Lawrence “Clutch” McCutcheon has died at 76 years old after an extended bout with Parkinson’s disease. His family announced his death through the Los Angeles Rams organization.
“It is with great sadness that we share the passing of our husband, brother, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather, Lawrence McCutcheon,” the statement read in part. Drafted out of Colorado State in 1972, McCutcheon left as the school’s leading rusher with 2,917 yards.
Continuing his prowess as a professional, the Plainview, Texas native spent eight of his 10 NFL years with the Rams in L.A. As the 1970s became a golden era for running backs for the NFL ground game emphasizing ball control and clock management, Clutch blossomed under Chuck Knox and his trademark “Ground Chuck” offense.
Becoming their all-time leading rusher with 6,186 yards as a five-time Pro Bowler, he was a major factor as the Rams won seven straight NFC Western Division titles from 1973 to 1979.
Always ready to acknowledge the impact of his offensive linemen, he underscored their contribution to his success.
“If you have our kind of blocking and any kind of ability, you should gain 1,000 yards every year,” he explained. “Quickness is the ability to hit between the blockers as soon as the hole starts to open,” he went on. “Speed only helps on end runs.”
He eventually accumulated 6,578 total yards during a ten-year career with stopovers with the Buffalo Bills, the Denver Broncos, and the Seattle Seahawks. After his playing days, he spent 32 years as an executive in the Rams front office, serving as director of player personnel of the Rams from 2003 to 2016, and became a leading advocate for sports-related injury reforms.
McCutcheon personally was not diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), which can only be detected postmortem via a brain autopsy. The era in which he starred was noted for repeated head injuries, before present-day medical safety and concussion protocols.
Ironically, another Rams legend, 53-year-old Marshall Faulk, who came after McCutcheon when the Rams moved to St. Louis, spoke about his own recently diagnosed battle with the disease.
“The earlier you catch it, the better chance you have at living a better quality of life.”
Lawrence McCutcheon was born on June 2, 1950, in Plainview, Texas. Survivors include his wife Myna, two sons, Marcus and Daylon, and a daughter, Adrian. Daylon continued his gridiron legacy as a cornerback at USC and with the Cleveland Browns, while his grandson Dyson is presently a safety on the roster at the University of Washington.
The family has requested that donations be forwarded to the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
