The collegiate legend of Rams rookie running back Todd Gurley will continue to build until the moment he actually sees the field in the NFL, which may or may not be Sunday against the Steelers.
But if his debut does come this weekend, some of Gurley's collegiate opponents want to make sure Pittsburgh is ready. They've seen the legend first-hand.
"Gurley is Gurley," said Steelers rookie Bud Dupree, via The Post-Gazette. "I feel like he's in a league by himself. Once he gets a couple of years under his belt, he'll be in a league of his own."
Added Jarvis Jones, a former Gurley teammate: "He's a great player, great kid. He's like my little brother. He's very smart, loves the game of football. He plays tremendously hard. He's a very good running back. I'm just happy he's healthy now and he has a chance to fulfill his dream."
And then there's Steelers defensive tackle Daniel McCullers, a former Tennessee Volunteer who saw Gurley smash his college team a few years back.
"He's a very powerful back, runs downhill," McCullers said. "You have to wrap up and make sure you get him to the ground. He will break tackles and keep going."
This has to be the most excitement for a delayed rookie debut since Odell Beckham last year, who missed the Giants' first four games before lighting the NFL on fire. Could Gurley do the same?
Though it seems unlikely given that St. Louis will probably ease him in and protect their investment, they need to do something in order to change the fact that wideout Tavon Austin is their leading rusher. This is supposed to be a team built around power and clock control.
