Cam Akers facts for kids
Akers at the 2017 All-American Bowl
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| No. 26 – New Orleans Saints | |||||||||||||
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| Position: | Running back | ||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||
| Born: | June 22, 1999 Jackson, Mississippi, U.S. |
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| Height: | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||||||||||||
| Weight: | 217 lb (98 kg) | ||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||
| High school: | Clinton (Clinton, Mississippi) |
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| College: | Florida State (2017–2019) | ||||||||||||
| NFL Draft: | 2020 / Round: 2 / Pick: 52 | ||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||
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| Roster status: | Active | ||||||||||||
| Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2024 | |||||||||||||
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Cam Akers (born June 22, 1999) is an American professional football player. He is a running back for the New Orleans Saints in the National Football League (NFL). Akers played college football for the Florida State Seminoles. The Los Angeles Rams picked him in the second round of the 2020 NFL draft. He played four seasons with the Rams. In 2021, he tore his Achilles tendon but came back for the playoffs. He helped the team win Super Bowl LVI. In 2023, he was traded to the Minnesota Vikings. He later played for the Houston Texans before returning to the Vikings. As of 2025, he plays for the New Orleans Saints.
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Cam Akers' Early Life and High School Football
Cam Akers grew up in Clinton, Mississippi. He went to Clinton High School. There, he played both quarterback and running back for the school's football team.
High School Achievements
During his senior year, Akers ran for 2,105 yards. He also scored 34 touchdowns by running. He passed for 3,128 yards and threw 31 touchdowns. Throughout his high school career, he gained 13,243 total yards and scored 149 touchdowns.
Akers was named the Mississippi Gatorade Player of The Year. He also played in the U.S. Army All-American Bowl. In 2016, he won the U.S. Army Player of the Year Award.
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40‡ | Commit date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Akers RB |
Clinton, MS | Clinton (MS) | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 213 lb (97 kg) | 4.41 | Dec 27, 2016 |
Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |
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| Overall recruiting rankings: Rivals: 2 (RB) 247Sports: 1 (RB) ESPN: 1 (RB) | ||||||
Sources: |
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Experts rated Akers as a five-star recruit. This means he was one of the best young players in his class. He decided to play college football at Florida State University.
High School Football Statistics
| Season | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | TD | Int | Rtg | Att | Yds | TD | |
| 2013 | 63 | 134 | 47.0 | 881 | 7 | 3 | -- | 123 | 684 | 4 |
| 2014 | 119 | 200 | 59.5 | 1,800 | 20 | 5 | 112.1 | 166 | 896 | 17 |
| 2015 | 141 | 250 | 56.4 | 2,331 | 20 | 8 | 101.3 | 169 | 1,418 | 16 |
| 2016 | 173 | 280 | 61.8 | 3,128 | 31 | 6 | 128.1 | 242 | 2,105 | 34 |
| Career | 496 | 864 | 57.4 | 8,140 | 78 | 26 | 106.7 | 700 | 5,103 | 71 |
Cam Akers' College Football Career
Cam Akers played college football for the Florida State Seminoles from 2017 to 2019.
2017 College Season Highlights
In his first college game, Akers ran for 30 yards against Alabama. He had his first game with over 100 rushing yards against Miami (FL), gaining 129 yards. A week later, he scored his first college touchdown against Duke.
Against Syracuse, Akers ran for 199 yards and two touchdowns. By the end of the season, he had 1,025 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. This broke the Florida State freshman rushing record. He was named Third-Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).
2018 College Season Overview
Akers was the starting running back again for the 2018 season. He was also named Preseason All-ACC. He finished the season with 706 rushing yards and six touchdowns.
2019 College Season and NFL Draft Decision
In 2019, Akers had a great game against Louisiana–Monroe. He ran for 193 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. His 36 carries in that game set a new team record.
Against Louisville, Akers ran for 112 yards and three touchdowns. He also had strong performances against Wake Forest and Syracuse. Against Syracuse, his four touchdowns tied a program record.
On December 14, 2019, Akers announced he would skip the Sun Bowl. He decided to enter the 2020 NFL draft. He finished his college career with 2,875 rushing yards, which ranks sixth in Florida State history. He was named Second-Team All-ACC.
