DeMarco Murray facts for kids

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DeMarco Murray

Murray in 2012

Oklahoma Sooners

Position:

Running backs coach

Personal information

Born:

February 12, 1988 (age 37)
Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.

Height:

6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)

Weight:

220 lb (100 kg)

Career information

High school:

Bishop Gorman
(Las Vegas, Nevada)

College:

Oklahoma (2006–2010)

NFL Draft:

2011 / Round: 3 / Pick: 71

Career history

As player:

Dallas Cowboys (2011–2014)
Philadelphia Eagles (2015)
Tennessee Titans (2016–2017)

As coach:

Arizona (2019)
Running backs coach
Oklahoma (2020–present)
Running backs coach

Career highlights and awards

NFL Offensive Player of the Year (2014)
First-team All-Pro (2014)
3× Pro Bowl (2013, 2014, 2016)
NFL rushing yards leader (2014)
NFL rushing touchdowns co-leader (2014)
PFWA All-Rookie Team (2011)
2× First-team All-Big 12 (2008, 2010)
Second-team All-Big 12 (2009)

Career NFL statistics

Rushing yards:	7,174
Rushing average:	4.5
Rushing touchdowns:	49
Receptions:	307
Receiving yards:	2,165
Receiving touchdowns:	6

Player stats at PFR

DeMarco Murray (born February 12, 1988) is an American football coach and former professional player. He played as a running back in the National Football League (NFL) for seven seasons.

Murray was chosen for the Pro Bowl three times and was a first-team All-Pro once. In 2014, he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. That year, he led the NFL in both rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

He played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners. The Dallas Cowboys picked him in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. After four seasons with the Cowboys, he played for the Philadelphia Eagles for one year. Then, he spent two years with the Tennessee Titans. Today, Murray is the running backs coach at The University of Oklahoma.

Early Life and High School Football

DeMarco Murray grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. He went to Bishop Gorman High School. There, he played football, basketball, and ran track.

In football, Murray was an All-Conference player for three years in a row. His team won the Conference Championship three times. In his senior year (2005), he ran for 1,947 yards and scored 27 touchdowns. He also caught 22 passes for 624 yards and seven more touchdowns.

These amazing stats earned him All-State honors. He was also named the 2005 Sunset Region Offensive Player of the Year. Murray was considered one of the best running backs in his class. He chose to play for Oklahoma over other big schools like Southern California.

College Football Career

Murray playing for Oklahoma in 2007

DeMarco Murray played college football for the Oklahoma Sooners from 2006 to 2010. He spent his first year, 2006, as a "redshirt." This means he practiced with the team but did not play in games.

Starting Strong: 2007 Season

In 2007, Murray began playing for Oklahoma. In his very first game, he rushed for 87 yards and scored five touchdowns. This was a school record for a debut game.

He also set a Sooner record with a 92-yard touchdown run. This was one of the longest runs in Oklahoma football history. By the end of the season, he had 764 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. This tied a freshman touchdown record.

Breaking 1,000 Yards: 2008 Season

In 2008, Murray continued to be a key player. He started the season with 124 yards and two touchdowns. He had several games with over 100 rushing yards.

He also scored touchdowns by catching passes. Murray finished the 2008 season with 1,002 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns. He also had 395 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns.

Overcoming Injuries: 2009 Season

The 2009 season saw Murray continue to be a strong runner and receiver. He rushed for over 100 yards in some games. He also had a game with 116 receiving yards.

He finished the season with 705 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. He also added 522 receiving yards and four touchdowns.

Record-Breaking Senior Year: 2010 Season

In his final college season (2010), Murray was the main running back for the Sooners. He started with 208 rushing yards in the first game. He scored two touchdowns in each of his first three games.

On October 16, 2010, Murray broke a major record. He passed Steve Owens to become Oklahoma's all-time touchdown leader with 58 touchdowns. He ended his college career with 65 touchdowns. This made him one of only five players in Big 12 history to score at least 60 career touchdowns.

Murray finished his college career with 3,685 rushing yards and 50 touchdowns. He also had 157 catches for 13 touchdowns. He was also great at kickoff returns, with 1,462 yards and two touchdowns.

Professional Football Career

DeMarco Murray was chosen by the Dallas Cowboys in the third round of the 2011 NFL draft. He was the sixth running back picked that year.

Dallas Cowboys: 2011–2014

Rookie Year: 2011 Season

Murray started his rookie year as the third-string running back. But he got his chance when other players were injured. In Week 7, against the St. Louis Rams, Murray had an incredible game.

