Getty Raheem Mostert of the San Francisco 49ers
When the San Francisco 49ers take the field on Sunday evening, they’ll have a chance of advancing to the NFL Super Bowl for just the second time since 1995. While the nation’s eye will undoubtedly shift heavily on to San Franciso quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo come kickoff, the most intriguing player on the field may ultimately be a man sharing the 49ers backfield with Garoppolo.
Running back Raheem Mostert’s meteoric rise from undrafted out of college, to bouncing around practice squads, to becoming the lead back on one of the NFL’s top rushing attacks is a story for the ages, and one that’s even more impressive when you look at it in depth.
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Raheem Mostert: Undervalued & Underappreciated
San Francisco 49ers Raheem Mostert’s underdog story begins even before college, at New Symrna Beach High School in Florida. Mostert was a swiss-army knife on the gridiron, returning nine kickoffs and one punt for touchdowns as a special teams ace. Offensively, he was used predominantly as a receiver, hauling in nearly 40 receptions for 723 yards and four touchdowns as a senior. Mostert even shined on the defensive side of the ball, recording 81 tackles.
Mostert’s brilliance on the football field led to an invite to the 2010 Central Florida All-Star Game, in which he was named MVP by recording 100 yards receiving and returning a kickoff 94 yards for a touchdown.
Despite Mostert dominating at the high school level, he was ranked as just between a two and three star prospect by the majority of recruiting services. He would eventually commit to Purdue University. Throughout Mostert’s career as a Boilermaker, he was never used as a lead back, rushing for no more than 529 yards in any of his four seasons at the school. However, Mostert’s brilliance in the return game carried over to the collegiate ranks, as he holds a career average of 26 yards per return and two touchdowns.
Preseason Hero to Zero
Mostert’s college resume was not enough to get him drafted in the 2015 NFL Draft. Yet, his speed caught the eye of numerous teams looking to sign the former track star to an undrafted rookie contract. Mostert won the 2010 FHSAA 3A District 6 title in the 300-meter hurdles and the 2011 FHSAA 3A Outdoor State Finals in the 100 meters. Mostert’s burners were enough to get him a roster spot with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Mostert dominated the preseason as a member of the Birds, totaling 350+ offensive yards from scrimmage, the most in the 2015 preseason. Mostert showed the ability to impact the game in numerous facets, similar to what he did at Purdue as well as at New Smyrna High School back in the day. Mostert finished the preseason with 157 rushing yards, 191 receiving yards, and 351 return yards.
Despite Mostert’s dominance, he was passed up for a roster spot by players who the team spent draft picks on. For the next two seasons, Mostert would bounce around the league from practice squad to practice squad. Mostert donned practice jerseys from the Miami Dolphins, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, New York Jets, and Chicago Bears over that span.
However, On November 28, 2016, Mostert’s career would change forever, when the San Francisco 49ers signed the running back.
Mostert’s Talent Rises to the Top
Mostert’s climb atop the 49ers running back hierarchy did not come easy. He was active for one lone game in 2016, accumulating a grand total of six rushing yards.
In 2017, he was placed on season-ending IR after just 11 games, finishing the year with 30 rushing yards.
Many expected Mostert’s run with the ‘9ers, and the NFL at that, to come to an end in 2018 following his injury. However, after numerous injuries to players ahead of him, Mostert was given the opportunity to shine, and shine he did, on Monday Night Football of all places.
In Week 6 of that season, against the Green Bay Packers, he rushed for a then career-high 87 rushing yards on just 12 carries. Mostert would go on to fracture his forearm a few weeks down the road, yet again being placed on injured reserve.
Mostert showed enough in 2018 to earn him a roster spot with San Francisco this season. Yet, with the arrival of Kyle Shanahan-favorite Tevin Coleman, and Matt Breida still roaming the backfield, Mostert’s usage was expected to be at an all-time low.
However, Mostert had a different idea. Despite a few stellar performances by Coleman and Breida early on in the season, the cream rose to the top, with the cream being Mostert. In Week 13, despite not being named the teams “starter”, he took hold of the team’s backfield, rushing for a career-high 146 rushing yards on 19 carries. Since that point, Mostert has found the endzone 11 times in his last eight games.
Mostert’s constant grind has helped him secure a grip hold on the 49ers lead-back role, while making fellow backs such as Coleman and Brieda nothing more than change of pace players.
Mostert may still be unheralded amongst the masses. However, statistically he is one of the most efficient running backs in NFL history. Over Mostert’s 137 career rushing attempts, he’s averaged a tremendous 5.6 yards per carry. While it is a limited sample size, there is no denying how impressive that number truly is. Jamaal Charles, the NFL’s fourth all-time yards per carry leader (minimum 700 carries) finished his career with an average of 5.4 ypc.
In mid-March of this season, the 49ers re-upped Mostert on a three-year contract extension. For the first time in the running back’s football career, a team committed to his talents, and in return the 49ers get one of the better ball-carriers in all of football.
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