College Football Statistics
| Florida State Seminoles | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | GP | Rushing | Receiving | ||||||
| Att | Yds | Avg | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | ||
| 2017 | 13 | 194 | 1,025 | 5.3 | 7 | 16 | 116 | 7.3 | 1 |
| 2018 | 12 | 161 | 706 | 4.4 | 6 | 23 | 145 | 6.3 | 2 |
| 2019 | 11 | 231 | 1,144 | 5.0 | 14 | 30 | 225 | 7.5 | 4 |
| Career | 36 | 586 | 2,875 | 4.9 | 27 | 69 | 486 | 7.0 | 7 |
Cam Akers' Professional Football Career
Akers was seen as one of the best running backs in the 2020 NFL Draft. Many thought he would be picked in the second round.
Los Angeles Rams (2020–2023)
The Los Angeles Rams chose Cam Akers in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft. He was the 52nd player picked overall.
2020 NFL Season
In Week 11, Akers scored his first NFL touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 14, he had a huge game against the New England Patriots. He ran for 171 yards, which was one of the best rushing performances in the NFL that year. The Rams won 24–3. Akers was named the NFC Offensive Player of the Week for his great play.
In the playoffs, Akers continued to play well. He ran for 131 yards and a touchdown against the Seattle Seahawks. In the next game against the Green Bay Packers, he ran for 90 yards and a touchdown.
2021 NFL Season and Super Bowl Win
On July 20, 2021, Akers tore his Achilles tendon during a workout. This is a serious injury that usually takes a long time to heal. He was expected to miss the whole 2021 season. However, he had a special surgery that helped him recover much faster. He was able to return to play on December 25, 2021.
Akers played in the Super Bowl LVI against the Cincinnati Bengals. He had 13 carries for 21 rushing yards. The Rams won the Super Bowl 23–20, making Akers a Super Bowl champion.
2022 NFL Season
Akers had a strong finish to the 2022 season. Against the Denver Broncos in Week 16, he ran for 118 yards and scored three touchdowns. He then had two more games with over 100 rushing yards against the Los Angeles Chargers and the Seattle Seahawks. He finished the 2022 season with 786 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
2023 NFL Season and Trade
Akers started the 2023 season as the Rams' main running back. However, after Week 1, he was inactive for a game. On September 21, 2023, the Rams traded Akers to the Minnesota Vikings.
Minnesota Vikings (2023)
Akers made his debut for the Vikings against the Carolina Panthers, rushing for 40 yards. However, in Week 9 against the Atlanta Falcons, he suffered another injury to his left Achilles tendon. This injury ended his season early.
Houston Texans (2024)
On July 21, 2024, Akers signed with the Houston Texans.
Minnesota Vikings (Second Time, 2024)
On October 15, 2024, the Texans traded Akers back to the Minnesota Vikings. He finished the 2024 season with 444 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. He also had 14 catches for 68 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns.
New Orleans Saints (2025–Present)
On June 13, 2025, Akers signed with the New Orleans Saints. He is currently a player for the Saints.
NFL Career Statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular Season Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Fum | Lost | ||
| 2020 | LAR | 13 | 5 | 145 | 625 | 4.3 | 61 | 2 | 11 | 123 | 11.2 | 38 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| 2021 | LAR | 1 | 0 | 5 | 3 | 0.6 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | – |
| 2022 | LAR | 15 | 9 | 188 | 786 | 4.2 | 42 | 9 | 13 | 117 | 9.0 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 2023 | LAR | 1 | 1 | 22 | 29 | 1.3 | 12 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | – |
| MIN | 6 | 0 | 38 | 138 | 3.6 | 19 | 1 | 11 | 70 | 6.4 | 30 | 0 | 0 | – | |
| 2024 | HOU | 5 | 2 | 40 | 147 | 3.7 | 15 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| MIN | 12 | 0 | 64 | 297 | 4.6 | 58 | 1 | 10 | 52 | 5.2 | 9 | 2 | 0 | – | |
| Career | 53 | 17 | 502 | 2,025 | 4.0 | 61 | 13 | 52 | 388 | 7.5 | 38 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
Postseason Statistics
| Year | Team | Games | Rushing | Receiving | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Att | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | Rec | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | ||
| 2020 | LAR | 2 | 2 | 46 | 221 | 4.8 | 20 | 2 | 3 | 51 | 17.0 | 44 | 0 |
| 2021 | LAR | 4 | 3 | 67 | 172 | 2.6 | 15 | 0 | 8 | 76 | 9.5 | 40 | 0 |
| 2024 | MIN | 1 | 0 | 5 | 39 | 7.8 | 26 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – |
| Career | 7 | 5 | 118 | 432 | 3.7 | 26 | 2 | 11 | 127 | 11.5 | 44 | 0 | |
