Rams' Cam Akers 'Won't Be Happy' Until He's Considered Top-3 RB
Los Angeles Rams running back Cam Akers has made one thing clear during his short NFL career: he'll never settle.
Even after overcoming an Achilles tear in miraculous fashion to help the Rams win Super Bowl LVI in February, Akers is far from reaching the personal goals he's set for himself.
“Win first, and I do my part second and I’ll be happy,” he said on June 8 following the second day of LA's minicamp. “Until y’all can mention me with the top three running backs in the league, outside of winning, I won’t be happy.”
Akers is on a solid trajectory toward that goal this season, though it'll still take time for him to dethrone the league's best. On June 8, he was named to the NFLPA's Rising Stars List for the 2022-23 season, as the 22-year-old seems to be well on his way to stardom.
But if his work ethic this offseason has been any indication, he's prepping like a rookie that is barely in a position to make the final 53-man roster.
“This offseason, I really wanted to focus on being more consistent. Going out every play, every snap and just making sure I put myself in the best position to be successful,” he said. “No vacations. Only one trip home. That’s probably the only time I left L.A. I’ve been here every day working and they can attest to it. 8 o’clock in the morning every day.”
It seems like nothing changed when Akers spoke to the media for the first time this offseason in late April.
"My offseason started not long after the Super Bowl, so I’ve been working since a few days after the game," Akers said. “Whatever I work for I think I can accomplish. Just making sure my body is all the way healthy, doing all the little maintenance work."
Of course, he's happy with winning and overall team success. But the personal standard remains harsh as ever.
We won the games, so it went well at the end of the day, but a lot of clips and plays to learn from," Akers said. "I don’t feel like I played my best games of the five games I returned. I did what I was supposed to do, but obviously, that’s not enough for me. I did my part, but I got a lot to improve on, a lot to polish up on when it comes to my game. It’s offseason so I’ve been hitting all those deficits trying to get better.”
The Rams are set to begin training camp in July.
You can follow Zach Dimmitt on Twitter at @ZachDimmitt7
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