Rams Head Coach Sean McVay, Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips, RB Todd Gurley II – – Dec. 5, 2019

***

Rams Head Coach Sean McVay

(On updates regarding TE Gerald Everett and T Rob Havenstein)
“They’re (TE Gerald Everett and T Rob Havenstein) in the same kind of status as they were. Still day-to-day and we’ll see how they’re feeling later on this week. Making good progress – whether that means they’re able to go or not, we haven’t determined that yet.”

(On if there would be hesitation to put Havenstein in the game with how T Bobby Evans has played in his absence)
“(T) Bobby (Evans) has done a really nice job and Rob’s put a lot of good tape on. He’s put a lot of really good film on display for the last couple years. When he’s ready to go, we’ll evaluate that deal. He’s done a great job mentoring Bobby in the meantime. I think that says a lot about just the type of guy he is and we know what a productive player he’s been for us.”

(On if coaching changes from one segment of the season to the next)
“I would say it’s an ongoing evolution of staying up to date with the constant changes that go on both with your team or with the opponent. Kind of just staying up to date with what goes on. Nothing really changes – I think the changes occur every single day. To be able to seamlessly handle those and have a consistency, process and rhythm that you want to be committed to while also not being so set in it that you can adjust and adapt. I’d say that’s probably the best way that we would look at that. The one thing that does adjust once you get into the later parts of the season – just with the way that the physicality of this game kind of takes a tole on guys as they start to accumulate the game reps, you want to be smarter about still getting all the work you need to prepare for a game. But, you do pull back a little bit physically in some of the early parts of the week.”

(On the challenges that come with going against the speed and physicality in Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll’s defense)
“I think you see that. The one thing that I think he’s (Seahawks Head Coach Pete Carroll) done such a great job of since he’s been there – and really going back to his time at ‘SC’ (University of Southern California) – there’s a clear-cut philosophy, there’s an identity that they want to embody. You can see it show up on the tape. I think that’s a big thing and you talked about it, it’s physicality, it’s speed, it’s all about the ball where they’re relentlessly pursuing it. You look at the amount of times that they’ve forced more fumbles than anybody in the league. They’ve done a great job – especially over the last few weeks – of taking the ball away. They’ve got a great leader in (LB) Bobby Wagner, they’ve added some guys that you’re certainly feeling a lot on the tape when you watch the impact that their D-line’s making. You add (S) Quandre Diggs on the backend and to accompany him with the two corners they have – (SS Bradley) McDougald’s a really good foortball player, (LB) K.J. Wright’s been doing his thing for a long time. They’re very, very difficult, sound. They play hard, they play physical, they play fast. I think those are all the things you see that show up on the tape.”

(On the challenges in gameplanning against a Seahawks team that makes a lot of off-schedule plays)
“I think, really, that’s been consistent since (Seahawks QB) Russell (Wilson) has been the quarterback. He does a great job of using his athleticism to buy time, but still remain a passer. A lot of those off-schedule plays too – now that you’re seeing – occur in the pocket. There’s a timing and rhythm that you want to operate with, but then certain things break down. He’s got such a good feel that if the protection is there or there’s nobody that got edge, he can just move and be able to keep his eyes down the field and be able to hitch in place. He’s got such a great spatial awareness that you see him – and then guys have a good feel for being able to work. Then, when he does break contain, that’s where you’re really thinking, ‘Man, there’s a chance for him to create big plays all the time.’ They’ve got the weapons to be able to do that with him running the show.”

(On if he got any calls or texts regarding his comment about not being an idiot with RB Todd Gurley II because there was a lot of reactions to it)
“A couple of my friends, just being able to like screenshot something, but I didn’t see on the internet.”

(On if any other coaches texted him)
“No. I think you try to learn from it, but if you saw it, I was saying …I don’t really think I’m an idiot most of the time. Do you think I’m an idiot? (laughs)”

REPORTER: “In the Steelers game, maybe.”

(On response)
“Touché. I like that, all right. Hey, shots fired, I got that. That’s almost as good as her leaving the hair gel for me (laughs).”

(On what the difference is when he has LB Clay Matthews in the lineup)
“Just the impact that he (LB Clay Matthews) can make. This is a very versatile player for us. He can do a lot of different things. He has consistently done a great job of understanding how to affect the quarterback. He’s seen so many different things, too that he’s able to anticipate and knows what to expect. I think you’re just seeing a really high level of play from him since he’s been healthy, since he’s been able to go. Then you’ve missed him, but I thought it as a good reflection of the depth with somebody like (OLB) Samson (Ebukam) stepping up. Clay has done a great job for us.”

