NFL: Christian McCaffrey's Stardom Affected By Racial Issues, Former Coach Says

Christian McCaffrey’s former coach said the modern day NFL running back star’s rise to fame is apparently affected by some racial issues.

McCaffrey’s Stanford coach David Shaw is one of the people in football who knew him on and off the field. During McCaffrey’s college football days, Shaw discovered one of the running back’s essential traits.

“Christian, is a man of little doubt,” Shaw told Washington Post about McCaffrey.

The Panthers rising star had played multiple positions in high school, and recruiters from other schools doubted he possessed the size and strength to run between the tackles.

However, upon coming to Stanford, McCaffrey looked Shaw straight in the eye, dead serious, and told him he’s “a running back” and he “came to Stanford to run the power play.”

Undeniably, McCaffrey was able to keep his word. He’s been a nightmare for defenses and has managed to punish heavy personnel with his receiving or nickel alignments with his running.

In Shaw’s eyes, McCaffrey is already a star. Although “in a negative way,” the veteran coach thinks that the NFL is somewhat plagued with some racial issues which affect McCaffrey’s career.

“I don’t mind saying this. It’s not a negative thing at all. Because of his race, he doesn’t get put in the category he should be in, as far as people outside the game. People inside the game, they’ll tell you we’ve seen this before. This is LaDainian Tomlinson. This is [LeSean] McCoy. This is in that mold of Marshall Faulk,” Shaw pointed out.

In his first three years, McCaffrey has expanded and redefined his position. He has devised a template for how running backs and is perceived as the prototypical modern NFL running back

On production alone, McCaffrey’s 2019 season makes him an outlier. He leads the NFL with 1,244 yards from scrimmage and 13 total touchdowns, even though the Panthers have already taken their bye. He has gained nearly 20 more total yards per game than any other player. The Panthers have thrown him 52 passes, and he has caught 42 for 363 yards.

McCaffrey is arguably already building his resume as one of the best running backs in the league and certainly, one of the MVP candidates this season. Aside from putting up impressive numbers and stepping up to all sorts of challenges, McCaffrey is a huge reason why the Panthers are in a position to make a strong push towards the playoffs.