Los Angeles Rams running back Kyren Williams is coming off back-to-back-to-back 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons, one of only four backs to do so, joining Derrick Henry, James Cook and Tony Pollard.
Williams, in an interview on the "" with Kay Adams, said he's proud of the consistency he's shown, but believes hitting 1,000 yards is easy in the Rams offense.
"It means everything," he said. "I remember coming into the NFL and going through those pre-draft meetings, and all these coaches was like, 'What's your goal?' And I told them my simple goal is a 1,000-yard season every year. As a running back, if you know what you're doing running the ball, 1,000 yards should be fairly kind of easy. But that also comes with the great linemen that we have and the great offensive-minded coach that we have, as well, that allows me to be able to do those types of things.
"As a running back, that's just something we strive for. That's something I strive for. That's something I hold true to myself that I've got to continue to get those positive yards, those efficient yards. When I look back at the season, I expect to see 1,000 yards."
Williams finished sixth in rushing yards last season with 1,252 yards on 259 carries while adding 10 touchdowns. Not only has the 25-year-old gone over the 1,000-yard mark each of the last three seasons, but he's also surpassed 1,100 yards in each of those campaigns, and 1,200-plus the past two.
The model of consistency, averaging 4.6 yards per carry for his career, Williams' gashing style fits perfectly in Sean McVay's offense. Despite the output, the RB isn't a household name like other running backs of his caliber. Williams believes that if he can add more explosive plays to his game, he'll be viewed in a different light.
"I think those long runs, honestly," Williams said. "Breaking those long runs and allowing people to see that when I get to that third level, I can make the defender miss and I'm gonna go score that. Once I do that this year, they're gonna really start respecting my name.
"Like I said, I don't look too much into that. I don't care too much for that. I just know that every single day that I come out here and I'm working, I'm getting better. The only thing I can control is what I can do, and run my own race, so I'm gonna do that to the best of my ability and see where the chips fall."
Williams generated just six rushes of 20-plus yards last season and none in the 40-plus-yard range. With Blake Corum expected to continue eating into Williams' rep count, adding more explosives would keep his production up without extra totes.
