There are all sorts of different running backs that possess different skill-sets and bring different things to the table. You have your prototypical regular every down back, then you have your change-of-pace back, and last your power goaline back and then you have special players that can just flat out do it all. Most teams don't carry all three types on a single roster. Sometimes there's combinations of two of the three, but rarely is it seen that there is all three on a depth chart. Toby Gerhart fits somewhere in between a power goaline back and your prototypical regular every down back; much like Mike Alstott was for Tampa Bay.
Gerhart was this years runner up for the Heisman Trophy Award and finished the year as the nations leading rusher with 1,871 yards and maintained a 5.5 average per carry. Through the course of the year, Gerhart was nearly unstoppable; there were only two games this year where he didn't rush for over 100 yards.
The Stanford Running Back was not only successful on the grid-iron but also on the diamond. He was a two-sport star for his entire collegiate career. Gerhart, earlier this year, decided that he would forgo his professional football career if he were to be offered a lucrative deal to play baseball and had this to say about it, "I don’t have an exact number in mind but it’s going to take something big" in terms of a baseball contract. Gerhart felt that he could have a longer career in baseball and that football would take it's toll on his body. Unfortunately there was no deal offered, at least large enough, for Gerhart to opt out of playing football.
In 2006, Gerhart's Freshman year, he backed up Anthony Kimble and only had one start. His season total was only 375 yards but the young halfback showed a lot of upside. In 2007, he sustained a significant injury to his knee, enough to keep him out for the season; there was only one game that year that Gerhart played in and he managed to rush for 140 yards. 2008 would be the beginning of Gerharts true legacy at Stanford. He rushed for over 1000 yards. This past season was by far Gerhart's most productive and he came close to 2000 yards. Considering the amount of games that there is per season in college football, that is phenomenal. He finished the year with 27 rushing touchdowns as well.
Below, we'll look at Gerhart's stats and highlights and project where Gerhart may possibly end up in the draft.
The video here showcases exactly why Gerhart was the leading rusher in college football last season. He is a bruising running back that fears nothing and no one. It's hard to picture Gerhart being a feature back in the NFL but I certainly could be proven wrong. None the less, he will be extremely valuable to whoever drafts him.
AWARDS AND HONORS:
- 2009 Doak Walker Award
- 2009 Archie Griffin Award
- 2009 Jim Brown Trophy
- 2009 First Team All-American
- 2009 National Offensive Player of the Year
- 2009 Pac 10 Player of the Year
- 2009 Pac 10 All-Academic Team
- 2009 NCAA Rushing Leader
- 2009 Heisman Trophy Runner-Up
CAREER STATS:
Stats Overview | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||
YEAR | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | FUM | LST |
2006 | 106 | 375 | 3.5 | 38 | 0 | 15 | 124 | 8.3 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2007 | 12 | 140 | 11.7 | 48 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2008 | 210 | 1136 | 5.4 | 46 | 15 | 13 | 114 | 8.8 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2009 | 343 | 1871 | 5.5 | 61 | 27 | 11 | 157 | 14.3 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2009 Regular Season Game Log | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
DATE | OPP | RESULT | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | FUM | LST |
9/5 | @Washington State | W 39-13 | 23 | 121 | 5.3 | 39 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
9/12 | @Wake Forest | L 24-17 | 17 | 82 | 4.8 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
9/19 | San Jose State | W 42-17 | 24 | 113 | 4.7 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
9/26 | Washington | W 34-14 | 27 | 200 | 7.4 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
10/3 | UCLA | W 24-16 | 29 | 134 | 4.6 | 20 | 3 | 2 | 24 | 12.0 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
10/10 | @Oregon State | L 38-28 | 20 | 96 | 4.8 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
10/17 | @Arizona | L 43-38 | 28 | 123 | 4.4 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
10/24 | Arizona State | W 33-14 | 27 | 125 | 4.6 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
11/7 | Oregon | W 51-42 | 38 | 223 | 5.9 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
11/14 | @USC | W 55-21 | 29 | 178 | 6.1 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
11/21 | California | L 34-28 | 20 | 136 | 6.8 | 61 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 29.0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
11/28 | Notre Dame | W 45-38 | 29 | 205 | 7.1 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 33.0 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2009 Postseason Game Log | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | |||||||||||
BOWL | OPP | RESULT | ATT | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD | FUM | LST |
BRUT SUN BOWL | Oklahoma | L 31-27 | 32 | 135 | 4.2 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
SUMMARY AND PROJECTION:
As much as I think he should, I don't think that Toby Gerhart will be a 1st Round selection. It's a shame that a guy can lead the nation in rushing yards and still not be considered as a 1st Round selection. I don't think that he will be selected before the 2nd Round or after the 2nd Round. He is a solid 2nd Round pick. Of course he could slip and it is possible that he has a bad combine but I think that the chances are slim that he would fall in to the 3rd. Gerhart is 6'1" 235 LBS.
Possibilities -- 2nd Round; Picks 33-64.