with fellow Rams players defensive lineman Aaron Donald and punter
Johnny Hekker John Robert Hekker (born February 8, 1990) is an American professional football punter for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Oregon State Beavers and was signed by the St. Louis Rams ...
. He was named to the 2015 NFL All-Rookie Team. Gurley was one of the five rookies to be selected to the Pro Bowl, along with
Kansas City Chiefs The Kansas City Chiefs are a professional American football team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Chiefs compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) West division. Established in 1959 ...
cornerback A cornerback (CB) is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in gridiron football. Cornerbacks cover Wide receiver, receivers most of the time, but also blitz and defend against such Play from scrimmage, offensive running plays as sweep ...
Marcus Peters Marcus Peters (born January 9, 1993) is an American professional football cornerback. He was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft and has also been a member of the Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens, and ...
, Seattle Seahawks
wide receiver A wide receiver (WR), also referred to as a wideout, and historically known as a split end (SE) or flanker (FL), is an eligible receiver in gridiron football. A key skill position of the offense (American football), offense, WR gets its name ...
/
kick returner A return specialist or kick returner is a player on the special teams unit of a gridiron football team who specializes in returning punts and kickoffs. There are few players who are exclusively return specialists; most also play another positio ...
Tyler Lockett Tyler Deron Lockett (born September 28, 1992) is an American professional football wide receiver for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Kansas State Wildcats. He played 10 seasons in t ...
,
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 ...
wide receiver
Amari Cooper Amari Cooper (born June 17, 1994) is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the Alabama Crimson Tide football, Alabama Crimson Tide, winning the Biletnikoff Award as the nation's top rec ...
, and
Tampa Bay Buccaneers The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (colloquially known as the Bucs) are a professional American football team based in Tampa, Florida. The Buccaneers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC S ...
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 ...
Jameis Winston. Gurley beat out Winston for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, earning a decisive 27 votes to 17 for Winston. He was ranked 22nd by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.


2016 season

In the Rams' first season back in
Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
, Gurley struggled in his second professional season. In the first two weeks of the season against the 49ers and Seahawks, Gurley was held to a combined 98 rushing yards on 36 carries. However, in Week 3 against the Buccaneers, Gurley had 28 carries for 85 yards and two touchdowns in a 37–32 victory. His performance against the Buccaneers would be a season best. The Rams finished the season with a 4–12 record. Gurley finished with 278 carries for 885 rushing yards, which ranked 17th in the NFL, 55.3 rushing yards per game, a significant decline from the previous season, and six touchdowns.


2017 season

Following the firing of Jeff Fisher and subsequent hiring of
Sean McVay Sean Patrick McVay (born January 24, 1986) is an American professional football coach who is the head coach of the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired ...
as new head coach, Gurley looked to rebound off of a down year which frustrated him with the Rams, prompting him to call the former playbook of the team similar to that of a "middle school offense". Gurley started the 2017 season with a solid performance 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 ...
. He had 19 carries for 40 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with five receptions for 56 receiving yards in the 46–9 victory. In a Week 2 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 ...
, he had 16 carries for 88 yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with three receptions for 48 yards and a receiving touchdown in the 27–20 loss. Gurley's breakout game of 2017 came in Week 3 against the 49ers on ''
Thursday Night Football ''Thursday Night Football'' (often abbreviated as ''TNF'') is the branding used for broadcasts of National Football League (NFL) games that broadcast primarily on Thursday nights. Most of the games kick off at 8:15 Eastern Time (8:20 prior to ...
''. He ran for 113 yards and two touchdowns and caught five passes for 36 yards and one touchdown. He earned the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for September after recording 241 rushing yards, 140 receiving yards and six total touchdowns. Gurley's streak would continue in Week 4 against 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 ...
where he recorded 215 scrimmage yards (121 rushing yards and 94 receiving yards) and a receiving touchdown in the Rams 35–30 victory. Having been held without a receiving touchdown in his first 30 games, he now had one in each of his last three, and led the NFL in total touchdowns and yards-from-scrimmage. Gurley was then named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after his 215-yard game against the Cowboys. After logging just 43 yards on 14 carries in Week 5 against the Seahawks, in Week 6 Gurley recorded his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with 121 yards on 23 carries against 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 ...
. In Week 7, Gurley had yet another 100-yard game as 106 yards for 22 rushing attempts and one rushing touchdown in the Rams 33–0
shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
victory over the Cardinals. Following the Rams' Week 8 bye, Gurley's output became more balanced for the next five games: he averaged 62 rushing- and 54 receiving-yards per game, with 100+ yards from scrimmage in four of them, and recording three rushing touchdowns over that time period. In Week 14, he had 96 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns on just 13 carries, along with three receptions for 39 receiving yards in an impressive-but-losing effort 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 15, Gurley had a career-best four touchdowns (three rushing, including a 57-yarder on 3rd and 20 with 30 seconds left in the first half) on 180 yards from scrimmage in a dominant 42–7 win over Seattle. He became the first Ram to score four touchdowns in a single game since Steven Jackson in 2006. He scored 24 total points in the game, which was the most for a single game by any player in the 2017 season. His performance in Week 15 earned him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. On December 19, Gurley was named to his second Pro Bowl as a starter. In Week 16, Gurley caught 10 passes for 158 yards and two receiving touchdowns to go along with 118 rushing yards, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week. Gurley was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for the second time that season. The playoff-bound Rams decided to have Gurley sit out the last game of the season against the San Francisco 49ers, allowing Kareem Hunt to win the title for rushing yards, but he still led the NFL with 13 rushing touchdowns, 19 total touchdowns, and 2,093 yards-from-scrimmage and all-purpose yards. He finished the season leading the league in scoring among non-kickers with 114 points. He was the 16th player in NFL history with a 750/750 rushing/receiving yard season and the eighth to record a 1,300/750 season. Gurley played his first career post-season game in the Wild Card Round against 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 January 6, 2018. Playing from behind most of the game, he had 14 carries for 101 rushing yards in the 26–13 home loss. After a stellar 2017 season, Gurley was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. He finished second in MVP voting to
Tom Brady Thomas Edward Patrick Brady Jr. (born August 3, 1977) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 23 seasons. He spent his first 20 seasons with the New Engla ...
. He was ranked sixth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.


