Former Rams running back Lawrence McCutcheon died Friday at 76, closing a football life that stretched from a breakout run with the Rams to decades in the organization’s front office. He died on Oct. 23 with family at his bedside after a long, courageous battle with Parkinson’s disease.
McCutcheon’s name still carries weight in Rams history because he was once the franchise’s all-time leading rusher. He played eight seasons for the Rams from 1972 to 1979, was selected to five Pro Bowls and earned second-team All-Pro honors before finishing his career after the 1981 season with Denver, Seattle and Buffalo.
His playing numbers explain why the Rams kept him close long after he stopped taking handoffs. McCutcheon finished with 1,521 carries for 6,578 yards and 26 touchdowns, along with 198 catches for 1,799 yards and 13 touchdowns in 109 games with 82 starts. The Rams said his impact on the organization spanned generations because he later worked 32 years in their front office as a scout and director of player personnel, a rare second act that tied him to the team long after his playing days ended.
The family’s statement put the loss in personal terms, describing him as a husband, brother, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, and saying he would be missed and remembered forever. It also pointed to the friction at the center of his final chapter: the football legacy celebrated by the Rams and the Parkinson’s battle that defined his last years. In lieu of flowers, the family asked that donations be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s research, a final request that turns grief into something useful for others facing the same disease.
