Running back Todd Gurley has returned to action for the St. Louis Rams and could be on his way to becoming the best running back in the NFL.
Nov. 15, 2014. Until the last four weeks of the NFL season, this was the last instance in which anyone had seen a fully healthy Todd Gurley play a competitive football game.
In that Southeastern Conference matchup against Auburn, Gurley tore his ACL during a fourth quarter run, seemingly crushing his NFL aspirations. He had just passed Garrison Hearst as the second leading rusher in Georgia history, trailing only Herschel Walker, but his future looked bleak.
Despite the injury, the St. Louis Rams took a chance on Gurley with the 10th overall pick on April 30. From the time he was drafted through training camp, Gurley worked and rehabbed to prove his skeptics wrong. As the season neared, the "workhorse" running back participated in drills and practice but did not take any preseason snaps, leaving some wondering if he would be ready for an NFL game.
Sept. 27, 2015. A little over ten months since his nearly career-ending injury, Gurley stepped onto the field for his NFL debut. Facing the Pittsburgh Steelers' defense, he only managed nine yards on just six carries. The Rams lost that week three matchup 12-6, but week four brought better results for Gurley and the Rams.
Facing the Cardinals, who at the time were 3-0, Gurley posted 146 rushing yards on 19 carries, helping St. Louis to a 24-22 win.
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Over the last two weeks since his breakout game against Arizona, the former All-SEC performer has shown why he was still drafted, despite undergoing a major knee surgery.
Following up that performance, Gurley continued to play well in week five against the Packers. Although the Rams lost 24-10, he ran for 159 yards on 30 touches.
On Sunday, Gurley found his stride once more.
Following a week six bye, the Rams hosted the Cleveland Browns in St. Louis. Facing a Browns defense that has been dismal against the run this season, Gurley maintained his streak of 100 yard games, pushing it to three straight, en route to 128 yards on 19 carries. He also added his first two professional touchdowns. Almost as notable as his stat line, Gurley was running in game action for the first time since his injury without a knee brace, showing he is back to full strength.
Through his first four NFL games, Gurley has rushed for an astounding 442 yards and averaged six yards per carry. He has proven so far to be not only the best rookie running back in the league, but arguably the best running back in the entire NFL, especially if he continues to produce at this rate.
Fellow first round running back Melvin Gordon has not been as successful as Gurley, having only 328 yards on the ground while battling injuries for the San Diego Chargers. Leading up to the 2015 NFL Draft, many experts were predicting no running backs being taken, after the two previous draft classes did not have a running back selected in the first round. The Rams went against the grain by picking Gurley, and it could pay dividends for years to come.
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