Alvin Kamara’s Carousel: How the Running Back Was Almost An Eagle
Saint’s Running Back Alvin Kamara Was Almost An Eagle.
Twice.
Alvin Kamara isn’t just the linchpin of the New Orleans Saints offense. He’s going to carve up your defense. Speed on the parameter, a weapon out of the backfield, taking the ball between the tackles. It makes no difference — your defense will almost certainly get shredded.
PHOTO: Tim Heitman/Imagn Images
Just ask the Dallas defense. If the Cowboys had concerns previously about their 2024 defensive unit, last Sunday didn’t help. At all. It was bad enough that Kamara was unstoppable on the ground, rushing twenty times for 115 yards and three touchdowns and adding sixty-five yards in the passing game and another score. This weekend, he comes to Philly.
In 2017, the Eagles wanted to add a running back to complement second-year quarterback Carson Wentz. After drafting Wentz out of North Dakota State with the first overall pick in 2016, the rushing attack behind him was not very successful, headlined by Ryan Mathews’s 661 yards and supporting performances by Terrell Watson, Darren Sproles, and Byron Marshall that year.
In preparation for the 2017 NFL Draft, the Eagles invited a young running back from Tennessee to the Novacare Complex. Kamara‘s skills were something that any NFL team would covet.
At Norcross High School in Georgia, he had a good season as a junior, rushing for 1,300 yards and 17 touchdowns; as a senior, he was unstoppable, rushing for 2,264 yards and 26 touchdowns.
In college — adversity struck Kamara. Recruited by Alabama, he had knee surgery before the season — and immediately found himself behind Derrick Henry, T.J. Yeldon, and Kenyan Drake. Off-the-field issues found Kamara on the wrong side of Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban, who would not allow Kamara to participate in their Bowl Game in 2013.
Restarting his college career, Kamara transferred to Hutchinson Community College (Kansas) in 2014 — where he amassed 1,477 yards of offense and 21 total touchdowns. After transferring to Tennessee as a sophomore, Kamara spent two seasons with the Volunteers and added almost 2,000 yards of rushing and receiving yards on offense, coupled with 23 touchdowns.
In 2017, the Eagles did not draft Alvin Kamara. In the fourth round, they took another collegiately dominant running back, Donnel Pumphrey, who was the FBS All-Time leading rusher with 6,405 yards with Arizona State.
Alvin Kamara — now a New Orleans Saint — has dominated the NFL since 2017. He has tied the record for most touchdowns in a game with 6, has rushed for over 6,000 yards, has receiving yards for just over 4,300, and accounted for 82 total touchdowns. Against the Eagles, he’s rushed for 194 yards, 88 receiving yards, and two touchdowns.
In 2022, it was rumored that Howie Roseman was at it again, targeting Kamara in a trade. The Eagles hadn’t forgotten the pre-draft impression that he had made on them. But his current, massive contract, in part, possibly prevented a deal.
On social media, Kamara replied to the rumors:
“Lol, wasn’t interested in goin’ nowhere. Y’all be bored just typing.”
The media did continue to type in 2022–2023.
In both seasons that they passed up on acquiring Alvin Kamara — the Eagles would end up in the Super Bowl.
PHOTO: Tim Heitman/Imagn Images
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