Rams’ Todd Gurley not just kidding around when it comes to pleasing fans with his running prowess
He is no fan of international NFL games that take him out of his routine, mess with his schedule and keep him on the road for more than a few days.
“Terrible,” Rams running back Todd Gurley said Thursday before the Rams departed for London.
But Gurley has a softer spot for the fans who will be in attendance Sunday when the Rams play the Arizona Cardinals at Twickenham Stadium.
“All the love,” he said. “The fans are great.”
Before and after the Rams’ final workout at the University of North Florida, Gurley took time to visit with one of his most ardent regional fans.
Griff Sumner, 7, of Statesboro, Ga., became a minor sensation last week after his mother posted a video to social media. It showed her son’s excitedly tearful reaction to learning that he was going to see Gurley play against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Field.
The Rams reached out to the boy’s family and arranged for him to attend practice and meet Gurley.
“You see stuff like that,” Gurley said of the video, “kids really do look up to you. So it’s a cool thing.”
Gurley is gaining new fans and reclaiming others with his performance through six games.
After failing to rush for 100 yards in a game last season, Gurley has done so three times in the last four games.
The NFL’s 2015 offensive rookie of the year is fourth in the league with 521 yards rushing. In Sunday’s 27-17 victory over the Jaguars, he ran for 116 yards in 23 carries.
He also is the Rams’ leading receiver with 23 catches, three for touchdowns.
Gurley has been “the epitome of what it looks like” to be an elite performer, first-year coach Sean McVay said.
“You’re happy for him and you’re happy for the team because it’s leading to some good results,” McVay said. “These are things we all felt he was capable of, and we expect him to continue to play at a high level.”
This was the type of performance most expected after Gurley’s rookie season, when he rushed for 1,106 yards, averaging 4.8 yards a carry, and scored 10 touchdowns in 13 games.
But last season he ran for 885 yards in 16 games, averaging 3.2 yards a carry. The Rams finished 4-12 while running what Gurley lamented after one game as a “middle school offense.”
The arrival of the offense-minded McVay and other new staff members such as offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur and offensive line coach Aaron Kromer boded well for Gurley.
So did the signings of veteran left tackle Andrew Whitworth and receiver Robert Woods — and the trade for receiver Sammy Watkins.
Now Gurley is again playing at an elite level, which makes for an intriguing matchup in London.
The Cardinals last week traded for running back Adrian Peterson. The future Hall of Famer rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns in 26 carries in his Cardinals debut, a victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that improved the Cardinals’ record to 3-3.
Rams cornerback Nickell Robey-Coleman said last week that Peterson, 32, is not the same back he was in 2008 or 2009.
Many NFL insiders made similar observations after the Cardinals acquired Peterson from the New Orleans Saints, but after Peterson’s performance against Tampa Bay, Gurley tweeted, “Now what was ya’ll saying about AP now.”
Asked Thursday about his social media comments, Gurley said, “People got to stop being disrespectful to AP.”
Peterson is “the top of the food chain, best of the best,” said Gurley, who tries to emulate Peterson’s running style.
“Everybody tries to be a physical runner like him,” Gurley said. “It really doesn’t get much better than him at just being aggressive, attacking downhill.”
Etc.
Linebacker Mark Barron (thumb) and safety Cody Davis (thigh) did not practice. … The Rams departed for the airport after practice. They are scheduled to practice outside London on Friday.
Follow Gary Klein on Twitter @latimesklein
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