During his weekly radio appearance on 710 ESPN Seattle this past week, Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll was asked who running back Thomas Rawls reminds him of.
At first, he was reluctant to mention the name that popped into his head. But when pressed further, Carroll played along.
"Those of you who didn't watch [Earl Campbell] play, he was able to beat you with his speed, and he was able to beat you being physical," he said. "He would run at people. He'd pick out guys and run over them and try to attack them. And it added to his style because sometimes he'd make you miss.
"I did that in the sense to challenge Thomas a little bit more than anything else, not to put him in that same class. He's got a ways to go."
With running back Marshawn Lynch having undergone surgery related to his sports hernia injury, the Seahawks will get an extended look at Rawls as they attempt to make a push for the playoffs.
His first 101 carries as an NFL running back couldn't have been more impressive. Rawls leads the NFL with a YPC average of 5.98, and he is gaining more yards after contact (2.80) than any other back.
Rawls has six carries of 20-plus yards, and he's getting stuffed at or behind the line of scrimmage on just 5 percent of his runs, the lowest rate in the league.
He was asked if he ever takes time to reflect on how far he's come over the past five months.
"Oh most definitely, I think about it all the time," Rawls said. "And not just the last six months, but over my time, just my past."
Expectations for Rawls have changed drastically over the past several months. He signed with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in the spring. The organization decided he was a better fit than Robert Turbin, whom they waived, and Christine Michael, whom they traded.
Still, as a rookie, the most likely outcome for Rawls appeared to be that he'd watch and learn behind Lynch, occasionally getting an opportunity.
Instead, he finds himself as the workhorse of a run-first offense on a team trying to go on a late-season run.
Given Lynch's uncertain future -- both this season and beyond -- Rawls' performance will factor in heavily as the Seahawks decide which direction they want to go at the running back position.
"It has been a lot," Rawls said when asked about the sudden attention. "But I don't get distracted. I stay away from a lot of stuff with the media and things like that. Just try to stay to myself and the people that are priorities."
Facing a tough Steelers run defense, Rawls faces a new challenge Sunday. But he has passed every test so far and should once again see a heavy workload.
As for Carroll's comparison, he said, "Yeah, I've seen Earl Campbell cut-ups. My dad used to show me back when I was younger. Number 34, right? Just making sure. But yeah, a good running back. A huge compliment, he's one of the greats. That's amazing."