The Rams as a franchise have had a legendary lineup of running backs throughout its history. One of the men who paved the way was Lawrence McCutcheon, who ran himself to five Pro Bowl selections in eight season with the team.
McCutcheon was a third-round selection out of Colorado State. Being a mid-round selection, he played sparsely during his rookie season but after the team hired Chuck Knox in 1973, McCutcheon was the featured star of the offense.
“Ground” Chuck Knox was known for his love of running the football. With Hall of Fame offensive lineman Tom Mack helping open the lane, McCutcheon would achieve his first 1,000-yard season as the team made the postseason that year.
From 1973-1977, McCutcheon had four 1,000-yard seasons for a total of 4,533 rushing yards and 23 touchdowns. McCutcheon had such a massive impact on the team that when he was drafted in 1972, the Rams had missed the previous three postseasons.
From 1973, when McCutcheon became a starter till his final year in 1979, the Rams never missed the postseason. The Rams would return to the postseason in 1980 before missing it in 1981 and 1982, leading to the hiring of John Robinson.
In 1978, McCutcheon was coming off a career year but the injury bug hit him and he was forced to miss the first five games of the season. By the time he came back, he was a shell of himself and would lose the starting job to Wendell Taylor.
The Rams would make the Super Bowl in 1979 and it would serve as McCutcheon’s last game with the team. Despite a 31-19 loss to the Steelers, McCutcheon signed off with another iconic moment, a trick- play touchdown pass. It was a 24-yard strike to Ron Smith capped off his stellar career with the team.
McCutcheon would play two more seasons with Denver, Seattle and Buffalo. Despite being reunited with Chuck Knox with the Bills, the wear and tear from the game took it’s toll and McCutcheon retired after the 1981 season.
When McCutcheon left the Rams, he held several franchise records, including the record for most rushing yards in a season and in a career. One of the best to ever grace the gridiron, Lawrence McCutcheon deserves his place in the Rams’ Hall of Fame.
from Rams Wire https://ift.tt/Fsz36bM
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