Category: Alvin Kamara

Alvin Kamara breaks NFL record to reach 3,000 rushing yards, 3,000 receiving yards

Alvin Kamara is the fastest NFL player to reach 3,000 rushing yards, 3,000 receiving yards:

This is impressive: ESPN Stats & Info found that New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara is now the fastest player in NFL history to run for 3,000 rushing yards while picking up another 3,000 receiving yards — doing so in 66 games.

The previous record-holder was NFL legend Roger Craig, who achieved that in 70 games.

There just aren’t many playmakers like Kamara, who seems to be a threat in almost every phase of the game. He’s a unique talent in a sport filled with unique talents. Kamara sent the Saints into halftime with 138 yards from scrimmage — against just 141 scrimmage yards from the entire opposing offense. If it somehow wasn’t clear before, the Saints have a special one wearing No. 41.

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Watch: Alvin Kamara scores his 61st touchdown in 63rd career regular season game

Watch: Alvin Kamara scores his 61st touchdown in 63rd career regular season game

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Bang: Alvin Kamara asserted himself early on against the New England Patriots by linking up with Jameis Winston for an 11-yard touchdown grab. It’s the 61st touchdown of Kamara’s career, spanning 63 regular season games. That helps close the gap between him and Marques Colston for the New Orleans Saints career scoring record (72 touchdowns in 146 games).

Funnily enough, the play looked like one the Saints were burnt on a week ago. Saints film analyst Deuce Windham identified it as a Texas concept — the same design the Carolina Panthers used to pick up 30 yards on a Christian McCaffrey grab-and-go in Week 2. Sean Payton has always taken time to look at what’s working around the league, but this note-cribbing feels a little more personal.

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Alvin Kamara again ranks top-15 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021 list

Alvin Kamara again ranks top-15 on NFL Network’s Top 100 Players of 2021 list

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Alvin Kamara’s peers across the NFL still don’t seem to understand just how great of a player he is. When he isn’t running through their tackles he’s leaping over them or sprinting around them. There almost aren’t enough words to describe the New Orleans Saints superstar.

“Bruh, he’s different bruh,” gushed former teammate Jared Cook after Kamara’s long grab-and-go touchdown embarrassed the Green Bay Packers defense. “He was made in a lab, bruh. He’s not human.”

Kamara clocked in at No. 14, as voted on by his fellow players around the league, tying his highest ranking on the NFL Network Top 100 so far. Here’s where he has been placed before:

  • 2021: 14
  • 2020: 42
  • 2019: 14
  • 2018: 20

And that’s still too low. Let’s see how high Kamara climbs with another big season. This year he’s joined by fellow Saints standouts Cameron Jordan,  Demario Davis, Michael Thomas, Terron Armstead, and Marshon Lattimore.

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Look: Alvin Kamara debuts his signature breakfast cereal

Look: New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara debuts his signature breakfast cereal

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Alvin Kamara is the NFL’s renaissance man. When he’s not celebrating tying the all-time record for touchdown runs in a single game, he’s having the time of his life at a high-speed NASCAR race or serenading audiences at annual sports awards shows. And now that the New Orleans Saints’ best player has conquered the candy game with his favorite Airheads, he’s turning his attention to the breakfast aisle.

Kamara shared a first look at his new “Kamara’s King Crunch” cereal on Thursday, which is available for order online, at participating Rouse’s Market locations in New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and at his alma mater at the University of Tennessee (in Alumni Hall and the VolShop, for any interested buyers in Knoxville). A portion of sales will be donated to the Children’s Bureau of New Orleans, which offers mental health services to underserved children around the city.

He’s the latest NFL star to roll out his own custom breakfast cereal, along with Cleveland Browns running back Nick Chubb and Arizona Cardinals wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins. It’s a really opportunity for Kamara, so it’s great to see him embracing it for a good cause.

Alvin Kamara added to Tennessee’s Neyland Stadium video board

The Tennessee Volunteers are celebrating Alvin Kamara’s impact on the NFL by adding his image to their Neyland Stadium video board:

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Alvin Kamara finished his college career with the Tennessee Volunteers before he made the jump to the NFL, and now the New Orleans Saints superstar is being recognized at the Vols’ Neyland Stadium. On Wednesday, Tennessee unveiled a new graphic of Kamara on the arena’s south-facing video board. He’s joining other famous Vols like linebacker Al Wilson and coach Gen. Robert Neyland.

