McCaffrey thinks his athleticism is underrated because he's white

Christian McCaffrey isn't sure his athleticism gets noticed enough, and he thinks he knows why.

While Stanford's superstar running back is certainly respected for being "tough," he's growing tired of what he believes are racial labels.

"When you read about white athletes these days and white skill possession receivers specifically, one word you'll always find is 'tough,'" he said to Chris Ballard of Campus Rush. "You'll rarely see 'explosive,' 'athletic,' stuff like that."

McCaffrey is only months removed from breaking the NCAA's all-purpose yardage record, a mark previously held by the legendary Barry Sanders. Despite his numbers, last season's Heisman Trophy runner-up says he's still having to answer questions about his physical upside.

"You get a little bit upset: 'I ran the same 40 as this guy and you're calling him ...'" McCaffrey trailed off. "People do the eye test and underestimate me, so I do play with a chip on my shoulder."

Entering his junior campaign, McCaffrey is projected as a potential future mid-round NFL draft pick, rather than the first-round pick his production might suggest.

- With h/t to Sporting News