Todd Gurley will go down as one of the most important running backs in football history. His shifty running style combined with hard, downhill running, and his propensity to grab touchdowns helped him to dominate and change the game in the mid-late 2010s. Gurley had an elite resume, with 2 All Pro Selections, 3 Pro Bowls, as well as being named Offensive Rookie of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year in 2015 and 2017.
But behind the former flashy star running back lies a dark truth about the state of the NFL. How did Gurley go from being at the top of the league to out of it within just three years?
The Early Years
Todd Gurley was born on August 3, 1994 [exactly 17 years after Tom Brady] in Baltimore, to Darlene Simmons and Todd Gurley Sr. From six years old, Todd Gurley was dominating his Pop Warner League, even though he was playing with kids 3 to 5 years older than him.
By the time he reached high school, Gurley was a lanky freshman who was more interested in basketball and track than anything else. One day, Gurley had walked onto the practice field looking for a ride home. The assistant coach, recognizing his name from his coaching circles, immediately convinced him to start practicing the next day.
Gurley only got three carries during his freshman year, and he played on JV his sophomore year as his school—Tarboro High—won a state title.
However, his junior year would change everything. Finally able to start, he ran for 1500 yards and 26 touchdowns, including a 100 yard and 2 touchdown game in the state championship game.
During Gurley’s senior year, he ran for 2600 yards and 38 touchdowns, before injuring both of his ankles. Showing incredible grit, he taped up both of his ankles and ran for 250 yards and 4 touchdowns, leading Tarboro High to its third consecutive state championship.
Todd Gurley was more than just a football player. He competed for Team USA at the 2011 World Youth Championships in hurdles, placing 3rd in his sprint. The winter of his senior year, his close friend Randy Higgs died in a car accident, and just days later, his older brother was arrested for armed robbery and assault.
With much weighing on his shoulders, Todd Gurley committed to the University of Georgia.
Dawg Days
Todd Gurley exploded onto the scene in his freshman year - in his first game alone he ran for 100 yards, 2 touchdowns, and a 100 yard kickoff return for a touchdown. Gurley finished the year with 1400 yards, 17 touchdowns, and a spot on the All-SEC First Team.
Gurley’s sophomore year was marred by injury, as his ankle problems continued to plague him, causing him to miss three games. Gurley would finish the year with 989 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns. However, Todd managed to add a new dimension to his game, tallying up 441 receiving yards and 6 touchdowns through the air.
After serving a 4 game suspension at the start of his junior year for selling autographs, he would play for just 6 games before tearing his ACL, ending his season.
Overall, Gurley would leave a profound legacy at Georgia as its best running back since the days of Herschel Walker. His flashy highlight tapes left him a fan favorite, and NFL scouts were delighted with what they saw on his tape.
Todd Gurley declared for the draft after his junior year, with his NFL scouts looking past his injury troubles for his incredible athletic ability. Gurley was taken 10th overall by the St. Louis Rams in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Whose House? Gurley’s, Apparently
Gurley’s ACL tear would keep him from any NFL action until Week 3, where he debuted with an unimpressive 6 carries for nine yards. However, Gurley would take the league by storm over his next 3 starts – he racked up 555 yards and 2 TDs. By the end of his rookie year, Gurley had 1100 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 12 starts, earning him a Pro Bowl selection, an Offensive Rookie of the Year award, and a 2nd Team All Pro spot.
His second year would be somewhat of a disappointment as the Rams only earned a 4-12 record, with Gurley himself only putting up 900 yards and 6 touchdowns in a full 16 games.
Criticism surrounded the young running back, and the resilient Todd Gurley took it personal.
2017 saw Todd Gurley become one of the most exciting superstars in the league, with him rushing for 1300 yards and a league-leading 13 touchdowns, as well as an impressive 788 receiving yards and 6 TDs. The hype flew, with speculation around Gurley becoming the first RB since Adrian Peterson to take home the MVP award.
In actuality, he finished 2nd in voting and brought home the Offensive Player of the Year award. In his first ever playoff game, Gurley ran for a valiant 101 yards in a Wild Card loss to the Falcons.
Following his dominant 2018 season, many analysts in the NFL world thought this was only the beginning of a long and prosperous career for Gurley, but looking back on his career 6 years later, this would clearly be his peak.
Todd Gurley would be haunted by the ghosts of his past.
2018 saw similar dominance, with Gurley leading the league in touchdowns again with 17 on the ground, as well as 4 receiving catches. His year was even more impressive considering the knee inflammation would keep him out of 2 games. His momentum initially carried into the playoffs, rushing for 115 yards and 1 touchdown in a Wild Card win over the Cowboys. However, Gurley faltered the rest of the way, only running for 45 yards in his next 2 games, leading to a disappointing finish in the Super Bowl against the Patriots.
Fans speculated that Gurley’s late season knee issues had limited his playoff performance, though team officials denied any truth to the rumor. However, this would be tragic foreshadowing for the young back’s career.
Plagued By Arthritis
Just weeks after the Super Bowl, reports broke that Todd Gurley had arthritis in his left knee, the same knee that had suffered an ACL tear during Gurley’s final year at Georgia. Rumors flew around the NFL world concerning Gurley’s future, which ended after Gurley signed a $56M deal with the Rams. However, this deal was well under 50% guaranteed, hinting that even the Rams were unsure about Gurley’s long term durability.
In Gurley’s 2019 season, he ran for 857 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, it was clear that the spark seen earlier in his career was gone. His yards per attempt dipped to 3.8, his lowest number since his sophomore season. Gurley didn’t record a single 100 yard rushing game, while he had racked up 12 in the 2017 and ‘18 seasons. Additionally, he lost his depth in the receiving game - only putting up 200 yards and 2 touchdowns, which was a far cry from earlier in his career.
Something had gone very, very wrong.
Following the 2019 season, it was clear that Todd Gurley’s lack of production and durability concerns were not worth his $14M a year price tag. On March 18, 2020, Todd Gurley was released from the team that had drafted him.
One Last Hoorah
Just a few weeks later, Gurley signed a 1 year, $5.5M deal with the Atlanta Falcons. But the former All-Pro looked slow and lethargic compared to his prime. His downfield speed was severely lacking, and the jump cuts that he was so known for became almost nonexistent. Gurley finished the year with just 678 yards and 9 TDs on the ground, leading the Falcons to a bottom 10 rushing offense in the league.
The Falcons moved on from him following the 2020 offseason, and Gurley had no prospects going into 2021.
In October 2022, Gurley announced that he was done playing football.
All in All
Todd Gurley’s story is a cautionary tale for the modern NFL running back. He spent most of his prime racking up injuries, and by the time he could realize his potential in the pros, it was too late. Across the NFL, running backs are struggling to get their proper value, and are instead completely used during cheap rookie contracts, and then thrown away when it becomes time to make any money.
In the case of Todd Gurley, he was an exciting and promising running back who got the short end of the stick when it came to injuries. It’s easy to wonder what the NFL would look like if not for Todd Gurley’s ankle problems, ACL tear, and arthritis.
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