He rushed for 253 yards and one touchdown. This broke Emmitt Smith's single-game rushing record for the Cowboys. His 91-yard touchdown run was the longest rush of the 2011 season. He was named NFL Rookie of the Week for this game.

Murray finished his rookie season with 897 rushing yards. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry, which was very high for an NFL player.

Building Up: 2012 and 2013 Seasons

In 2012, Murray started strong with 131 rushing yards in the first game. He missed six games due to a foot injury. Still, he finished the season with 663 rushing yards and four touchdowns.

In 2013, Murray had a season-high 175 rushing yards against the Rams. He again missed some games due to injury. Despite this, he had a career-high 1,121 rushing yards and nine touchdowns. His 5.2 yards per attempt was the best in the league for players with many carries. He was also chosen for his first Pro Bowl.

Leading the League: 2014 Season

The 2014 season was Murray's best. He and the Cowboys' improved offensive line were a powerful force. He broke Jim Brown's 1958 NFL record by starting the season with eight straight games of over 100 rushing yards.

He had many strong performances, including 167 yards against the Titans and 149 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints. He finished the 2014 season with an amazing 1,845 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns. He also had 57 catches for 416 yards.

Murray led the NFL in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns. He was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year. He also set new Cowboys franchise records for most rushing yards in a season and most games with 100+ rushing yards.

Philadelphia Eagles: 2015 Season

In 2015, Murray signed a five-year contract with the Philadelphia Eagles. His time with the Eagles was challenging. In his first game, he had only nine rushing yards but scored two touchdowns.

He struggled to find his rhythm with the team's offense. He had only one game with over 100 rushing yards that season. Murray finished the 2015 season with 702 rushing yards and six touchdowns.

Tennessee Titans: 2016–2017

Comeback Season: 2016 Season

In 2016, Murray was traded to the Tennessee Titans. This move helped him have a great comeback season. He quickly became a key player for the Titans.

He had several games with over 100 rushing yards. He even threw his first NFL touchdown pass in a game against the Green Bay Packers. Murray finished the season with 1,287 rushing yards and 12 total touchdowns.

He led the AFC in rushing yards and was third in the entire league. He was chosen for his third Pro Bowl.

Final Season: 2017 Season

In 2017, Murray shared carries with another talented running back, Derrick Henry. He still had some big plays, including a 75-yard touchdown run against the Seahawks.

He also scored two rushing touchdowns and a game-winning receiving touchdown against the Bengals. Murray finished the 2017 season with 659 rushing yards and six touchdowns. He was released by the Titans in March 2018.

Retirement

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

NFL Career Statistics

Legend
	AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year
	Led the league
Bold	Career high

Regular season

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2011	DAL	13	7	164	897	5.5	91T	2	26	183	7.0	18	0	1	0
2012	DAL	10	10	161	663	4.1	48	4	35	251	7.2	22	0	3	2
2013	DAL	14	14	217	1,121	5.2	43	9	53	350	6.6	22	1	3	1
2014	DAL	16	16	392	1,845	4.7	51	13	57	416	7.3	34	0	5	5
2015	PHI	15	8	193	702	3.6	54T	6	44	322	7.3	44	1	2	2
2016	TEN	16	16	293	1,287	4.4	75T	9	53	377	7.1	35	3	3	1
2017	TEN	15	15	184	659	3.6	75T	6	39	266	6.8	18	1	1	1
Career		99	86	1,604	7,174	4.5	91	49	307	2,165	7.1	44	6	18	12

Postseason

Year	Team	Games		Rushing					Receiving					Fumbles
Year	Team	GP	GS	Att	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Rec	Yds	Avg	Lng	TD	Fum	Lost
2014	DAL	2	2	44	198	4.5	30	2	4	27	6.8	13	0	1	1
2017	TEN	0	0	did not play due to injury
Career		2	2	44	198	4.5	30	2	4	27	6.8	13	0	1	1

Life After Playing

After retiring from playing football, DeMarco Murray became a college football commentator for Fox Sports in August 2018.

Coaching Career

In January 2019, Murray joined the Arizona Wildcats football team as their running backs coach. A year later, in January 2020, he returned to his old college, the University of Oklahoma. He now coaches the running backs there.

Personal Life and Charity Work

DeMarco Murray is married to actress Heidi Mueller. They have two children together.

He started the DeMarco Murray Foundation. This foundation helps families with seriously or chronically ill children. It aims to give them daily encouragement and special experiences. Murray also works with Wellness in the Schools. This group promotes healthy eating and fitness for kids in New York City public schools.

Images for kids

Murray playing for Oklahoma in 2007
Murray with the Cowboys in 2012
Murray in action during the 2014 Pro Bowl
Murray with the Eagles in 2015