Lawrence McCutcheon, a five-time Pro Bowl running back for the Los Angeles Rams who later spent more than three decades in the team’s front office, died Friday. He was 76.
McCutcheon’s family announced his death through the Rams. In a statement, the family said McCutcheon had “a long, courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.”
The Plainview, Texas, native played college football at Colorado State. The Rams selected him in the third round of the 1972 NFL draft, 70th overall.
McCutcheon quickly became one of the league’s more productive backs under coach Chuck Knox. He led the Rams in rushing every year from 1973 through 1977 while earning Pro Bowl selections in each of those five seasons.
Nicknamed “Clutch,” McCutcheon was a second-team All-Pro selection by The Associated Press in 1974.
He finished his career with 6,578 rushing yards on 1,521 carries, a 4.3-yard average, and 26 rushing touchdowns. McCutcheon also caught 198 passes for 1,799 yards and 13 receiving scores across 109 games and 82 starts.
During his eight seasons with the Rams, he gained 6,186 rushing yards. That total ranks fourth in franchise history, behind Steven Jackson, Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk. McCutcheon was the team’s all-time leading rusher when he departed after the 1979 season.
He appeared in 11 postseason games. In Super Bowl XIV against the Pittsburgh Steelers in January 1980, McCutcheon threw a 24-yard touchdown pass to Ron Smith that put the Rams ahead 19-17. Pittsburgh rallied for a 31-19 win.
McCutcheon split the 1980 season between the Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks. He finished his playing days with the Buffalo Bills in 1981, where he reunited with Knox.
After retiring as a player, McCutcheon joined the Rams’ front office in 1982. He worked in personnel for 32 years and served as the St. Louis Rams’ director of player personnel from 2003 until his retirement in 2016, shortly before the franchise moved back to Los Angeles.
“Through a decade-long playing career and another 32 years in the Rams’ front office, Clutch earned the respect and admiration of teammates, opposing players, colleagues and fans alike,” McCutcheon’s family said in its statement. “Clutch will be missed and remembered forever.”
The Rams also released a statement.
“The Los Angeles Rams are deeply saddened by the passing of Lawrence McCutcheon,” the team said. “His impact on this organization spanned generations, and he embodied what it means to be a Ram.”
McCutcheon’s son, Daylon, played cornerback for the Cleveland Browns from 1999 to 2006. His grandson, Dyson, is a defensive back at Middle Tennessee.
McCutcheon helped the Rams reach the Super Bowl in his final season with the club under coach Ray Malavasi. Over his five peak years from 1973 to 1977, he consistently handled a heavy workload in Knox’s run-first system and produced four 1,000-yard rushing seasons.
He recorded 202 rushing yards on 37 carries in a 1975 playoff win over the St. Louis Cardinals, one of the highest single-game totals in postseason history at the time.
