Cowboys rookie RB DeMarco Murray finished his collegiate career as Oklahoma’s all-time leader in all-purpose yards, so he knows a thing or two about being a playmaker. But nobody could’ve predicted that, by the end of Sunday’s 34-7 win over the Rams, Murray would run into the record books.

With injured starter Felix Jones out, Murray had a chance to step up and seized the opportunity, setting a franchise record with 253 rushing yards on 25 carries.

“It was unfortunate that Felix went down, but Coach (Jason) Garrett harps on opportunity,” Murray said Monday on “Around the League”. “You never know when it’s going to present itself, and you have to continue to work hard. When you do get that opportunity, you have to come with it.”

For the record, prior to the game, Murray had all of 24 carries for 71 yards. He didn’t even start against the Rams. That duty was awarded to Tashard Choice. But when Murray raced for a 91-yard touchdown in the first quarter, it became clear who the featured back would be.

“My offensive line did a great job blocking all day long — holes big enough to drive buses through,” said Murray, who was taken in the third round of April’s draft. “A lot of credit goes to those guys.”

With the breakout performance and Jones expected to miss a couple more games, you’ve got to wonder if Garrett will be calling Murray’s number more often. Whatever his role might be, Murray is ready, willing and able to handle it.

“To be honest, I don’t know. Whatever it is, whatever Coach Garrett and Coach (Skip) Peete want me to do, I’m going to do,” Murray said. “Whether it’s the second-, third- or first-string guy, I’m going to do it with a smile on my face and continue to help this team win regardless.”

Posted in: NFL Network  | comments  |