Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley has been selected as the Offensive Rookie of the Year, capping off a record-breaking debut season for the 10th overall pick in last year's draft.
Todd Gurley’s historic debut season ends with Offensive Rookie of Year honor
The Rams’ running back became the first rookie in NFL history to run for at least 125 yards in four straight games.
Billy Hurst-USA TODAY Sports
The Rams slowly worked Gurley into the lineup as he recovered from a torn ACL suffered in November 2014, holding him out of the first two games and then giving him limited work in Week 3. When he finally made his first start on Oct. 4, he left no doubt that he was NFL-ready and embarked on a historic rookie campaign.
Gurley went bonkers once given a prominent role, rushing for 146, 159, 128 and 133 in each of his first four starts, becoming the first rookie in league history to run for at least 125 yards in four straight games. The only other rookie to run for 100-plus yards in four of his first five games was Adrian Peterson, in 2007. His 566 total yards in that span were the most by any player in his first four career starts since the 1970 AFL/NFL merger.
Although he cooled off after that scorching-hot start, Gurley still finished as the NFL’s third-leading rusher with 1,106 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns in just 12 games. His yards-per-rush average of 4.83 ranked second in the league among backs with at least 150 carries. What made Gurley so special was his explosiveness and ability to break tackles. He posted the second-most runs of 20-plus yards (11) and led all players with five 40-yard rushes.
Gurley is the second Rams player to win the award, following in the footsteps of quarterback Sam Bradford (2010). The only other running backs in the last decade to receive Offensive ROY honors were Eddie Lacy (2013) and Adrian Peterson (2007).
He beat out a talented crop of rookies including Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Jameis Winston, Oakland Raiders wide receiver Amari Cooper and Arizona Cardinals running back David Johnson.
See More:
