Christian McCaffrey is thought to be battling something other than just the 11 defenders on the opposite side of the field every time he plays a football game. There is also a bias against white players at speed positions in football because of the perception that they aren’t as fast or athletic as black players.
McCaffrey, who has proven that he is one of the best players in college football, recognizes that he does not fit the typical white running back stereotype. He also does not think that being white will hurt him in Heisman Trophy voting.
“I don’t focus on race, just football,” McCaffrey said via ESPN’s Joe Schad. “Most white running backs are perceived to be big, up-the-middle guys. I don’t fit that stereotype.”
He’s right. The last successful white running back at Stanford was Toby Gerhart, who was a strong, physical punisher. McCaffrey’s game is based on speed and agility. He’s just much better in the open field than most others, which is why he was able to break Barry Sanders’ all-purpose yards record.
McCaffrey does everything for Stanford. He has rushed for eight scores, caught four, thrown for two, and even returned a kick for a touchdown this season. He has 3,496 all-purpose yards this season. Maybe this has caught some people off guard because he does not have the “superior athletic gene,” but sports fans who know how good his father — former Broncos star wide receiver Ed McCaffrey — was on the field, should not be at all surprised.
