Wagoner: Todd Gurley tops NFLPA's 'rising stars' list

The L.A. Effect: Todd Gurley tops NFLPA’s ‘rising stars’ list

Nick
ESPN Staff Writer

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/29119/the-l-a-effect-todd-gurley-tops-nflpas-rising-stars-list

LOS ANGELES — Now that the Rams are in Los Angeles, the nation’s second-largest market, there will be no shortage of opportunities for their biggest names to become more nationally known.

Which is why, when the NFLPA unveiled its list of 50 “rising stars” in the league on Thursday, there were four Rams on it. That includes running back Todd Gurley, who checked in at No. 1 overall.

The idea of the list, which is in its second year of existence, is to “identify the players best positioned to rank among top sellers of all officially licensed merchandise and become future retail stars.”

Gurley heads those rankings after earning Offensive Rookie of the Year and Pro Bowl honors despite playing in just 13 games. He rushed for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in his debut season, with sales of his No. 30 jersey currently ranked third among NFL running backs.

“It’s an absolute honor and I am humbled by the recognition,” Gurley said. “My rookie season was about staying healthy and contributing to the Rams, who took a risk by drafting me in the first round. To be included on this list… absolutely validates some of the goals that I had set out for myself when I entered the NFL.”

In addition to Gurley, rookie quarterback Jared Goff (No. 4), defensive tackle Aaron Donald (No. 20) and receiver Tavon Austin (No. 41) also received mention. The Rams trail only the Washington Redskins, who had five players garnering a mention, in terms of most players on the list.

“We strive to provide partners with a depth of player knowledge they can’t get anywhere else,” Steve Scebelo, NFLPA vice president of business development and licensing, said in a release. “And, through resources like the Rising 50 list, we can encourage them to create more products that represent an even wider variety of players who have so many unique characteristics.”

Gurley did find some early marketing and branding success as a rookie, signing deals with Hershey and Nike and filming a commercial to promote Jolly Ranchers candy early in the season. If Gurley’s ascent as a player continues, it’s safe to say he’ll have plenty more endorsement opportunities now that he’s in Los Angeles.

“Los Angeles is a huge market with an incredible sports history and I’m thrilled to take part in the NFL’s return,” Gurley said. “For me, I’m still the same guy that is going to work hard and do whatever I can to help the team win and give our fans something to be proud of.”

Even before the Rams used the No. 1 overall pick on him last week, Goff was endorsing products on social media. Advertisements from Goff’s Twitter account in the run-up to the draft included Tide, Gillette, Microsoft and Bose.

Donald, who is the most proven of the Rams on the list, also did some work on behalf of Mountain Dew’s Kickstart during Super Bowl week.

To formulate the list, the NFLPA says it takes into account performance on the field, popularity in fantasy leagues, early demand from current sponsors and licensees, and new faces in strong markets. Players can appear on the list only if they have not appeared on previous top-50-player sales lists.

New York Giants receiver Odell Beckham Jr. topped the list in 2015 and went on to fare well on the NFLPA’s player sales list during the 2015 season.