NFL 2010 Draft Profile: Stanford's RB Toby Gerhart

After recovering from the injury that wiped out his sophomore season by rushing for 1,136 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior, Stanford running back Toby Gerhart put together a senior season that brought him within 28 points of the 2009 Heisman Trophy.

As a senior Gerhart ran the ball 311 times for 1,736 yards and 26 touchdown for the Cardinals, saving some of his best efforts for Stanford's Pacific-10 Conference foes. Consistent all year, Gerhart had 3 games in which he rushed for over 200 yards, and 5 in which he scored 3 or more touchdowns. Gerhart launched his candidacy for the Heisman in earnest in the fourth game of the season, when he carried the ball 27 times for an even 200 yards to help Staford beat Washington 34-14. His totals against the Huskies included a 60 yard run in the first quarter which gave Stanford a led it never relinquished. In a 51-42 shootout against Oregon, Gerhart would go over the 200 yard mark again, gaining a season high 223 yards in 38 carries and scoring 3 times. His rushing totals would set a new Cardinals record. Following his record breaking performance against Oregon, Gerhart rushed for 178 yards against USC and 4 touchdowns against California before ending his regular season with a 205 yard, 3 touchdown effort against Notre Dame.

By season's end Gerhart ranked second in the nation in rushing, while leading all runners in touchdown scored. Along the way he garnered a great deal of press not only for his exploits on the playing field , but for being a white running back with a good shot at an NFL career at his position. Yet while it remains to be seen how he will perform as a pro, Gerhart does have the skill set required for success at the next level. At 6-1, 237 lbs, Gerhart has the size to run through defenders and pick up yards after contact, and yet he is also quick enough to avoid would be tacklers. Though he does not possess world class speed, Gerhart is capable of running a 40 in the 4.4 to 4.5 range. If he is able to run a low time for the 40 in the combine, look for Gerhart to sneak into the first day of the Draft. If a football career doesn't pan out for him, Gerhart may be able to make in professional baseball, a sport he has also played at Stanford.

Sources:

http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/draft/

http://rivals.yahoo.com/ncaa/football/

http://www.nfldraftscout.com/ratings/RB