Kamara’s addition is part of an initiative to showcase one active NFL player on the video board. He replaces former Tennessee tight end Jason Witten, who recently retired after spending 17 years in the league. Hopefully Kamara continues to set records for the Saints and keep his image up for all to see for quite a while.

It took a while for him to find his way to New Orleans. Kamara’s college days started at Alabama and took a turn through the JUCO ranks until he landed at Tennessee, where he was given just 284 touches in two years (an average of 11.8 combined carries and receptions per game). He’s gone on to reach the Pro Bowl every year he’s played for the Saints, and his best days could still be ahead of him.

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Coaches, execs vote Alvin Kamara the NFL’s No. 2 running back

Coaches, execs vote Alvin Kamara the NFL’s No. 2 running back

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Scoring six touchdown runs in front of a national audience tends to brighten the spotlight on you, but Alvin Kamara’s feats with the New Orleans Saints have already given him a high profile. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled dozens of coaches, players, and front office executives from around the NFL to rank the best players at each position group, and the Saints superstar landed at the No. 2 spot among his peers.

“If I was building a team, he would be my running back,” one league executive told Fowler. “He’s the perfect modern back.”

Kamara is the first and only player in NFL history to rack up 500-plus yards as both a runner and as a receiver through his first four years as a pro; to put it bluntly, there isn’t a more versatile weapon in the game today.

He’s able to frustrate opponents on the ground and through the air, and sometimes both at the same time. The four-time Pro Bowler is one of two players in Saints history to log 2,500 or more yards in both phases, as a rusher and receiver (joining Pierre Thomas in what I’m calling the 5K Club).

Fowler pointed out that Kamara is also one of three players in the history of the league to secure at least 80 catches in each of his first four seasons in the NFL, along with his teammate Michael Thomas and Cleveland Browns receiver Jarvis Landry. It’s unfortunate that Kamara’s streak of reeling in exactly 81 receptions was cut short in 2020, though his uptick in production is a fine consolation prize.

So who owns the top spot? None other than Tennessee Titans nitro-fueled bulldozer Derrick Henry, who will get his shot at competing with Kamara head-to-head for the first time in 2021. So be sure to mark your calendars, because that matchup is going to be electric.

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Alvin Kamara says he hasn’t spent a cent of his $75M-plus football earnings

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara is quite frugal, discussing his spending habits with Andrew Hawkins on Uninterrupted’s “Kneading Dough.”

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Count Alvin Kamara among the NFL’s most frugal spenders. He’s worked hard to earn a $75 million contract extension with the Saints, and he plans on stretching it out for a long, long time; Kamara discussed his perspective during an interview with Uninterrupted’s “Kneading Dough” series, hosted by former pro wideout Andrew Hawkins. He says that growing up and seeing his family’s struggles with financial insecurity left a lasting impact on him.

“I’ve always known the value of a dollar,” Kamara recalled. “As a kid, I saw my mom work multiple jobs only to be able to afford the bare essentials.”

He drove back to one visceral image: a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter, two staples he continues to stock in his own kitchen. Aside from an early splurge on a box of wings after receiving his rookie signing bonus, Kamara has paid all his living expenses with money brought in from sponsorship deals, instead squirreling away his paychecks from the Saints into savings and investing accounts.

Kamara continued: “I’m like, ‘Okay, this is more than I’ve ever had. My mom ain’t never had this much. It would be a shame if I got this and lost it. I’m gonna keep doing the same thing I’ve been doing, [purchasing] what I need and that’s it. I’m not about to go over the top, I’m not gonna live beyond my means.”

And he’s notoriously picky with his endorsement partners, sticking to products he values personally; one of his first big deals came with Airheads, his favorite candy. One of his first real viral moments came after Kamara built a throne out of Airheads boxes in the Saints locker room and posed for photos. He later fulfilled a childhood dream and got his own flavor.

It’s become a popular approach for the NFL’s brightest stars. Longtime Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski did the same during his New England career, saving his football earnings and living off of sponsorship payouts. And it makes sense. This long-term financial security will outlive their playing days and could even set up generational wealth for their families. It just takes discipline.

Kamara’s been described as one of the smartest people in the Saints locker room since the team picked him in the 2017 draft. This is just more proof of it.