2018 season

On April 24, 2018, the Rams exercised the fifth-year option on Gurley's contract. On July 24, 2018, Gurley signed a four-year, $60 million contract extension with the Rams with $45 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid running back in the NFL. Gurley scored the Rams' first touchdown of the season, taking a short pass from quarterback
Jared Goff Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American professional football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, setting Pac-12 Conference single- ...
and going 19 yards to the end zone against the Raiders in Week 1. The touchdown was part of a 147-scrimmage yard performance for Gurley in the 33–13 victory. In Week 2, in the 34–0 victory over the Cardinals, Gurley recorded three rushing touchdowns for the second time in his professional career. In Week 3, Gurley had 23 carries for 105 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown to go along with five receptions for 51 receiving yards in the 35–23 victory over the
Los Angeles Chargers The Los Angeles Chargers are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Greater Los Angeles area. The Chargers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC W ...
. In Week 5, Gurley had 77 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 33–31 victory over the Seahawks. In Week 6, Gurley ran 28 times for a career-high 208 yards and two touchdowns in a 23–20 win over 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 ...
, earning him NFC Offensive Player of the Week. In Week 7, against the 49ers, he recorded two rushing touchdowns and a receiving touchdown in the 39–10 victory. Gurley was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Month for the month of October after rushing for 462 yards and seven touchdowns and catching 16 passes for 157 yards and two touchdowns through four games. With a 17-yard touchdown run during a Week 10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks, Todd Gurley set a new team record by scoring a touchdown in 13 straight games, breaking the mark set by Elroy "Crazy Legs" Hirsch. During a Week 12 matchup against the Lions, Gurley rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help the Rams clinch their second straight NFC West title and was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in 2018. Gurley scored two rushing touchdowns in a 30–23 loss to the Eagles in Week 15. He was then held out of the final two regular season games due to knee inflammation and finished the 2018 season with 256 carries for 1,251 yards and 17 touchdowns rushing, along with 59 receptions for 580 yards and four touchdowns receiving. Gurley was named to his third Pro Bowl in his four professional seasons. He was named as a First-Team All-Pro. In the NFC Divisional Playoff against Cowboys, Gurley ran 16 times for 115 yards and a touchdown in the Rams' 30–22 victory. In the
NFC Championship Game The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semifinal National Football League playoffs, playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional Ame ...
against 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 ...
, Gurley struggled as he ran four times for 10 yards and a touchdown and had one catch for three yards in a 26–23 overtime victory to advance and play 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 ...
in
Super Bowl LIII Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...
. Leading up to the Super Bowl, Gurley's injury status was heavily discussed with reports claiming he was healthy while other reports claimed his knee was significantly more hurt than thought. In the Super Bowl, Gurley had ten carries for 35 rushing yards in the 13–3 loss to the Patriots. On March 2, 2019, it was reported that Gurley had arthritis in his left knee.


2019 season

Coming off the 2018 campaign, Gurley's lingering knee issues contributed to lesser production in 2019. He failed to record a 100-yard rushing game but was reliable in the redzone on scoring touchdowns. Overall, Gurley finished the 2019 season with 857 rushing yards and 12 rushing touchdowns to go along with 31 receptions for 207 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns in the Rams 9–7 season. On March 19, 2020, Gurley was released. It was later revealed that the Rams were possibly going to trade him to the
Pittsburgh Steelers The Pittsburgh Steelers are a professional American football team based in Pittsburgh. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. Founded in 1933 P ...
, but Gurley refused.


