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DeMarco Murray (born February 12, 1988) is an
American football American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
coach and former
running back A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive American football plays#Offensive terminology, handoffs from the quarterback to Rush (American football)#Offen ...
who played in the
National Football League The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL) for seven seasons. A three-time
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
selection and one-time first-team
All-Pro All-Pro is an honor bestowed upon professional American football players that designates the best player at each position during a given season. All-Pro players are typically selected by press organizations, who select an "All-Pro team," a list th ...
, he was the
NFL Offensive Player of the Year The National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award is an annual American football award given by various organizations to the National Football League (NFL) player who is considered the top offensive player during the regular season. Or ...
in 2014 when he led the NFL in both
rushing yards Rushing means a sudden forward motion, or a surge or onslaught. Rushing may refer to: Tactics * Rush (gridiron football), advancing the ball by running on offense. On defense, charging the quarterback or kicker is a pass rush. * Human wave atta ...
and rushing touchdowns. Murray played
college football College football (french: Football universitaire) refers to gridiron football played by teams of student athletes. It was through college football play that American football rules first gained popularity in the United States. Unlike most ...
at
Oklahoma Oklahoma (; Choctaw language, Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the nor ...
and was drafted by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
in the third round of the
2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...
. After four seasons with the Cowboys, he played for the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
for one year and then the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
for two years. Murray currently serves as
running backs A running back (RB) is a member of the offensive backfield in gridiron football. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback to rush the ball, to line up as a receiver to catch the ball, and block. There ...
coach at his alma mater, the
University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
.


High school career

Murray attended
Bishop Gorman High School Bishop Gorman High School (also commonly referred to as Gorman High School or BGHS) is a private Catholic Church, Roman Catholic preparatory school located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The school is administered by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Las Ve ...
in
Las Vegas, Nevada Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vegas ...
, where he played football, basketball, and ran track for the Gaels athletic teams. In
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
, he was an All-Conference pick three consecutive years. During his time at Gorman, his team was three-time Conference Champions. As a senior in 2005, he rushed for 1,947 yards and 27
touchdowns A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether Rush (gridiron football), running, Forward pass, passing, returning a Kickoff (gridiron football), kickoff or Punt (gridiron football), punt, or recovering a Turno ...
and also caught 22 passes for 624 yards and seven more touchdowns, earning him All-State honors and the 2005 Sunset Region Offensive Player of the Year award. In addition, he played
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
at Gorman, averaging 6.9 points per game and his high school basketball team went on to win a 2005 state title. He was considered a top-30 basketball recruit in the state as well. In
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
, Murray ran the
100-meter dash The 100 metres, or 100-meter dash, is a sprint race in track and field competitions. The shortest common outdoor running distance, the dash is one of the most popular and prestigious events in the sport of athletics. It has been contest ...
and was a member of the 4x100-meter relay squad. Considered one of the top running backs of his class, Murray drew offers from
Miami (FL) Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at the ...
,
Penn State #Redirect Pennsylvania State University The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State or PSU) is a Public university, public Commonwealth System of Higher Education, state-related Land-grant university, land-grant research university with campu ...
, and
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, among several others. He chose Oklahoma over
Southern California Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
at the 2006 U.S. Army All-American Bowl.


College career

Murray attended and played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners from 2006–2010.


2006–2007 seasons

Murray
redshirted Redshirt, in United States college athletics, is a delay or suspension of an athlete's participation in order to lengthen their period of eligibility. Typically, a student's athletic eligibility in a given sport is four seasons, aligning with the ...
the 2006 NCAA football season. In the 2007 season, Murray shared the backfield with
Allen Patrick Allen Patrick (born February 15, 1984) is a former American football running back. He was drafted by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at Oklahoma. Patrick has also been a member of the ...
and Chris Brown. In his first game for the Oklahoma Sooners on September 1, 2007, against the
North Texas Mean Green North Texas Mean Green (formerly North Texas Eagles) represents the University of North Texas (UNT) in intercollegiate athletics. The teams compete in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). North Texas competed in th ...
, Murray rushed for 87 yards and five
touchdown A touchdown (abbreviated as TD) is a scoring play in gridiron football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone. In Ameri ...
s in the 79–10 victory. He became the first player in school history to score four touchdowns in a half in his debut. On September 15, 2007, in the 54–3 victory over
Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
, Murray set a Sooner record when he had a touchdown run of 92 yards, which is the third longest in Oklahoma football history. In the game against
Tulsa Tulsa () is the second-largest city in the U.S. state, state of Oklahoma and List of United States cities by population, 47th-most populous city in the United States. The population was 413,066 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...
, he added two more rushing touchdowns and a kick return touchdown in the 62–21 victory. In the annual rivalry game against #19
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, he finished with 128 rushing yards, of which 65 yards came on a touchdown run in the third quarter of the 28–21 victory. On November 10, against Baylor, he ran for 95 yards, and three touchdowns along with a kick return touchdown in the 52–21 victory. Overall, he finished with 127 carries for 764 yards and tied
Adrian Peterson Adrian Lewis Peterson (born March 21, 1985) is an American football running back who is a free agent. He is widely considered to be one of the greatest running backs in football history. He played college football at Oklahoma, where he set the ...
's freshman touchdown record with 15. He logged a 4.40 (team best) 40 time and a 36.5-inch vertical jump during the 2007 winter testing.


2008 season

In the 2008 season, Murray continued to share the backfield with Chris Brown while newcomer
Mossis Madu Mossis Madu Jr (born November 4, 1987) is a former gridiron football running back. He most recently played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2011 ...
got some carries as well. Murray started off the 2008 season with 124 yards and two touchdowns in the 57–2 victory over the
Chattanooga Mocs The Chattanooga Mocs (formerly the Chattanooga Moccasins) are the 16 teams representing the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in intercollegiate athletics. The Mocs compete in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and a ...
. On September 12, against
Washington Washington commonly refers to: * Washington (state), United States * Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States ** A metonym for the federal government of the United States ** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered o ...
, he rushed for 100 yards in the 55–14 victory. On October 4, against Baylor, Murray ran for 96 yards and two touchdowns in the 49–17 victory. On October 18, against #16
Kansas Kansas () is a state in the Midwestern United States. Its capital is Topeka, and its largest city is Wichita. Kansas is a landlocked state bordered by Nebraska to the north; Missouri to the east; Oklahoma to the south; and Colorado to the ...
, he ran for 83 yards and two touchdowns in the 45–31 victory. In the next game against
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
, Murray had 17 carries for 104 yards and two touchdowns to go along with four receptions for 63 yards and two touchdowns in the 58–35 victory. In the next game against
Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...
, he added two more rushing touchdowns and another receiving touchdown to his season total in the 62–28 victory. In the 66–28 victory over
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, Murray had seven carries for 123 yards along with seven receptions for 63 yards and a touchdown. On November 22, he rushed for 125 yards and two touchdowns in a 65–21 victory over #2
Texas Tech Texas Tech University (Texas Tech, Tech, or TTU) is a public research university in Lubbock, Texas. Established on , and called Texas Technological College until 1969, it is the main institution of the five-institution Texas Tech University Sys ...
. In the annual rivalry game against #11
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, Murray rushed for 73 yards and a touchdown and had seven kick returns for 196 net yards in the 61–41 victory. Murray tore his hamstring in the
Big 12 Championship The Big 12 Conference sponsors championships in 23 sports, 10 men's and 13 women's. The first conference championship awarded was the 1996 softball postseason tournament championship, which was won by Oklahoma. From 2011 through 2016, the foot ...
on the opening kickoff against
Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, which left him out of the
National Championship A national championship(s) is the top achievement for any sport or competition, contest within a league of a particular nation or nation state. The title is usually awarded by contests, ranking systems, stature, ability, etc. This determines the be ...
against
Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
. Murray finished the 2008 season with 179 carries for 1,002 yards and 14 touchdowns to go along with 31 receptions for 395 yards and four touchdowns.


2009 season

In the 2009 season, the backfield was largely dominated by the duo of Murray and Chris Brown. In the second game of the Sooners' 2009 season, Murray rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns in the 64–0 victory over
Idaho State , mottoeng = "The truth will set you free" , established = , former_names = Academy of Idaho(1901–1915)Idaho Technical Institute(1915–1927)University of Idaho—Southern Branch(1927–1947)Idaho State ...
. On October 10, against Baylor, he had 24 carries for 107 yards in the 33–7 victory. In the next game, against #3
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
, Murray had eight receptions for 116 yards in the 16–13 loss. In the following game, he had 15 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns to go along with four receptions for 28 yards and a touchdown in the 42–30 victory over
Kansas State Kansas State University (KSU, Kansas State, or K-State) is a public land-grant research university with its main campus in Manhattan, Kansas, United States. It was opened as the state's land-grant college in 1863 and was the first public instit ...
. On November 14, against
Texas A&M Texas A&M University (Texas A&M, A&M, or TAMU) is a public, land-grant, research university in College Station, Texas. It was founded in 1876 and became the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System in 1948. As of late 2021, T ...
, Murray had a stellar performance with 80 rushing yards to go along with five receptions for 140 yards and two touchdowns in the 65–10 victory. On November 28, against #11
Oklahoma State Oklahoma (; Choctaw: ; chr, ᎣᎧᎳᎰᎹ, ''Okalahoma'' ) is a state in the South Central region of the United States, bordered by Texas on the south and west, Kansas on the north, Missouri on the northeast, Arkansas on the east, New ...
, he rushed for 72 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–0 victory. In the 2009 Sun Bowl against #19
Stanford Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is considere ...
, Murray had 20 carries for 27 yards and the final go-ahead touchdown in the 31–27 victory. Murray finished the 2009 season with 171 carries for 705 yards and eight touchdowns to go along with 41 receptions for 522 yards and four touchdowns.


2010 season

Murray dominated the Sooners' backfield in his final year with the program. Murray started the season off with a strong performance of 208 rushing yards and two touchdowns against
Utah State Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public land-grant research university in Logan, Utah. It is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities. With nearly 20,000 students living on or near campus, USU is Utah's ...
in the 31–24 victory. In the next game against #17
Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...
, he rushed for 51 yards and two touchdowns in the 47–17 victory. In the following game against
Air Force An air force – in the broadest sense – is the national military branch that primarily conducts aerial warfare. More specifically, it is the branch of a nation's armed services that is responsible for aerial warfare as distinct from an a ...
, Murray ran for 110 yards and his third consecutive game with two rushing touchdowns in the 27–24 victory. In addition, he had five receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown. After posting 67 rushing yards and a touchdown against
Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...
in the 31–29 loss, Murray had 115 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the 28–20 victory over #21
Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...
. On October 16, 2010, with 112 rushing yards and two touchdowns against
Iowa State Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the n ...
in the 52–0 victory, Murray passed running back Steve Owens as the all-time touchdown leader at the
University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
with 58 touchdowns. On November 20, against Baylor, he ran for 62 yards and a touchdown and caught six passes for 120 yards and a touchdown in the 53–24 victory. In his final collegiate game, Murray had 93 rushing yards and a touchdown against #25
Connecticut Connecticut () is the southernmost state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, New York to the west, and Long Island Sound to the south. Its cap ...
in the 48–20 victory in the
2011 Fiesta Bowl The 2011 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game between the Connecticut Huskies (UConn), co-champions of the Big East Conference, and the Oklahoma Sooners, champions of the Big 12 Conference, at University of Phoenix Stad ...
. Murray finished his last season with the Sooners with 282 carries for 1,214 yards and 15 touchdowns to go along with 71 receptions for 594 yards and five touchdowns. He ended his college career with 65 touchdowns, becoming only the fifth player in
Big 12 conference The Big 12 Conference is a college athletic conference headquartered in Irving, Texas, USA. It consists of ten full-member universities. It is a member of Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) for all sports. Its ...
history to score at least 60 career touchdowns. Murray had 3,685 career rushing yards (4.86 average) with 50 touchdowns, 157 career catches with 13 touchdowns, and 1,462 kickoff return yards with two touchdowns. He was a four-time Academic All-Big 12 honoree during his career and graduated from Oklahoma with a degree in communication and a double minor in business and African American studies.


College statistics


University of Oklahoma records

* Former all-time leader in points scored (390); surpassed by kicker Michael Hunnicutt in
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
* All-time leader in touchdowns (65) * All-time leader in all-purpose yards (6,718) * All-time leader in receiving yards for a running back (1,571) * All-time leader in kickoff return average (27.6)


Professional career


Dallas Cowboys

Murray was selected in the third round with the 71st overall pick in the
2011 NFL Draft The 2011 NFL Draft was the 76th installment of the annual NFL Draft, where the franchises of the National Football League select newly eligible football players. Like the 2010 draft, the 2011 draft was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York C ...
by the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
. He was the sixth running back chosen in the 2011 draft.


2011 season: Rookie year

On July 29, 2011, Murray signed a four-year contract worth $2.97 million including a signing bonus worth $622,000. Murray started his rookie year as the third string running back behind starter
Felix Jones Felix Jones Jr. (born May 8, 1987) is a former American football running back in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football at the University of Arkansas and was drafted by the ...
and second string running back
Tashard Choice Tashard J. Choice (born November 20, 1984) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Washington Redskins, Buffalo Bills and the Indianapolis Colts. He played college football at Georgia Te ...
. From Week 1 to Week 4, Murray had 14 carries for 39 yards (2.78 average) and added three receptions for 16 receiving yards. On October 16, the Cowboys traveled to
Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts, which is southwest of downtown Boston. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for both the New England Patriots of the National Footb ...
to face the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
. Felix Jones went down with a high-ankle sprain, which increased the amount of opportunities for Murray. Murray finished the day with 11 carries for 34 yards and added one reception for seven yards in the 20–16 loss. With the Cowboys owning a record of 2–3, the Cowboys faced the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
in Week 7. Felix Jones was declared out for the game due to the high ankle sprain injury sustained the week before. The team declared Tashard Choice as the starter for the game and Murray as the second-string running back. Murray had 25 carries for 253 yards and a touchdown in the 34–7 victory over the Rams, breaking
Emmitt Smith Emmitt James Smith III (born May 15, 1969) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 15 seasons, primarily with the Dallas Cowboys. Among other accolades, he is the lea ...
's single-game rushing record for a Cowboys running back of 237 yards set at Philadelphia against the
Eagles Eagle is the common name for many large birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Outside this area, just ...
on October 31, 1993. The record total included a first-quarter 91-yard touchdown run that was the longest rush of the 2011 season and was second-longest in Cowboys history, after an NFL-record 99-yard run by
Tony Dorsett Anthony Drew Dorsett Sr. (born April 7, 1954) is a former American football running back who played professionally in the National Football League (NFL) for the Dallas Cowboys and Denver Broncos. From Western Pennsylvania, Dorsett attended the ...
in January 1983. Among the other records he set during this game were a rookie rushing record for a game in franchise history, previously held by Dorsett with 206 yards in 1977. His 10.1 yards-per-carry is the highest rushing average with 20-or-more attempts for a game in club history, previously held by Dorsett with 8.96 in 1977, the tenth most rushing yards in a game in league history, the second-most rushing yards in a game by a rookie in league history, the second-longest touchdown run on a player's first career rushing touchdown in league history, and the most rushing yards by a running back in one game ever allowed by the Rams in franchise history. Murray earned the Rookie of the Week award and FedEx Ground NFL Player of the Week for his game against the Rams. After the Rams game, Tashard Choice was released leaving the team with only two healthy running backs, rookie
Phillip Tanner Phillip Tanner (born August 8, 1988) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers. He played college football at Middle Tennessee State University. Early ...
and Murray, with Felix Jones still sidelined with an injury. Murray's historic day ended up being the most rushing yards by a single player in any game in the 2011 season. Murray followed his record-breaking game by getting his first NFL start against the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
in Week 8. In Weeks 8 and 9, Murray totaled 30 carries for 213 yards for a 7.1 average and five receptions for 45 yards in a 34–7 road loss to the Eagles and a 23–13 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
. With his second game with at least 100 rushing yards of the season, Murray became the first Cowboy since Julius Jones in 2004 to post multiple games with at least 100 rushing yards as a rookie. With 466 rushing yards over the last three games, Murray tied
Eric Dickerson Eric Demetric Dickerson (born September 2, 1960) is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Dickerson played college football for the Mustangs of Southern Me ...
for the fifth-highest total all-time by an NFL rookie during a three-game span. The record is 577 set by Mike Anderson of the
Denver Broncos The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
in 2000. The 466 rushing yards in the three game span is the most ever by any Cowboys player, surpassing 446 yards by Emmitt Smith during his MVP season of 1993. From Weeks 10 to 13, Murray had 79 carries for 333 yards and a touchdown for a 4.21 average and added 16 receptions for 109 yards as the Cowboys went 3–1 during this stretch. In Week 10 against the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
, he fumbled the ball for the first time in his NFL career, although the fumble was recovered by Murray himself. In Week 14 against the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, Murray carried the ball five times for 25 yards and added a reception for six yards before suffering a fractured right ankle and high ankle sprain that ended his rookie season. Murray was named NFL Rookie of the Month for the month of November. At the end of the 2011 season, Murray led all NFL rookie players (with 40 or more carries) in average per carry (5.5 per carry), yards per game (69.0 yards) and rushing yards (897 yards) on 164 carries (second-most among rookie players, Daniel Thomas had 165 carries). Murray tied for third among rookie players for rushing touchdowns with two;
Carolina Panthers The Carolina Panthers are a professional American football team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Panthers compete in the National Football League (NFL), as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. T ...
' quarterback and 2011 Rookie of the Year
Cam Newton Cameron Jerrell Newton (born May 11, 1989) is an American football quarterback who is a free agent. He has played for 11 seasons, primarily with the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). Nicknamed "Super Cam", he is the NFL ...
led all rookie players with 14 rushing touchdowns. Murray also was 14th in receptions among all rookie players and second among rookie running backs with 26 receptions. He finished fourth in receiving yards among rookie running backs with 183. Among all NFL running backs, Murray with seven starts in 12 games, tied for the second-highest average per carry for a running back with 80 or more carries trailing only
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football a ...
' 6.9 yards per carry on 63 attempts. Murray's 897 rushing yards ranked 22nd among all NFL running backs and ninth in the NFC. The Cowboys went 5–0 for the season when Murray received 20+ touches in the game and 2–5 when he did not. In the five games where Murray got 20 or more touches, starting quarterback
Tony Romo Antonio Ramiro Romo (born April 21, 1980) is an American sportscaster and former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 14 seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Eastern Illino ...
averaged a passer rating of 112.10, 246.6 yards per game, along with 12 combined touchdown passes with 2 interceptions and a 66.99% pass completion rate.


2012 season

Murray started the season off strong with 20 carries for 131 yards in a 24–17 road victory over the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
. Over the next three games, he had 41 carries for 106 yards and a touchdown to go along with 14 receptions for 105 yards. During a Week 6 31–29 road loss to the
Baltimore Ravens The Baltimore Ravens are a professional American football team based in Baltimore, Maryland. The Ravens compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. The team plays its ...
, Murray had 14 carries for 93 yards before suffering a sprained foot. He missed six games as a result of the injury. In Week 13, after returning from his injury, Murray rushed for 83 yards and a touchdown on 23 carries in a 38–33 victory over the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. In the next game against the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
, he recorded his third touchdown of the year while rushing for 53 yards on 21 attempts in the 20–19 road victory. This marked the eighth straight game where the Cowboys have won with Murray rushing the ball 20 or more times as the starting running back. Despite missing six games, Murray finished the season with 161 carries for 663 yards and four touchdowns along with 35 receptions for 251 yards.


