3 ways Cam Akers will help you forget Rams RB Todd Gurley in 2023

Reason II: He has the respect of his teammates and coaching staff again

Getting back from an Achilles Tendon injury is a huge step for an NFL running back. But regaining the respect of your teammates and coaching staff once you find yourself in the doghouse is a different matter altogether.

He had every excuse in the NFL book, but he used none of them. He had every reason to accept his limits after the tragedy of his Achilles Tendon injury, he accepted nothing. He had all the justification to accept a limited role, a handful of carries, and a cozy easy chair for his 2022 NFL season, but he sought justice from his head coach Sean McVay instead.

Eye of the tiger

He had every reason to throw in the towel, sit in his corner, and when he hit the mat hard, simply not get back up. But he did get back up, each and every time. He fought through injury. He fought through limited use. He even fought his head coach and coaching staff. But he did fight, and we all witnessed the results.

NFL professional athletes respect athleticism, professionalism, and competitiveness. LA Rams running back Cam Akers never conceded, never surrendered, never gave up, and never stopped competing. Everyone associated with the LA Rams organization, from his teammates to his coaches, and even to the executives in the front office, saw that eye-of-the-tiger fire in his eyes.

Who would you rather have in your backfield? A running back who is known to give up? Or one who never surrenders? Cam Akers has earned a level of respect from his teammates that few NFL players have a chance to.

Todd Gurley had a similar never-say-die attitude as well. Perhaps that is why I am fond of Cam Akers, in that he seems to possess that same quality.