Jacksonville Jaguars running back coach Terry Richardson has insisted that free agent signing Toby Gerhart is as 'strong as a horse', which will help him to succeed in the NFL.

Richardson, who revealed that a previous coach of the player said that he was one of the strongest running backs that he had come across, is confident that the 27-year-old can make the step up with the Jaguars.

"He's a horse," Richardson told the Florida Times-Union.

"He's a big guy, and I talked to one of his former coaches, and he was saying Toby had the strongest legs he's been around in terms of his leg drive and leg power. We're excited about that."

The former squad player for the Minnesota Vikings rushed for 283 yards last season.