(On if he feels like his defense is better equipped to handle the Seahawks now than it was before)
“I think we expect to play better in some areas. We know what a great challenge it is, but I’ve got a lot of confidence in our defense. I’ve got a lot of confidence in the plan and our ability to be able to execute it, while also having a healthy respect for the opponent that we’re going against. We’ve got to be at our best. We’ve got to make sure that we come in with the same focus, concentration and urgency that we had going into that Arizona game. When your best players play their best, usually that ends up being a good thing for us.”

(On when they played the Seahawks before and it came down to the last kick and how different both teams are now two months later)
“You can’t say, because we didn’t. It’s hard to say. When you look at it, you always try to just reflect on, ‘All right, when you don’t get the results that you want, all right, what are we doing to try to make sure that our processes is in alignment?’ Even thinking back to last year, you have an appreciation for just what a fine line it is. It comes down to one possession, you end up making those plays. Both of our games against them last year come down to the last possession. We were fortunate enough to come out on the right end of that. First game that we played them this year, it goes their way. We’ve just got to do a great job controlling what we can. To say what would have happened had we made that, it didn’t. We’ve just got to be able to handle whatever it is that’s in front of us and kind of just be where our feet are planted.”

***

Rams Defensive Coordinator Wade Phillips

(Opening Remarks)
“Obviously, this offensive team we’re playing against is very sound. They can run the ball just as good as anybody, basically. We had some trouble a couple of weeks ago against the run. There’s a big challenge there. All kinds of accolades for (Seahawks QB) Russell Wilson. Probably the best off-schedule passer in the league. Once he gets out of the pocket, he throws it, and he throws it great – on the run, on the move, makes big plays there. You say, ‘Well you’ve got to keep him in the pocket.’ Well, he’s still going to get out. He’s a challenge that way. He’s a great player and obviously helped them win a lot of games. They’ve won a lot of close games that way.”

(On Seahawks RB Chris Carson)
“Obviously, they’ve got a really strong running game – partly because their offensive line is strong and powerful and does a great job. But, the running backs – (Seahawks RB Chris) Carson is having a great year – he’s a power runner, very power runner. He makes 2 or 3 yards extra and that’s why you’ve got to keep in front of him. Then, (RB Rashaad) Penny is also a really good back. Both of them are averaging well, obviously their team is averaging a whole lot of rushing. Again, it’s a big challenge, especially for us. We’ve got to do better against the run.”

(On what his reaction was when S Taylor Rapp made his first-career interception and ran it back for a touchdown)
“(S) Taylor Rapp, he made a great play. He was dropping in zone, saw the quarterback – broke. He did, obviously, what he was supposed to do. He made the play, he’s been making plays, certainly in the running-game. He’s improved throughout the year. Kind of a (S) John Johnson III type improvement, like we saw last year with him. I think Taylor is right along that same path. Certainly, he made a great play. Anytime you can score on defense, that gives you a chance to win.”

(On what’s different with Seahawks QB Russell Wilson than the last three mobile quarterbacks played)
“The difference in Russell Wilson, he’ll will run to make first-downs, certainly, but he runs around to make big plays in the passing game. The receivers do a great job, they do a great job of coming back to him and crossing the field. We talk about plaster, which means once he’s out of the pocket, you’ve got to find the nearest guy and get on him or he’ll complete it to him. He’ll throw it deep, he’ll throw it short, he’ll throw it crossing – whatever it is. He made one of the great throws I’ve seen against us in the first game. That one, he scrambled to his left and threw it, the (WR Tyler) Lockett, touchdown. We actually had really good coverage and he throws it running to his left – a dime – whatever they call it. It seemed like about a $20, $100.”

(On if he thinks Wilson was aiming for Lockett on the touchdown play from the Week 5 matchup against the Seahawks)
“He was throwing it to him, he’s that good.”

(On if Wilson is playing better than the year the Seahawks won Super Bowl XLVIII)
“I think he’s comfortable in their offense, certainly. They’ve added a big, speed wide receiver. I think he’s throwing some deep balls – and one on us. I’ve always thought he was a great player. He’s hard to beat. If there is two minutes left, that’s when he really is a problem. He will run then, to make the first downs on you, or he will throw it to make the first down on you. He’s tough to handle.”

(On if the Seahawks execution and success this season something he has to prepare for separately outside of the regular gameplan)
“You have to prepare for them – their two-minute offense, certainly. We actually stopped them in their four-minute offense last time. Like I said, he makes the right decisions, whether to run it and make the first down or throw it and make the first down and, he’s accurate. It will be a challenge, but we’re looking forward to it, we are looking forward to playing them. We know this is a big game for us and we’re going to treat it that way.”

