Lawrence McCutcheon, one of the great running backs in Rams history and a player who once stood as the franchise’s all-time rushing leader, has died at 76.
The Rams announced McCutcheon’s passing Friday, Oct. 23, a loss that cast a heavy tone over the organization ahead of its Oct. 25 road matchup against the Raiders. In a statement on X, the team said, “The Rams are saddened by the passing of Rams Legend Lawrence McCutcheon,” and added, “Our sincere condolences are with his family and friends during this time.”
McCutcheon’s family said he died at his bedside after a “long, courageous battle with Parkinson's Disease.” They remembered him as “our husband, brother, grandfather and great-grandfather” and said he was known by the nickname “Clutch.”
The family also asked for donations to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Disease.
Over his Rams career, McCutcheon piled up 6,186 rushing yards, a total that now ranks fourth in franchise history behind Steven Jackson, Eric Dickerson and Marshall Faulk. He was the team’s all-time leading rusher when he left the organization, before Dickerson eventually moved past him.
McCutcheon’s Rams tenure included Super Bowl XIV against the Pittsburgh Steelers, a 31-19 loss for Los Angeles. He also delivered one of the game’s memorable plays, firing a 24-yard halfback option pass to Ron Smith that put the Rams ahead 19-17 in the second half.
Before he got to the NFL, McCutcheon starred at Colorado State, where he became the first player in school history to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season. The Rams selected him with the 70th overall pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, and he went on to build a career in Los Angeles that the franchise says will be remembered for generations.
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