Latavius Murray

BIOGRAPHY

Latavius Murray was born on January 18th, 1990, in Titusville, Florida. He is a running back in the National Football League.

Murray attended Onondaga Central High School in Onondaga, New York, where he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. In football, Murray was All-league and All-Central New York selection in three straight seasons. In his sophomore year, he was third-team All-state honoree following a 1,609-yard, 14-touchdown season. He garnered first-team All-state honors as a junior, rushing for 2,030 yards and 30 touchdowns. In his final year, he was named the 2007 Gatorade Football Player of the Year in the state of New York after rushing for 2,194 yards with 28 touchdowns on offense, while also recording 78 tackles, three forced fumbles and two interceptions on defense. He also was named as the Class D Player of the Year and First-Team All-State by the NYSSWA.

Regarded as a three-star recruit, Murray was ranked as the No. 5 prospect in the state of New York by Rivals.com, No. 6 according to Scout.com. He chose UCF over scholarship offers from Boston College, Maryland, and Syracuse, among others.

Murray played college football at the University of Central Florida. He made his collegiate debut against South Carolina State and had 43 rushing yards and two touchdowns. In his freshman season, he finished with 132 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. 

After redshirting in 2009, he returned to the Knights' backfield in 2010. On November 20, against Tulane, he had his best game of the season with 146 rushing yards and a touchdown. On December 4, against SMU, he finished with 94 rushing yards and 21 receiving yards in a game with his first collegiate receiving touchdown. In his redshirt sophomore season, he was named Conference USA Championship MVP and also was named AutoZone Liberty Bowl MVP for his performance against Georgia in which he rushed for 104 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown. Overall, in the 2010 season, he finished with 637 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns, five receptions, 47 receiving yards, and one receiving touchdown.

Following the conclusion of his junior season, he was selected as the team's MVP and offensive player of the year. In his senior season, he was an All-C-USA First Team selection and was named to Phil Steele's All-C-USA First Team. He was named to the College Football Performance Awards All-Purpose Trophy Watch List and also was selected to the College Football Performance Awards Special Teams Watch List. On August 30, 2012, he started the season with 108 rushing yards and a touchdown against Akron. On October 20, he started a four-game stretch where he recorded 192 yards and two touchdowns, 156 yards and three touchdowns, 155 yards and two touchdowns, and 117 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in those games. Overall, in his last season with the Knights, he had 1,106 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions, 231 receiving yards, and four receiving touchdowns. He finished his college career with a total of 2,424 rushing yards, 37 rushing touchdowns, 50 receptions, 524 receiving yards and 6 receiving touchdowns.

Murray was selected by the Oakland Raiders with the 181st overall pick in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft. The Oakland Raiders signed Murray to a four-year, $2.26 million contract on June 6, 2013. It also included $106,200 guaranteed and a signing bonus of $106,200.

After being third on the depth chart for the first half of the 2014 season behind veterans Darren McFadden and Maurice Jones-Drew, the Raiders turned to Murray in Week 11 to provide a spark after ineffectiveness by McFadden and Jones-Drew all year. He responded by totaling 59 yards on seven touches against the San Diego Chargers. On November 20, 2014, he finished with four carries for 112 rushing yards and 2 rushing touchdowns, marking his first career touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. It also marked the first rushing touchdown the Chiefs defense allowed all season and his 90-yard touchdown marked the longest rush for the Raiders that year. The solid performance by Murray contributed to the Raiders' first victory of the 2014 season.

He returned to play against the San Francisco 49ers in Week 14 and finished the game with 23 carries for 76 rushing yards. The next week, he earned his first career start against the Chiefs and had 12 rushing attempts for 59 yards. In week 16, he gained 86 yards on 16 carries and had his second consecutive start against the Buffalo Bills. He remained the starting running back for the last three games of the season and finished his first year with 82 carries, 424 rushing yards, and two rushing touchdowns in 15 games.

Murray entered the 2015 season as the Raiders' number one tailback and was expected by the Raiders to receive the majority of the carries after the retirement of Maurice Jones-Drew and the departure of Darren McFadden. In Week 3, Murray finished the game with a career-high 139 yards on 26 carries and added a touchdown in a win over the Cleveland Browns. On November 1, against the New York Jets, he had 113 rushing yards in the 34–20 victory.

On Christmas Eve, Murray became the first Raider to reach the 1,000-yard mark rushing, since Darren McFadden in 2010. His performance of 79 yards on 19 carries, 38 yards on five receptions and a rushing touchdown, helped edge a victory over the San Diego Chargers with a final score of 23–20 on Thursday Night Football in overtime. Overall, in the 2015 season, he finished with 1,066 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 41 receptions, and 232 receiving yards.

Murray started the 2016 season off with a rushing touchdown in three straight games against the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and Tennessee Titans. On October 23, against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he had 59 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. On November 6, in a 30–20 victory over the Denver Broncos, he had 114 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns. In a 38–24 victory over the Buffalo Bills on December 4, he finished with 82 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Murray finished the regular season playing in 14 games and rushing for 788 yards and a career-high 12 rushing touchdowns. Murray’s pass protecting ability was rated third best in the NFL among running backs.

On March 16, 2017, Murray signed a three-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings. During Week 7 against the Baltimore Ravens, Murray rushed for 117 yards and a touchdown as the Vikings won 24–16. On November 19 against the Los Angeles Rams, he had 95 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 24–7 victory. In the regular-season finale against the Chicago Bears, Murray had 111 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 23–10 victory. Overall, in the 2017 season, he finished with 842 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns, 15 receptions, and 103 receiving yards. The Vikings won the NFC North and made the playoffs as the #2-seed. In the 29–24 victory over the New Orleans Saints in the Divisional Round, he had 50 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown.

In the first five games of the 2018 season, Murray totaled 30 carries for 106 yards and nine receptions for 60 yards in a limited role. In Week 6, against the Arizona Cardinals, he had a career-high 155 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown in the 27–17 victory. In the next game, a 37–17 victory over the New York Jets, he had 69 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Overall, in the 2018 season, Murray finished with 578 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns, 22 receptions, and 141 receiving yards.

On March 13, 2019, Murray signed a four-year, $14.4 million contract with the New Orleans Saints. Murray finished his first season with the Saints with 637 rushing yards and five touchdowns along with 34 receptions for 235 yards and a touchdown. In Week 4 against the Detroit Lions, Murray rushed for 64 yards and his first two rushing touchdowns of the season during the 35–29 win. In Week 12 against the Denver Broncos, he had 19 carries for 124 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns in the 31–3 victory. He was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team on January 2, 2021, and activated on January 6.

On September 10, 2021, the Baltimore Ravens signed Murray following injuries to J.K. Dobbins, Justice Hill, and Gus Edwards.

Murray was signed off the Saints practice squad by the Denver Broncos following a season-ending injury to Javonte Williams.

 

Murray signed a one-year contract with the Bills on May 1, 2023.