(On when he watches film on Wilson if he recognizes any weaknesses)
“Weaknesses? No. He’s a Pro-Bowl quarterback. You don’t have many weaknesses if you’re a Pro-Bowl quarterback. Like I said, his decisions are so good, that’s the other thing. He makes a lot of good decisions. He throws the ball exceptionally well. I’m not sure he gets enough credit from that. He really throws from the pocket or out of the pocket, or on the move. He does that as well as anybody.”

(On if his coaching changes in different segments of the season)
“Some people put it in segments. I’ve never done that. It’s the fourth quarter, just like they do in college, it’s the fourth quarter. Certainly, it means a lot, but it’s one at a time. That’s what you can do something about. It’s the biggest game of the year. This is it, until the next one.”

(On what’s the difference in the defense when LB Clay Matthews is on the field)
“(LB) Clay’s (Matthews) is a very solid, outstanding player. What’s he got, 7.0 or 8.0 sacks already? And he missed three games. He’s just a good football player. He’s all we thought he would be, maybe a little better. He’s came in and done a great job for us.”

***

Rams RB Todd Gurley II

(On what he expects from the Seahawks on Sunday)
“A good game. It’s always been a good game. Over the last couple of years, we’ve been able to tie (the season series) – usually go one (win) and one (loss). It’s always going to be a good game between us two. We know them well, they know us well. They always fight to the end.”

(On what makes Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner an effective linebacker)
“He’s (Seahawks LB Bobby Wagner) always on the field. Never comes off the field, he’s always staying healthy. I feel like that’s majority of the guys in the league. He’s just a great linebacker. He’s smart, strong and he just knows what’s going on, on the field and he can create turnovers. That’s one of his biggest things – he’s always going to be punching at the ball, raking at the ball. Also, (Seahawks LB) K.J. Wright as well. Those are two great linebackers. They’ve been playing with each other for quite a while, so they just do their job.”

(On Rams Head Coach Sean McVay blaming himself for not giving Gurley II the ball more early in the season)
“He said it, I didn’t (laughs). That’s all I got to say. I don’t have anything else to say.”

(On if he would like to continue receiving as many carries as he has in recent games)
“It doesn’t matter. Hit you with the same answer – it’s a team sport, man. Only one person gets the ball. We’ve got great running backs in (RB) Malcolm (Brown) and (RB) Darrell (Henderson Jr.) as well. Four great receivers and some good tight ends. (TE Tyler) Higbee had a great game last game. Whatever he (Rams Head Coach Sean McVay) calls, I’ll do my part and be ready.”

(On how it’s been for him with a heavier workload in recent games)
“It’s been fine. Obviously, what is it? Week 13, Week 14? Everyone’s kind of feeling the long season. Just got to do what you got to do to get your body right and your mind right for each Sunday.”

(On My Cleats My Cause)
“Something me and my best friend Jameon (Willis) from back home started up – making a difference every day, just trying to do right for the kids. Whether it’s inspiring, you know, just inspiring the youth. Doing kids camps, that’s one thing I’m real big on, whether it’s my camp or doing other camps, just trying to keep inspiring people. Not only my hometown – the city I play in – but then also places I’ve lived in, my friends area’s as well.”

(On what his cause is)
“The cause is Gurley M.A.D.E Foundation ‘Making a Difference Everyday.’ There’s no real specific cause. Right now, it’s just more of just sports camps. Hopefully, next year we can get some basketball camps at potentially Georgia and Duke. Just trying to do it all, not just limiting myself to football, but doing everything.”

(On when it became a priority to be more than an athlete)
“It’s kind of been one of those things I’ve always seen and always imitated others. Guys like, Michael Jordan, (Lakers F) Lebron James, (Former Laker) Kobe Bryant, (Portland Trailblazers F) Carmelo Anthony. Not event that, just NFL players. I’m not the only one doing stuff for my community, even regular people out here doing stuff for their communities. That’s just the way I was brought up, just to be able to just give back. I know people that don’t have nothing, but they still give back every day. Just having that mindset to help others because I didn’t get here on my own. It took a whole community, it took a whole village to help me get here. Why not try to inspire my teammates. It really started with my best friend Jameon from back home. He told me it’s time to really take the initiative and do my part, not just play football and relax and party in the offseason, but also just do the right thing.”