2013 season

In a Week 3 31–7 victory over the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
, Murray recorded a season-high 175 yards on 26 carries and three receptions for 28 yards. This marked the second time in as many games that he ran for over 175 yards against the Rams. During Week 6 game against the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
, Murray suffered a sprained MCL and missed the next two games. Rookie
Joseph Randle Joseph David Randle (born December 29, 1991) is a former American football running back in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played college foot ...
took Murray's place because second-string running back
Lance Dunbar Lance Dunbar, Jr. (born January 25, 1990) is a former American football running back. He played college football at University of North Texas and was signed by the Dallas Cowboys as an undrafted free agent in 2012. Early years Dunbar was born in ...
was also battling an injury of his own. Returning from injury in Week 9, Murray was limited with four carries for 31 yards as the Dallas coaching staff abandoned the running game with 51 passing plays to 10 rushing plays in a 27–23 victory over the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
. Although he did not have many opportunities in this game, Murray would improve as 61% of his rushing yards came from the second half of the season. During Week 13 against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, he ran for 63 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in the 31–24 victory. During Week 16 against the Redskins, Murray scored a ten-yard receiving touchdown from Tony Romo late in the fourth quarter to help give the Cowboys the game-winning points in the narrow 24–23 victory. After the last game of the season, Murray was fined $21,000 for violating the crown-of-the-helmet rule on a collision with
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
' defensive lineman
Damion Square Damion DaShon Square (born February 6, 1989) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at Alabama and signed as an undrafted free agent by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2013. High school career He w ...
. Murray finished the 2013 season ranked 11th in total yards from scrimmage with 1,471 while missing two games due to injury. He had 217 carries for 1,121 yards and nine touchdowns, all career highs and ranking tied for 17th, tenth, and tied for sixth, respectively among running backs. Murray's 5.2 yards per attempt was the most in the league among players with 150 or more attempts. He also recorded 53 catches for 350 yards and a touchdown, ranking 11th, 14th, and tied for 16th among running backs. Murray replaced
Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third ...
in the
2014 Pro Bowl The 2014 Pro Bowl was the National Football League's all-star game for the 2013 season. It took place at 2:30 pm local time on January 26 at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu, Hawaii. The game was televised nationally by NBC and was the final Pro ...
after Gore got injured during the NFC Championship against the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
. This marked Murray's first Pro Bowl nomination. He had four rushes for 25 yards and caught four passes for another 37 yards as he scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on a 20-yard reception from quarterback
Alex Smith Alexander Douglas Smith (born May 7, 1984) is an American former quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He played college football at Utah, where he received first-team All-American honors and won the 20 ...
to give Team Rice the 22–21 victory. Murray was ranked 87th by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2014 was the fourth season in the series. It ended with reigning National Football League Most Valuable Player Award, NFL MVP Peyton Manning being ranked 1, while Super Bowl Most Valuable Player Award, Super Bowl MVP Ma ...
.


2014 season: Rushing title

In 2014, Murray and an improved
offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
helped the team find a new identity. In the first eight games, Murray broke
Jim Brown James Nathaniel Brown (born February 17, 1936) is a former American football player, sports analyst and actor. He played as a fullback for the Cleveland Browns of the National Football League (NFL) from 1957 through 1965. Considered to be one ...
's 1958 NFL rushing record for most consecutive 100-yard games to start a season. Given his previous injury history, the team considered limiting some of his workloads, but he was such an integral part of the offense success, that the Cowboys could not cut back on his playing time. In Week 1, Murray had 22 carries for 118 yards and a touchdown in the 28–17 loss to the
San Francisco 49ers The San Francisco 49ers (also written as the San Francisco Forty-Niners) are a professional American football team based in the San Francisco Bay Area. The 49ers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National ...
. He followed that up 29 carries for 167 yards and a touchdown in a 26–10 road victory over the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
in the next game. The following week against the
St. Louis Rams The St. Louis Rams were a professional American football team of the National Football League (NFL). They played in St. Louis from 1995 to the 2015 season, before moving back to Los Angeles, where the team had played from 1946 to 1994. The arr ...
, he rushed for 100 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries in the 34–31 road victory. During a Week 4 38–17 victory over the
New Orleans Saints The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans. The Saints compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. Since 1975, the te ...
, he rushed 24 times for 149 yards and two touchdowns for his fourth straight game finding the endzone. In the next game, against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, he had a season-high 31 carries for 136 yards in the 20–17 victory. The following game against the defending
Super Bowl XLVIII Super Bowl XLVIII was an American football game between the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Denver Broncos and National Football Conference (NFC) champion Seattle Seahawks to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for th ...
champion
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, he ran for 115 yards and a touchdown on 28 carries in the 30–23 road victory. In the next game, against the NFC East divisional rival
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, he rushed for 128 yards and a rushing touchdown on 28 carries in the 31–21 victory. In the next game, the Cowboys' win streak ended as the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
defeated them 20–17. In the loss, Murray had 19 carries for 141 yards and four receptions for 80 yards. In the following game, a 28–17 loss to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
, he had 19 carries for 79 yards and was held to under 100 rushing yards for the first time in the 2014 season. In the next three games, Murray bounced back with 100 yards in the 31–17 victory over the
Jacksonville Jaguars The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
at
Wembley Stadium Wembley Stadium (branded as Wembley Stadium connected by EE for sponsorship reasons) is a football stadium in Wembley, London. It opened in 2007 on the site of the Wembley Stadium (1923), original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 200 ...
in London, 121 yards in the 31–28 road victory over the Giants, and 73 yards and a touchdown in the 33–10 loss to the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
. During a Week 14 41–28 road victory over the
Chicago Bears The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago. The Bears compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) North division. The Bears have won nine NF ...
, he had a season-high 32 carries for 179 yards and a touchdown. In the next game against the Eagles, Murray suffered a broken left hand that required surgery the following day. Heavily bandaged, he did not miss any time and played the following week against the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
and had 22 carries for 58 yards in the 42–7 victory. In the regular-season finale with his hand still bandaged, Murray rushed 20 times for 100 yards in the 44–17 road victory over the Redskins to pass Emmitt Smith's Cowboys franchise single-season rushing record. Murray finished the 2014 season with 392 carries for 1,845 yards and 13 touchdowns to go along with 57 receptions for 416 yards. The Cowboys finished atop the
NFC East The National Football Conference – Eastern Division or NFC East is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Dallas Cowboys ...
with a 12–4 record. In the Wild Card Round against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, Murray had 19 carries for 75 yards and a touchdown along with three receptions for 22 yards in the 24–20 victory. In the Divisional Round against the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, he had 25 carries for 123 yards and a touchdown in the controversial 26–21 road loss. Murray earned the NFL's Offensive Player of The Year award at the end of the season. Murray finished tied with his quarterback Tony Romo for 3rd place in MVP voting. Murray set the franchise single season rushing record with 12 games rushing for at least 100 yards and passed
Walt Garrison Walter Benton Garrison (born July 23, 1944) is a former American football fullback in the National Football League for the Dallas Cowboys. He played college football at Oklahoma State University. Early years Born in Denton, Texas, Garrison atte ...
for seventh on the Cowboys all-time rushing yards list. Murray finished the season as the league's top rusher and was named as a First-team All-Pro and to his second
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
, while having his second straight 1,000 yard season. Murray was ranked fourth by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015 list.


