Philadelphia Eagles

DeMarco Murray understands the pressure to live up to expectations in Philly

Published Jun. 29, 2015 4:22 p.m. ET

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The minute that free agent running back DeMarco Murray inked a five-year, $40 million deal with the Philadelphia Eagles, the stage was set. The Eagles had moved on from a similarly high-priced running back in LeSean McCoy to another, and at that price, everyone had high expectations.

The hype continued to build when Eagles running back coach Duce Staley called Murray a perfect fit for the offense. Through all the expectations and chatter, Murray has remained focused and he understands the pressure he faces heading into the 2015 regular season.

"He knows he has something to prove in Philadelphia," said Dave White, his high school coach, said, per the Philadelphia Daily News. "He told me, 'Philly fans are behind me, but if I mess up, they'll let me hear it.' But he loves that attitude and he's looking forward to playing there."

Murray grew acclaim after leading the NFL in rushing in 2014, but he hasn't let his success change who he is as a teammate.

"That's the kind of guy you want," said Eagles' centerJason Kelce, per the Philadelphia Daily News. "Those are the people that will take it upon themselves to make a difference. It's not, 'I'm the superstar. I'm doing it my way.' He's a guy that's taken accountability."

Ryan Mathews and Darren Sproles part of the backfield, Murray is unlikely to repeat his 450 touches from 2014. However, the Eagles will hope that he can be just as or more effective on a per touch basis. If not, it shouldn't take Eagles fans too long to cry for some of his touches to shift to Mathews or Sproles, if they can prove more effective.

(h/t Philadelphia Daily News)

Photo Credit: Bill Streicher/USA TODAY Sports