(On what made them gravitate more towards sports camps specifically that help out the youth)
“It’s just fun. It’s fun for the kids. It’s like a fun day. It doesn’t even have to be a camp. It could be like a barbeque. (There’s) so many different ways you can go into it. Just using my relationships that I have with other athletes, whether its football, basketball, baseball, soccer, hockey. Just trying to just give those kids the opportunity to be able to have the inspiration to look up to somebody. As I keep telling the kids each year, I’ve been in the league for five years, went to college for three. Like I said, less than 10 years ago, I was in these kids’ shoes. So, to be able to just do what I’m doing and I’m still learning myself, still figuring stuff out myself. Just trying to do the right thing, man. I was raised the right way and I’m trying to pass those things along to other people.”

(On if he imagined being where he is today 10 years ago when he was in the kids’ shoes)
“No, I don’t think anyone did. Obviously, we all had dreams and expectations, but I was always a person that just kind of just lived day-by-day. Wasn’t a follower, but I did what everyone else did. That was play sports, go to school and hang out. As life goes on, you see the bigger picture. It’s just more to life. I’ve done everything I’ve wanted to do, still doing stuff that I still want to do, but it’s just more of me helping others do what they want to do as well, too”

(On if he’ll be watching the Georgia vs. LSU football game on Saturday)
“Yeah, what time does the game start? 3:30? Yeah, I’m going to be there. LSU, they don’t want it. (laughs).”

(On if he feels any extra pressure to win Sunday’s game in order to keep their playoff hopes alive)
“No. It’s a divisional game. We’ve got them, San Fran (Francisco) and the Cardinals. Those are three important games and obviously we’ve got the Cowboys. I guess it’s just like last year we were trying to save ourselves to get to that No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Now we’re scratching our way in, but you just focus on the game on Sunday. Just go out there, give it our all and then just see what happens. It’s the same kind of clichés: sayings. Just control what we control. We can’t worry about the games we lost because those are in the past. We can just focus on what we can right now, and then just see what happens.”

Disturbing’ texts between Oregon police and far-right group prompt investigation
Texts between Joey Gibson, the leader of the far-right group Patriot Prayer, and Portland police Lt. Jeff Niiya have been criticized by officials in Oregon’s largest city.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/disturbing-texts-between-oregon-police-far-right-group-prompts-investigation-n972161?fbclid=IwAR3QahQO36JHoFycZ3l2xQRR1mymfUDt0k2eoXZ-E5r-Cz9seubGU0rxxA4

After public backlash, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, is no longer asking the city’s police chief to lead an investigation into friendly text messages between a lieutenant and the leader of a far-right group that some officials say confirm “collusion” — a criticism later mocked by the group’s leader.

Officials and activists also voiced concern about the texts and demanded that Mayor Ted Wheeler order an independent investigation — and not one headed by Portland Police Chief Danielle Outlaw as he first suggested. The mayor relented late Friday and said he will be working on how the new inquiry will take shape.

“I will order an independent investigation to review the existence of bias in the actions of the [Portland Police Bureau] leading up to and during demonstrations involving alt-right and anti-fascist protesters,” he said in a statement, adding that he has “heard from the people of Portland” and will also work with Outlaw to implement training for police in identifying white supremacy.

Wheeler’s concern over the texts, which he called “disturbing,” comes after a report Thursday in the Willamette Week that highlights the correspondence between Joey Gibson, the leader of Patriot Prayer, and Portland police Lt. Jeff Niiya, the commander of the department’s rapid response team.

The pair shared messages in 2017 and 2018 that were joking at times, but also raise concerns that police give Patriot Prayer and members preferential treatment, even though they have been involved in violent clashes with antifascist protesters.

Wheeler said Thursday that he was concerned because it was exactly those demonstrations led by Gibson that “have caused significant disruption and increased fear in our community.”

The mayor also said the texts “appear to cross several boundaries” and “raise questions about whether warrants are being enforced consistently and what information is being shared with individuals who may be subject to arrest.”

The Portland Police Bureau said Friday that Niiya has been removed from the rapid response team during the investigation and that officials would hold a community listening event next week.

“It is imperative that we come together to hear people’s concerns and ideas,” Outlaw said in a statement.

The release of the texts come a week after the city introduced a resolution condemning white supremacy and alt-right hate groups.

Gibson’s Patriot Prayer, based in the Portland suburb of Vancouver, Washington, says it is not a white nationalist organization and believes in gun rights and defending the Second Amendment. Its rallies, however, have drawn interest from white supremacists and white nationalists, and has led to police using pepper spray and flash-bang grenades to break up the brawls with counterprotesters.