Philadelphia Eagles

On March 9, 2015, it was reported in the media that
Frank Gore Franklin Gore Sr. (born May 14, 1983) is an American former American football, football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. A member of the San Francisco 49ers during most of his career, he ranks third ...
had agreed in principle to a contract with the
Philadelphia Eagles The Philadelphia Eagles are a professional American football team based in Philadelphia. The Eagles compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. The team plays ...
to replace
LeSean McCoy LeSean Kamel McCoy (born July 12, 1988), nicknamed "Shady", is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh and was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the ...
, who was recently traded to the
Buffalo Bills The Buffalo Bills are a professional American football team based in the Buffalo metropolitan area. The Bills compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. ...
. However, the following day, Gore had second thoughts and signed instead with the
Indianapolis Colts The Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis. The Colts compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) South division. Since the 2008 ...
. Following this setback, the team reached an agreement with Ryan Mathews for a three-year deal. However, the Eagles quickly turned their attention into signing Murray, who was still available in
free agency In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
. On March 12, Murray agreed to a five-year, $42 million contract, joining his former college teammate,
quarterback The quarterback (commonly abbreviated "QB"), colloquially known as the "signal caller", is a position in gridiron football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive platoon and mostly line up directly behind the offensive line. In modern Ame ...
Sam Bradford Samuel Jacob Bradford (born November 8, 1987) is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for nine seasons, most notably with the St. Louis Rams and Minnesota Vikings. He was also a member of the P ...
. In his first game with the Eagles, Murray had just eight carries for nine yards. However, he scored two touchdowns, an eight-yard run and a five-yard reception in a 26–24 road loss to the
Atlanta Falcons The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
on ''Monday Night Football''. The team received criticism due to his sparse usage. In Week 2 against his former team, the
Dallas Cowboys The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
, he was held up again, rushing for only two yards on 13 carries and catching five passes for 53 yards in a 20–10 loss. Murray's Week 2 performance marked the fewest rushing yards through the first two games for a defending rushing champion since Doug Russell of the
Chicago Cardinals The professional American football team now known as the Arizona Cardinals previously played in Chicago, Illinois, as the Chicago Cardinals from 1898 to 1959 before relocating to St. Louis, Missouri, for the 1960 through 1987 seasons. Roots ca ...
in
1936 Events January–February * January 20 – George V of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions and Emperor of India, dies at his Sandringham Estate. The Prince of Wales succeeds to the throne of the United Kingdom as King E ...
. Murray missed Week 3 against the
New York Jets The New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Jets compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The J ...
due to a hamstring injury, while Mathews ran for 108 yards and
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football a ...
scored two touchdowns. Despite Mathews' success, Murray was named the starter for a Week 4 divisional matchup with the
Washington Redskins The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
. He had a 30-yard run in the first quarter, but finished the game with eight carries for 36 yards in the 23–20 road loss. During a Week 6 27–7 victory over the
New York Giants The New York Giants are a professional American football team based in the New York metropolitan area. The Giants compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East division. ...
, Murray rushed for 112 yards and a touchdown on 21 carries, which turned out to be his only 100-yard game of the season. As the weeks progressed, Murray grew increasingly frustrated, with the
offensive line In gridiron football, a lineman is a player who specializes in play at the line of scrimmage. The linemen of the team currently in possession of the ball are the offensive line, while linemen on the opposing team are the defensive line. A numbe ...
not generating the running lanes needed, being required to frequently run laterally instead of downhill and not being seen as a good fit in the team's offensive system, which always ran in the shotgun. During Week 13 game against the
New England Patriots The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
, Murray was demoted because the team decided the smaller, quicker
Darren Sproles Darren Lee Sproles (born June 20, 1983) is an American football executive and former running back and return specialist who is a personnel consultant for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football a ...
would be more effective. Murray registered eight carries for 24 yards in the game, while Sproles recorded 66 yards on 15 carries, and 34 yards on four catches. Murray reportedly had a conversation with owner
Jeffrey Lurie Jeffrey Robert Lurie (born September 8, 1951) is an American motion picture producer, businessman, and the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League (NFL). Early life and education Lurie was born to a Jewish family in Bo ...
over his role in the offense during the flight back to Philadelphia. Murray struggled to get touches after the return of Ryan Mathews, who started the remaining four games. Murray finished third on the team in rushing in the next two games, behind Sproles and Mathews, posting only eight snaps with two rushing attempts in a 40–17 loss to the
Arizona Cardinals The Arizona Cardinals are a professional American football team based in the Phoenix metropolitan area. The Cardinals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division, and play t ...
for three yards. He led the team in carries and rushes in a Week 16 38–24 loss to the Redskins with five carries for 27 yards and a touchdown. Murray fumbled a pitch that was returned by
DeAngelo Hall DeAngelo Eugene Hall (born November 19, 1983) is a former American football defensive back who played 14 seasons in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for Virginia Tech and was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons eighth ov ...
for a touchdown just when the Eagles were within six points. Going into the final game of the season against the Giants, head coach
Chip Kelly Charles Edward Kelly (born November 25, 1963) is an American football coach who is the head coach of the UCLA Bruins. He came to prominence as the head coach of the Oregon Ducks from 2009 to 2012, whom he led to four consecutive BCS bowl game a ...
was fired and offensive coordinator Pat Shurmur became the interim head coach. Murray rushed for a 54-yard touchdown on his first carry and finished the 35–30 victory with 5.8 yards per carry average, his highest of the year. Murray finished the year with 193 carries for 702 yards, and had only two games with over 20 carries, his lowest output since 2012.