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Alvin Kamara hits the slopes, shows off custom NHL Predators jersey

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara visited Montana for a week of snowboarding and ice hockey, wearing a custom NHL Predators jersey.

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Could Alvin Kamara make an appearance at the Winter Olympics? Or maybe the X Games? The NFL’s Renaissance man got a taste of winter sports during a vacation in Montana, hitting the slopes for a few days of snowboarding before trying his hand at ice hockey. While he had some trouble trying more advanced moves, Kamara took to these new pursuits about as well as a unique, world-class athlete might hope to.

He just had to remind himself not to “get too cute” after wiping out on one flashy maneuver. When a fan asked if Sean Payton was cool with Kamara’s offseason adventures, the New Orleans Saints head coach replied “41 cool like Luke,” so that’s quite a green light to receive.

It makes sense for Kamara to look natural out there. One of his best athletic traits is his balance and tremendous core strength, which are perfect for snowboarding. He’d probably be a very gifted surfer if he chose to try it. For now, though, we’ll be happy to enjoy watching him set franchise scoring recovers with the Saints.

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Alvin Kamara sponsors NASCAR’s Ryan Vargas in partnership with JD Motorsports

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara announced a NASCAR sponsorship with driver Ryan Vargas and JD Motorsports for an upcoming race at Daytona

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Here’s a new feather for Alvin Kamara’s cap: NASCAR sponsorship. The New Orleans Saints star running back announced his team-up with Ryan Vargas on Wednesday, through a partnership between Gary Keller’s JD Motorsports and Kamara’s Louisiana-based juice bar chain The Big Squeezy.

Vargas will drive the Xfinity Series Chevrolet wearing No. 6 in Saturday’s Super Start Batteries 188 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, which fans can tune in for on FS1 at 4 p.m. CT. Kamara has become a big NASCAR fan and is likely to be in attendance; last summer, he waved the green start flag for the sport’s 2020 All-Star Race, and he’s live-tweeted various competitions in the past.

He recently explored the idea of sponsoring a driver for a race on social media, but it’s possible this becomes a bigger venture for Kamara. He’s certainly got the resources to throw around after earning a five-year, $75 million contract extension with the Saints in 2020 (including a lucrative $15 million signing bonus).

As for Vargas: the 20-year old rookie from La Marida, Calif. is in the middle of the pack after finishing in 18th of 40 at last week’s Daytona 300. He’s made waves on social media before through a TikTok sponsorship, but his partnership with Kamara could end up paying off for everyone if he continues to climb the standings. It’s a subplot worth watching for.

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Report: Saints RB Alvin Kamara refused to wear contact-tracing device

New Orleans Saints RB Alvin Kamara reportedly refused to wear an NFL-issued COVID-19 contact-tracing device throughout the 2020 season.

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The New Orleans Saints are under fire again for COVID-19 protocol violations during the 2020 season related to star running back Alvin Kamara’s late-season coronavirus infection, and the Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reports an added wrinkle: Kamara bristled at the new requirement for players and coaches to wear contact-tracing devices, which made it difficult to identify potential exposures on the team once he tested positive in December.

It ended up costing the Saints their entire running backs room, including the position coach (fortunately, part-time wide receiver Ty Montgomery was able to fill in for the regular season finale). But Duncan added that getting Kamara to abide by health and safety procedures in wearing the contact tracing device was an “internal issue” for New Orleans all season long, which, frankly, is simply irresponsible. Everyone knew the rules once they showed up for training camp.

However, Kamara wasn’t the only player to balk at this new requirement. Las Vegas Raiders tackle Trent Brown cost his team $500,000 and their 2021 sixth-round draft pick after sparking an outbreak at the team facility, testing positive and refusing to wear the contact-tracing device. Described as similar in size and look to an Apple Watch, these proximity devices alert those wearing them when they were too close to others and track unique signatures to remember who may have been exposed to an infection. While they aren’t foolproof, they were an important tool in helping the league reach Super Bowl LV.

So what could the Saints lose for Kamara’s refusal to wear his device? It’s possible they can avoid discipline from the league by issuing a fine to him, but given their repeat-offender status they probably won’t get away with just a slap on the wrist. New Orleans doesn’t have a sixth-round pick to forfeit in 2021 after trading it last year, so maybe the league office looks elsewhere to punish them.

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