Rams RB Blake Corum looks to express himself
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Training camp is all about sweat. It’s getting acclimated to the unadulterated smell of perspiration and the summer heat. Learning the playbook is essential. It’s about putting in the work.
Teams prepare for the upcoming football season, meshing the talents of veterans and newcomers alike for a common goal. For rookies like Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum, training camp has been about finding their way, getting up to speed on the pace of the NFL game, and securing a firm understanding of what is expected of them.
“I feel great,” Corum said on the second day of training camp. “Day two, I just came out here and just try to be a sponge. You know, soak it up, each and everything, from the vets, from the coaches, and just come out on here on the field and do what I do.”
Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) hits the hole during training camp practice on July 27, 2024. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline
What Corum does best is run the football. He was named the Big Ten Running Back of the Year. He led the University of Michigan to the College Football Playoff National Championship where the Wolverines wiped the field of Washington.
Corum rushed for 134 yards and two touchdowns in Michigan’s 34–13 win against the Huskies. Corum’s performance against Washington was not a one-game thing. He ran with dominance all season, gaining 1,245 yards and hitting paydirt 27 times for scores.
Dodging defenders, catching passes out of the backfield and hitting the hole while going in between the tackles was not the most important thing Corum said that he learned from his Michigan playing days, though. Being good to others is a code Corum said he tries to live by.
“I would say that this lesson goes for football and in life, you know. Just treat people well,” Corum said. “If you treat people well on the football field, your teammates…the offensive line, you know, you treat them good. That’s where it starts with. They’re going to block for you. In life, you know, if you treat people well it’s going to go a long way.”
Corum proved to be a big-time player at the college level. He’ll have to prove himself to be a valuable commodity in the NFL. Drafted №83 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Corum arrives in Southern California with the Rams already solidified at the running back position.
Michigan running back Blake Corum (2) scores on a pass from quarterback JJ McCarthy against Alabama in the 2024 Rose Bowl Game on Jan. 1, 2024, Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline
Kyren Williams is the team’s starting running back. Ronnie Rivers and Boston Scott are reliable veterans. Zach Evans provides depth to the running back room. And then there is Corum.
At 5-foot-8 and 210 pounds, Corum and the rest of the crew in the Rams backfield seem to be cut from the same cloth in terms of their physical makeup and how they run the football. Like Corum, they’re all built like trucks, possess nimble feet, are low to the ground, and can hit the hole with physical ferocity.
They all compliment each other, Corum said.
“They’re always there helping me out when I need it,” Corum said. “We feed off each other.”
Having the physical tools is great, but learning and knowing the playbook is something different. For a rookie, getting that part down can be a stiff challenge to overcome, but Corum said he’s good on that end.
“I feel great,” Corum remarked. “I feel like I know the playbook pretty well, you know, kind of minimizing the mistakes, but you know, I still got a lot to learn, you know. I’m just trying to build each and every day with that growth mindset like coach McVay says. So it’s just one day at a time, but I feel great.”
Los Angeles Rams running back Blake Corum (22) looks focused during a training camp practice on July 25, 2024. Photo credit: Dennis J. Freeman/News4usonline
McVay is taking a measured approach to discussing what he has seen thus far out of Corum and the rest of the backfield.
“Blake is a mature rookie, did a great job in the off-season,” McVay said. “Again, I’m looking forward to getting the pads on and being able to see the lines of scrimmage, how our backs are handling different things. But so far so good with Blake.”
Corum said he is willing to do whatever it takes to help take the Rams to where they want to go. If that means blocking on pass protection, so be it. He’s down to help out on special teams. Corum can catch balls out of the backfield as well.
In discussing his goal for the season, Corum said it is to stay true to himself.
“Just be me,” Corum remarked. “Whatever that has to do…special teams, you know, just be me. Special teams, running the ball, pass pro, catching the ball, you name it. Whatever coach needs me to do, I’m here to do. I’m here to help the team win because at the end of the day, winning is fun. And I love winning. That’s all that matters.”