Tennessee Titans


2016 season: Resurgent season

On March 9, 2016, Murray was traded to the
Tennessee Titans The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
along with the Eagles'
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
fourth round draft pick, in exchange for the Titans' 2016 fourth round draft pick. In the season opener-against the
Minnesota Vikings The Minnesota Vikings are a professional American football team based in Minneapolis. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) North division. Founded in 1960 as an expansion ...
, Murray had 42 rushing yards, 35 receiving yards, and two receiving touchdowns in the 25–16 loss. In the next game against the
Detroit Lions The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
, he had a 67-yard rush as part of a 89-yard performance as the Titans narrowly won on the road by a score of 16–15. The following week against the
Oakland Raiders The Oakland Raiders were a professional American football team that played in Oakland from its founding in 1960 to 1981 and again from 1995 to 2019 before relocating to the Las Vegas metropolitan area where they now play as the Las Vegas Raide ...
, Murray had 16 carries for 114 yards and a touchdown in the 17–10 loss. During Week 4 against the
Houston Texans The Houston Texans are a professional American football team based in Houston. The Texans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) AFC South, South division, and play their home ga ...
, he ran 25 times for 95 yards and two touchdowns in the 27–20 road loss. In the next game against the
Miami Dolphins The Miami Dolphins are a professional American football team based in the Miami metropolitan area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member team of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) East division. The team pla ...
, he had 121 yards on 27 carries in the 30–17 road victory. Following the Dolphins game, Murray had six straight games with a touchdown and went over 100 rushing yards in three of them. Murray posted 1,287 rushing yards on 293 carries in his first year with the Titans. His 12 total touchdowns, nine rushing and three receiving, ranked sixth among NFL running backs in 2016. Additionally, in a Week 10 47–25 victory over the
Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. It ...
, he threw for his first NFL touchdown on a ten-yard halfback pass to
Delanie Walker Hubert Delanie Walker (born August 12, 1984) is a former American football tight end. He played college football at the Central Missouri State and was drafted by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round of the 2006 NFL Draft. After seven sea ...
. The Titans finished with a 9–7 record from a league-worse 3–13 record the season before, with Murray finishing third in the league in rushing yards and leading the AFC. He was named to his third career
Pro Bowl The National Football League All-Star Game (1939–1942), Pro Bowl (1951–2022), or Pro Bowl Games (starting in 2023) is an annual event held by the National Football League (NFL) featuring the league's star players. The format has changed thro ...
on December 20, 2016, as a result of his successful season with the Titans. Murray was ranked 33rd by his fellow players on the
NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 The NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 was the seventh season in the series. It ended with reigning Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady being ranked #1. This made Brady the first player to be voted #1 more than once. It was also just the second time the #1 ranked ...
.