Atlanta Falcons

On April 6, 2020, Gurley signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Falcons. The deal included a $2 million signing bonus, as well as $500,000 in incentives if he has 13 touchdowns or 1,000 rushing yards. Gurley made his Falcons debut in Week 1 against the Seahawks. During the game, Gurley rushed 14 times for 56 yards and his first rushing touchdown as a Falcon in the 38–25 loss. In Week 4 against the Packers, he had 16 carries for 57 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 30–16 loss. In Week 5 against the Panthers, Gurley recorded 150 yards from scrimmage and a rushing touchdown during the 23–16 loss. In Week 7 against the Lions, he had 23 carries for 63 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 23–22 loss. His second rushing touchdown was particularly notable. The Falcons were trailing 16–14 late in the fourth quarter while driving. The Falcons were able to get into a position to run out most of the clock and kick a potential game-winning field goal. However, Gurley was given the ball and tried to stop crossing the goal line. However, he scored a touchdown with 1:04 remaining to give the Lions a chance to get the football back and win the game, which they did. Overall, Gurley finished the 2020 season with 195 carries for 678 rushing yards and nine rushing touchdowns to go along with 25 receptions for 164 receiving yards. Throughout the season, Gurley shared backfield carries with Brian Hill and
Ito Smith Romarius "Ito" Smith (born September 11, 1995) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). Smith was selected by the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL draft, ...
. After not playing in 2021, Gurley confirmed in an October 2022 interview that he was finished playing professional football.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


Awards and honors

* 3×
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 (
2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
,
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
) *
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 ...
(2017) * 2× 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 ...
selection (
2017 2017 was designated as the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the United Nations General Assembly. Events January * January 1 – Istanbul nightclub shooting: A gunman dressed as Santa Claus opens fire at the ...
,
2018 Events January * January 1 – Bulgaria takes over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union, after the Estonian presidency. * January 4 – SPLM-IO rebels loyal to Chan Garang Lual start a raid against Juba, capital of ...
) * 3x NFC Offensive Player of the Month (2017 – September, December; 2018 – October) * 5x NFC Offensive Player of the Week (2017 – Week 4, Week 15, Week 16; 2018 – Week 6, Week 13) *
FedEx FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...
Ground Player of the Year (2017) *
FedEx FedEx Corporation, originally known as Federal Express Corporation, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Conglomerate (company), conglomerate holding company specializing in Package delivery, transportation, e-commerce, and ...
Ground Player of the Week (2017 – Week 15, Week 16; 2018 – Week 6) * Ranked No. 22 in the Top 100 Players of 2016 * Ranked No. 6 in the Top 100 Players of 2018 * Ranked No. 5 in the Top 100 Players of 2019 * Ranked No. 51 in the Top 100 Players of 2020 * NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year (2015) * PFWA All-Rookie Team (2015)


Indoor football teams

On May 23, 2022, Gurley joined the ownership group for the FCF Beasts of the Fan Controlled Football League.


Personal life

Gurley acquired numerous sponsorships in his professional career, including
Hulu Hulu (, ) is an American Subscription business model, subscription streaming media service owned by Disney Streaming, a subsidiary of the Disney Entertainment segment of the Walt Disney Company. It was launched on October 29, 2007, initially as ...
,
Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. The drink is owned and manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was develope ...
, and
Carl's Jr. Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain store, chain owned by CKE Restaurants, CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., who also owns Hardee's, with franchisees in North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa. ...
Gurley was a co-founder of the M.A.D.E. Sports Foundation, which is designed to work in communities and use sports to help build character among members. As a result of his successful 2017 season, a movement started among some fantasy football owners who owned Gurley in their leagues to donate some of their winnings to
Shriners Hospitals for Children Shriners Hospitals for Children, commonly known as Shriners Children's, is a network of non-profit children's hospitals and other pediatric medical facilities across North America. Children with orthopaedic conditions, burns, spinal cord inj ...
, which was Gurley's charity of choice. The initiative ended up netting over $10,000 for the hospital. In 2018, Gurley hosted a childhood literacy initiative in partnership with
Pizza Hut Pizza Hut, LLC is an American multinational pizza restaurant chain and international franchise founded in 1958 in Wichita, Kansas, by brothers Dan and Frank Carney. The chain, headquartered in Plano, Texas, operates 19,866 restaurants worldw ...
. The initiative was collaborating with nonprofit organization First Book to fulfill the company's goal of providing access to a quality education for needy children.


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gurley, Todd 1994 births Living people American football running backs Atlanta Falcons players Georgia Bulldogs football players Los Angeles Rams players National Conference Pro Bowl players Sportspeople from Tarboro, North Carolina Players of American football from Baltimore Players of American football from North Carolina St. Louis Rams players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players 21st-century African-American sportsmen NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winners NFL Offensive Player of the Year winners Track and field athletes from Baltimore