McCaffrey hopes he has outrun doubters
INDIANAPOLIS — At Stanford, Christian McCaffrey accounted for touchdowns rushing, receiving and passing. He scored on punt returns and kickoff returns. He won the Paul Hornung Award, which is given to college football’s most versatile player.
Last week, at the NFL combine, a reporter who had delved into his backstory asked Mr. Do-It-All if it was true he was a self-taught harmonica player (correct). Another asked the Academic All-American if he also played piano (he does). Finally, the running back was asked if there was anything he couldn’t do.
“There’s a lot I can’t do,” McCaffrey said, smiling. “Don’t let me fool you up here.”
Twenty-four hours later, however, McCaffrey was adding to his legend at the NFL combine.
He didn’t leap Lucas Oil Stadium in a single bound, but his performance is bound to solidify his draft stock: McCaf-
frey had the second-fastest time (6.57 seconds) by a running back in the three-cone drill since 2003, posted the second-best vertical jump among running backs in his draft class and added a 4.48second 40-yard dash.
He also ran drills with the running backs and wide receivers, and his performance with the latter group wowed a former NFL general manager.
“He looked like a first-round pick there, too,” NFL Network analyst Charley Casserly said.
McCaffrey, of course, was viewed as one of the dynamic and intriguing prospects in the 2017 draft before he wowed last week at the event known as the “Underwear Olympics.”
At Stanford, he set an FBS season record for all-purpose yards (3,864), was a Heisman Trophy runner-up and averaged 8.5 yards per touch. Those are just a few of his notable accomplishments. His detailed online Stanford bio, filled with endless records, requires an afternoon to digest.
Now, after three seasons at Stanford, his Bay Area fans include leaders of the local NFL franchises, which both have needs at running back. McCaffrey is projected to be selected late in the first round. The Raiders have the No. 24 pick. The 49ers have the second pick of the second round, No. 34.
Niners general manager John Lynch, who also attended Stanford, is good friends with McCaffrey’s parents, Ed, a former NFL wide receiver, and Lisa, who both went to Stanford.
“I have great affinity for Christian as just a guy who’s done a lot for my school and their program,” Lynch said. “His parents … (are) special people, and he’s a special player. I’ll leave it at that.”
Raiders head coach Jack Del Rio also has a close connection. His son, Luke, a quarterback at the University of Florida, was teammates with McCaffrey at Valor Christian in Highlands Ranch, Colo. Del Rio termed McCaffrey an “amazing young man.”
“I heard the people question whether he’d be able to go from the high school level to the college level, and now the questions will come out, ‘Can he go from the college game to the pro game?’ ” Del Rio said. “And I think you’re going to see the same thing. This guy is a great football player, and I think he will have an impact in this league.”
As Del Rio noted, there are questions about McCaffrey’s ability to flourish in the NFL.
He did plenty in college, but he can’t do much about his size (5-foot-11, 202 pounds), which has raised doubts about his ability to serve as an everydown back. And those concerns weren’t eased by his bench-press performance at the combine: McCaffrey managed just 10 reps of 225 pounds,
Jack Del Rio, Raiders head coach, on former Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey
the second fewest among 30 running backs who lifted.
McCaffrey clearly has heard talk that he might be just a gadget player in the NFL (“I feel like a lot of people don’t give me credit for my skills and talents,” he said) and has noted he grinded out plenty of upthe-middle yards in college. McCaffrey had at least 25 carries in 12 of his last 25 games, and the workhorse took pride in redirecting blitzing defenders.
“I don’t think there’s anyone else that can do all the things I can as far as running between the tackles, outside pass protect, play (all the wide-receiver positions) and do a lot of things in the return game as well,” he said. “I think that’s what sets me apart.”
The fact that McCaffrey set himself apart from his teammates in what would have been his final college game inspired several questions when he met reporters last week. McCaffrey didn’t play in Stanford’s win over North Carolina in the Sun Bowl, to avoid an injury that could alter his draft stock. LSU’s Leonard Fournette, the top running back in the draft, also skipped his team’s bowl game.
“It was a career decision,” McCaffrey said. “It was a man decision to try to protect my dream of playing and succeeding in the NFL.”
Based on his personal connection to McCaffrey, Lynch said he doesn’t question his commitment to his team, but he knows of others who weren’t thrilled by his decision.
“This is such a team sport, and when you step back from that,” Lynch said, “I know there are people that I’ve talked to here that really bothers.”
On that issue, McCaffrey can’t do much to change opinions.
And the running back who did so much at Stanford also can’t do this: answer why some believe his college performance can’t be replicated in the NFL.
“I wish I knew,” McCaffrey said. “I have no idea.”
“I heard the people question whether he’d be able to go from the high school level to the college level, and now the questions will come out, ‘Can he go from the college game to the pro game?’ ”