www.demarco-murray.com/DeMarco Murray has played with tenacity since childhood
by: JOHN E. HOOVER World Sports Writer
Saturday, July 10, 2010
7/10/2010 5:17:57 AM
IF YOU THINK DeMarco Murray has shown toughness at Oklahoma, you should have seen him when he was younger.
"He was the smallest kid," said Murray's father, Kevin Murray. "He always played with his older brothers, and they made him tough."
Growing up in Las Vegas, Murray was the youngest of four football-playing brothers. Going into his senior year at OU, he has become the most decorated.
Murray ranks 13th on OU's career rushing yards list (2,471), third in career all-purpose yards (4,661) and fourth in career touchdowns (45). He is within reach (1,648 rushing, 1,221 all-purpose, 13 TDs) of owning all three marks.
"I think that played a very important role for him coming back this year," Kevin Murray said. "I still think DeMarco could have went in the second round of the NFL draft, but he said he had unfinished business to do at OU."
Unfinished business defines Murray's OU career so far. He redshirted four years ago because of a toe injury. He missed the last three games of his redshirt freshman season with a fractured kneecap. And he missed the last two games of his sophomore season with a torn hamstring tendon.
He was healthy for all but one game last season (an ankle sprain), and for the first time has had an entire offseason to work on his football skills instead of injury rehab. While Murray didn't participate in contact drills during spring practice, his offseason training regimen has been intense — and unique.
First, there's boxing. OK, not all-out sparring, but so far it's everything but contact.
"Some hand-eye coordination things and some footwork type of things," Murray said.
Then, there's pilates. Sure, it might sound feminine for a football player renowned for his toughness. But Lynn Swann did ballet. And it's physically demanding.
"It feels good," Murray said. "You've just got to concentrate on your flexibility, getting more flexible. That's something that'll help you on the field."
And there's mixed martial arts. Think boxing training is tough? Try getting in that cage.
"I'm just hitting bags, hitting pads and stuff," Murray said. "I haven't really sparred yet. I don't know if I want to. I may do that. I haven't really decided. But it's a lot of cardio. It gets you really tired and gets you in shape. You're using all kinds of muscles that you haven't ever done or worked on."
And there's swimming.
"It's also just a lot of core work," he said. "And it's helping me learn how to breathe and just getting me tired and getting me in shape, a lot of cardio as well."
And there's yoga.
"I start yoga in the fall," he said. "It's just different stuff. I'm trying to stay fresh and keep my mind right for the season. Sometimes when people train the same thing over and over, they get a little burned out or get a little tired of it.
"At this point, I'm ready to listen and try anything."
Kevin Murray, for one, is excited to see what a more flexible DeMarco can do in 2010.
"I think the reason DeMarco's injuries occurred was because of the stretching," he said. "I don't know if I should say this, but I think he hates stretching, and that's one of the most important things in any physical sport. You have to stretch. It's very important."
Sports always came easy to little DeMarco. He was an all-star basketball player at Bishop Gorman High School and became an All-American in football, though many projected him at cornerback. He ultimately chose playing running back at OU over cornerback at USC.
Kevin Murray said it was all those front-yard basketball games and football games that lit the competitive fire that burns in DeMarco today.
"I imagine this is what made DeMarco so tough," Kevin Murray said. "He would grind and fight with them as a football player. They'd play tackle football in the streets — and they never wanted him on their team because he was so small — but he would fight to get in there and he would do just what they would do.
"I had a basketball court in my front yard, and they never wanted him to play, and then when they finally started letting him play, he would dominate. He would go out there crying when he had to take a foul. They'd go head-up with pads on in football, and they'd knock him down, and he'd get up crying, and I'd make him get back in there and get at it again."
Said Murray, "They always used to tell me, 'Hey, you can't play.' They'd have friends over and I'd always try to jump in, and initially they wouldn't let me in. But I'd get in there and do pretty good, so they started letting me play eventually. I mean, there were times when I'd get knocked down, I'd cry, and my mom would tell me to get up and shake it off.
"I've always prided myself on being a tough player, never giving up and never quitting. It just kind of stayed with me throughout life."
