The Collegiate Career of Todd Gurley: A Georgia Bulldogs Legend

Todd Gurley's name is etched in Georgia Bulldogs football history. From his explosive debut to his record-breaking performances, Gurley left an undeniable mark on the program. This article explores his impactful college career, highlighting key moments, statistics, and the legacy he built in Athens.

Explosive Arrival and Immediate Impact (2012)

Former Georgia Bulldogs running back Todd Gurley made his college football debut against Buffalo in Sanford Stadium. Gurley made an immediate impact for the Bulldogs. He scored three touchdowns and finished with over 200 total scrimmage yards in his first game as a true freshman.

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, 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 (SEC) East opponent Missouri 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, he had 24 carries for 130 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns in the 51-44 victory. On October 27, against Florida, 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, 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 in 1980. In the regular season finale against rival Georgia Tech, 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 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. 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.

Continued Excellence and Versatility (2013)

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. In the spring of 2013, Gurley joined the Georgia Bulldogs indoor track team.

Setbacks and Triumphs (2014)

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, 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 and Arkansas games before the NCAA upheld its decision to suspend Gurley for four total games.

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Statistical Dominance and Historical Ranking

Gurley is the No. 4 leading rusher in Georgia football history with 3,285 rushing yards and 42 total touchdowns. He has the highest average yards per carry (6.8) of any of Georgia's top five all-time leading rushers. Gurley ranks fourth on Georgia’s all-time rushing list with 3,285 yards over his three-year career at UGA.

From College Star to NFL First-Round Pick

Todd Gurley went on to be a first round pick in the 2015 NFL draft. St. Gurley was selected in the first round with the 10th overall pick by the St. Louis Rams in the 2015 NFL draft. 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.

Reflections on his College Career

Former Georgia star Todd Gurley recently revealed he would have attempted to enter the transfer portal after his freshman season with the Bulldogs. Gurley, who ranks fourth on Georgia’s all-time rushing list with 3,285 yards over his three-year career in Athens, explained on a recent podcast his desire for variety would have been motivation to change schools.

NFL Career Overview

Gurley was dominant throughout his six season NFL career, where he scored 79 total touchdowns. Gurley was twice named an All-Pro with the Los Angeles Rams. 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 touchdowns and was named AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year in the former. 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 following year in 2020.

Gurley's Background and Early Life

Todd Jerome Gurley II was born in Baltimore, Maryland. He attended Tarboro High School in Tarboro, North Carolina, where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track. He played running back and defensive back for the Vikings during his junior season, totalling 1,472 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns, as well as 79 tackles, an interception, and a forced fumble. He was named Rocky Mount Telegram All-Area Offensive Player of the Year for the 2010 season. Gurley was also a world-class hurdler and sprinter for the school's track & field team.

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Early NFL Career

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. On September 27, 2015, Gurley made his NFL debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers 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 for an NFC West 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, Cleveland Browns, and the San Francisco 49ers 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. In Week 9, Gurley was held to 89 yards on 24 carries in the Rams' 21-18 overtime loss to the Minnesota Vikings. In Week 10, he was contained to just 45 rushing yards on 12 carries in a 37-13 loss to the Chicago Bears. In Week 11, Gurley rushed for 66 yards on 25 carries against the Baltimore Ravens 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 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. 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 and Eric Dickerson) in a 31-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Second Season Struggles

In the Rams' first season back in Los Angeles, Gurley struggled in his second professional season. In the first two weeks of the 2016 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. Following the firing of Jeff Fisher and subsequent hiring of Sean McVay 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".

2017 Season

Gurley started the 2017 season with a solid performance against the Indianapolis Colts. 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, 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. 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 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. 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. Gurley played his first career post-season game in the Wild Card Round against the Atlanta Falcons on January 6, 2018.

Atlanta Falcons

On April 6, 2020, Gurley signed a one-year, $5.5 million contract with the Falcons. Gurley made his Falcons debut in Week 1 against the Seahawks. 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.

Philanthropy

Gurley was a co-founder of the M.A.D.E. 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, which was Gurley's charity of choice. In 2018, Gurley hosted a childhood literacy initiative in partnership with Pizza Hut.

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