2017 season

Murray split carries with
Heisman Trophy The Heisman Memorial Trophy (usually known colloquially as the Heisman Trophy or The Heisman) is awarded annually to the most outstanding player in college football. Winners epitomize great ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard ...
-winning second-year running back
Derrick Henry Derrick Lamar Henry Jr. (born January 4, 1994) is an American football running back for the Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL). His imposing rushing game and larger stature than the average running back earned him the nickna ...
and run-oriented quarterback
Marcus Mariota Marcus Ardel Taulauniu Mariota (born October 30, 1993) is an American football quarterback for the Atlanta Falcons of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted second overall by the Tennessee Titans in the 2015 NFL Draft. Mariota play ...
, reaching 15 rushing attempts just once through Week 10. Despite the limited touches, he had 14 carries for 115 yards, including a 75-yard rushing touchdown, in a Week 3 33–27 victory over the
Seattle Seahawks The Seattle Seahawks are a professional American football team based in Seattle. The Seahawks compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) West, which they rejoined in 2002 as ...
, and two rushing touchdowns along with the game-winning receiving touchdown in a Week 10 24–20 victory over the
Cincinnati Bengals The Cincinnati Bengals are a professional American football team based in Cincinnati. The Bengals compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC North, North division. The c ...
. Murray made his final appearance of the regular season in Week 16 against the
Los Angeles Rams The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
. He had 15 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown and three receptions for 11 yards before leaving the 23–27 loss with a knee injury that kept him out of the regular-season finale and the playoffs. Murray finished the 2017 season with a career-low 659 rushing yards and six touchdowns to along with 39 receptions for 266 yards and a touchdown. On March 8, 2018, Murray was released by the Titans.


Retirement

On July 13, 2018, Murray announced his retirement from the NFL.


NFL career statistics


Regular season


Postseason


NFL records and awards

* NFL Offensive Rookie of the Month: November 2011 * NFL Rookie of the Week: Week 7, 2011 * NFL rushing yards leader: 2014 * NFL Offensive Player of the Year: 2014 * NFL rushing touchdowns leader: 2014 * 2x NFC Offensive Player of the Month: September and October 2014 * 6x FedEx Ground Player of the Week * Second-most rushing yards in a single game by a rookie in NFL history: 253 (October 23, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams) * First player in NFL history to start a season with eight consecutive games with at least 100 rushing yards


Cowboys franchise records

* Most rushing yards in a game by a rookie: 253 (October 23, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams) * Most Rush Yds/Att in a game/as a rookie: 10.12 (October 23, 2011, against the St. Louis Rams) * Most rushing yards over a three-game span: 466 (2011) * Most rush attempts in a season: 392 (2014) * Most rushing yards in a season: 1,845 (2014) * Most scrimmage yards in a season: 2,261 (2014) * Most games with at least 100 rushing yards (12 + 1 in postseason, 2014) * Most Rush Yds/Att (career): 4.85 * Most Rush Yds/Att (rookie season): 5.47 (2011) * Most Rush Yds/Game (season): 115.3 (2014) * Most All Purpose Yds (season): 2,261 (2014)


Post-playing career

In August 2018, a month after his retirement, Murray was added as a college football commentator for
Fox Sports Fox Sports is the brand name for a number of sports channels, broadcast divisions, programming, and other media around the world. The ''Fox Sports'' name has since been used for other sports media assets. These assets are held mainly by the Fo ...
.


Coaching career

On January 2, 2019, Murray joined
Kevin Sumlin Kevin Warren Sumlin (born August 3, 1964) is an American football coach who is the head coach and general manager for the Houston Gamblers of the United States Football League (USFL). Sumlin served as the head football coach at the University of ...
's staff at the
Arizona Wildcats football The Arizona Wildcats football program represents the University of Arizona (UA) in the sport of American college football. Arizona competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Pac- ...
team as the running backs coach. On January 27, 2020, Murray returned to his alma mater, the
University of Oklahoma The University of Oklahoma (OU) is a Public university, public research university in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it had existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two Territories became the state of Oklahom ...
, as running backs coach.


Personal life

On June 20, 2013, actress Heidi Mueller gave birth to Murray's first child, a daughter, Savanna June. The couple announced their engagement on January 19, 2015. They also have a son named Parker Ray, who was born in 2015. Murray started the DeMarco Murray Foundation with the mission to provide families with seriously and chronically ill kids with daily encouragement and life-changing experiences. Murray also serves as The Chief Athletics Officer of Wellness in the Schools, a non profit organization that promotes healthy eating, environmental awareness and fitness for children in New York City public schools.


See also

* List of Division I FBS rushing touchdown leaders *
List of NCAA Division I FBS career rushing touchdowns leaders The NCAA Division I FBS rushing leaders are career, single-season, and single-game leaders in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons: * Since 1955, seasons have increased from 10 ...
*
List of National Football League annual rushing touchdowns leaders This is a season-by-season list of National Football League players who have led the regular season in rushing touchdowns. Although ''rushing'' has both an offensive and a defensive meaning, this list charts offensive rushing touchdowns, usual ...
*
List of National Football League rushing champions In American football, rushing and passing are the two main methods of advancing the ball down the field. A rush, also known as a running play, generally occurs when the quarterback hands or tosses the ball backwards to the running back, but oth ...


References


External links

*
Official websiteOklahoma Sooners coaching bioOklahoma Sooners playing bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Demarco 1988 births Living people African-American players of American football American Conference Pro Bowl players American football running backs Bishop Gorman High School alumni Dallas Cowboys players Oklahoma Sooners football players Philadelphia Eagles players Players of American football from Nevada Sportspeople from Las Vegas Tennessee Titans players Unconferenced Pro Bowl players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people National Football League Offensive Player of the Year Award winners