ENGLEWOOD — On Sept. 12, Latavius Murray was a volunteer football coach at Oviedo High School in Florida. 

At the time, the long-time NFL running back didn’t know if his playing days were over. In 2021, he finished with the Ravens, rushing for 501 yards and six touchdowns. And he finished the season with his best performance — rushing for 150 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against the Steelers. 

“I walked away from that thinking, ‘Man, I just had 150 yards and a touchdown. There’s no way I won’t be on a team come OTAs, come training camp,'” Murray told The Gazette. “And that was the case. I was kind of surprised. Shocked, really. There was some doubt, like, this is the reality — I’m not on a team. I’m home. I’m training. I’m staying ready. But I’m not getting an opportunity.” 

No one signed Murray, despite a solid season in Baltimore. And at 32 years old and thinking his NFL career might be over, Murray decided to volunteer at Oviedo, which is near his Florida home. He joined Oviedo’s staff on Sept. 12 and later that day the Saints called. The next day, he was in New Orleans and on the Saints’ practice squad. On Oct. 2, he was elevated to the Saints’ active roster and played against the Vikings in London, totaling 57 yards and a touchdown.

And the next day, he was signed to the Broncos’ roster, following a season-ending injury to Javonte Williams.   

“My mind was preparing for the worst,” Murray said. “And then New Orleans called and I was right back in it just like that. There’s a lot of doubt that goes into it. You’re obviously hoping you get a call and I was able to. But the hardest part is knowing that you’re capable but other teams just not thinking it or believing in it.

“I’m grateful the Broncos believed in me.”

Murray has since become the Broncos’ top running back, rushing for 510 yards and four touchdowns in nine games. And he’s coming off his biggest game of the season, rushing for 130 yards and a touchdown against the Cardinals. 

Now in his 10th NFL season, playing in 132 career games, Murray has defied age at a position that is often defined by one’s birthdate. He’s third oldest active running back in the NFL and by far the most productive, having 334 more rushing yards than 33-year-old Mark Ingram with the Saints. Murray has also surpassed 500 yards for the eighth straight season, which is the longest active streak among NFL players. And has surpassed 6,000 career rushing yards, becoming just the sixth active player to reach that mark.

Murray’s success in the league has been fairly remarkable and mostly under the radar. A sixth-round draft pick out of Central Florida, Murray has had a longer and more productive career than many expected, and has received little recognition for it — he made a lone Pro Bowl in 2015 and received his first career game ball last Sunday against the Cardinals. And he credits his long-term success to his durability, arguably his best trait. 

“It’s very impressive,” Broncos coach running back Tyrone Wheatley said. “I walk into the weight room at 7 p.m. and he’s getting a massage. Sometimes I go sneak into the pool and there he is in the pool, the cold tub. He takes care of his body. It’s like a car. As it gets older, you have to maintain and he’s maintained it.

“It’s impressive, but it’s just his standard. And the numbers aren’t the most impressive part, in my opinion. It’s his approach.” 

Wheatley has seen Murray’s attitude up close this season and how it’s affected Denver’s locker room. He said Murray carries himself in a way that has rubbed off on younger players. Wheatley said Murray is the “definition of a true pro” and someone who has made him a better coach. 

Wheatley added he sometimes lets Murray lead the running back meetings. 

“What does he bring to that running back room? Professionalism. He brings an edge. And he’s so smart,” Wheatley said. “I can speak in one language to the guys and he can translate it to them. He’s like having another coach in the room. You don’t play this long if you’re not smart.” 

Murray’s impact on the Broncos has been tremendous, taking several of the Broncos’ young running backs under his wing, according to Wheatley. And he’s been a key veteran presence in a locker room that doesn’t have many older players. Murray is only one of three players on the roster over 32 years old, joining quarterback Russell Wilson and safety Kareem Jackson. 

In only 10 weeks, he’s had a profound impact in Denver. 

“I don’t even know if you can put that in words,” coach Nathaniel Hackett said. “This is a guy that loves the game. He doesn’t care where he’s playing, who he’s playing with. He just loves to be out there and play. How he’s picked up the system and how he’s just taken a leadership role, even with the limited time he’s been here, is a credit to him.

“This is a guy that’s rushed for a lot of yards, scored a lot of touchdowns, and been integral for a lot of teams. I’m really glad that it was with us.”

For Murray, being in a locker room isn’t something new. He’s played for five different teams in 10 years — Oakland Raiders (2014-16), Minnesota Vikings (2017-18), New Orleans Saints (2019-20, 2022), Baltimore Ravens (2021) and the Denver Broncos (2022). 

“You want to be you,” Murray said. “But I wasn’t someone who was in OTAs or training camp with them while they’ve been grinding. So you can’t just come in here and just expect to get that trust and respect. It has to be earned.”

Clearly, Murray has earned that respect. 

“Latavius has been a true workhorse. He’s been a true leader. He’s been a great guy,” quarterback Russell Wilson said. “I think that his mentality is some of the best I’ve ever been around. I really mean that. Every day he comes to work, he’s focused. Every day he comes on the practice field, he’s lasered in — in the weight room, whatever it may be… He’s a guy that you want to be on your team. He’s a guy that you trust. He is a guy that no matter what the circumstances, good, bad, or indifferent, he’s going to be the same guy every day.”

As for what’s next for Murray, he’s unsure. 

Similar to last year in Baltimore, he feels as though he’s shown enough to get another opportunity next year. Wheatley believes Murray has four or more seasons still left him. 

Murray doesn’t know about that, saying he’ll “take a ring and we can call it quits after that.” He does know he wants to be in Denver. And the Broncos will likely stronger consider signing him back on a short-term deal. Not just because he’s proven he has a lot left in the tank, but because he has become a core leader in the locker room. 

“I would love to be here next year again,” Murray said. “I want the opportunity to go prove what this team set out to prove at the beginning of the year. I do want that opportunity here.”

Denver Broncos running back Latavius Murray (28) takes the field for player introductions against the Arizona Cardinals during an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 18, 2022, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)