The Portland police has been criticized for its use of force against counterprotesters.

Gregory McKelvey, an organizer with the activist group Portland’s Resistance, was previously arrested by officers at a demonstration and said the department already gives the appearance of being against counterprotesters because they often face them when they line up, while putting their backs to the far-right groups.

“I don’t think it would be beyond anybody’s imagination that police might want to have a friendly correspondence with right-wing organizations to collect information. However, it crosses a line when you’re tipping off those organizers to when new leftist organizations are being formed, to where leftist protesters are or how its members can avoid arrest,” McKelvey said. “I’ve attended these rallies and I’ve never been tipped off.”

In one text exchange from December 2017, Niiya asked Gibson about one of his members, Tusitala Toese, who had been involved in fights at rallies and had a warrant out for his arrest on a disorderly conduct charge.

Niiya told Gibson that officers ignored the warrant at a previous demonstration, but to make sure that Toese didn’t do anything at the next one “which may draw our attention,” according to the Willamette Week.

“If he still has the warrant in the system (I don’t run you guys so I don’t personally know) the officers could arrest him,” Niiya wrote. “I don’t see a need to arrest on the warrant unless there is a reason.”

Toese, however, was arrested during a protest in Portland’s downtown that same month when he struck a counterprotester, reported The Oregonian.

In response to Niiya’s guidance, Portland police Lt. Tina Jones told the Willamette Week that it is “not uncommon for officers to provide guidance for someone to turn themselves in on a warrant if the subject is not present.”

In another message, when Gibson told Niiya last year that he was planning to run for Congress representing the state of Washington, Niiya responded, “Your [sic] running for office?!! Good for you. County level?”

Gibson ran for Senate, but lost in the Republican primary.

James Ofsink, another organizer with Portland’s Resistance, said the texts between Niiya and Gibson, as well as the release of Niiya’s work emails related to Gibson, are a “real smoking gun” that exhibit favoritism.

Emails sent by Niiya to other officers suggest they knew about his conversations with Gibson.

“I think in Portland we need real tangible steps in citizen oversight and real accountability for police,” Ofsink said.

Portland Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said in a statement Thursday that “there are members of the Portland police force who work in collusion with right-wing extremists.”

She, along with the Council on American-Islamic Relations’ Oregon chapter, were among those calling for an independent investigation.

In a Facebook video late Thursday, Gibson denied his conversations with Niiya were a way for his group to get an upper hand during rallies and said officials in Portland were mischaracterizing the interaction.

“When they see two people treating each other and talking like grown adults, like simple adults, they have a meltdown,” Gibson said. “And the mayor has a meltdown. He thinks it’s inappropriate for two men to talk to each other, to make sure to de-escalate, and to avoid conflict as much as possible.”

He added that Niiya alerted him to the counterprotesters’ whereabouts in order to stay clear of clashes.

Niiya, he added, was “trying to do everything he can because police are blamed whenever there’s conflict.”

The NBA Draft is on June 20th

1st Round
1. NO Pelicans – Zion Williamson PF Duke
2. Memphis Grizzlies – Ja Morant PG Duke
3. NY Knicks – RJ Barrett SF Duke
4. NO Pelicans f/ Lakers – Darius Garland PG Vanderbilt
5. Cleveland Cavaliers – DeAndre Hunter SF Virginia
6. Phoenix Suns – Coby White PG/SG UNC
7. Chicago Bulls – Sekou Doumbouya SF/PF France
8. Atlanta Hawks – Cameron Reddish SG/SF Duke
9. Washington Wizards – Jaxson Hayes PF/C Texas
10. Atlanta Hawks f/ Mavs – Jarrett Culver SG Texas Tech
11. Minnesota Timberwolves – Rui Hachimura SF/PF Gonzaga
12. Charlotte Hornets – Goga Bitadze C Rep. of Georgia
13. Miami Heat – Nassir Little SF UNC
14. Boston Celtics f/Kings – Tyler Herro SG Kentucky
15. Detroit Pistons – PJ Washington PF Kentucky
16. Orlando Magic – Keldon Johnson SG/SF Kentucky
17. Atlanta Hawks f/Nets – Bol Bol C Oregon
18. Indiana Pacers – Kevin Porter SG USC
19. SA Spurs – Brandon Clarke PF Gonzaga
20. Boston Celtics f/ Clippers – Nicolas Claxton PF/C Georgia
21. OKC Thunder- Nickeil Alexander-Walker
22. Boston Celtics – Carsen Edwards PG Purdue
23. Utah Jazz – Cameron Johnson SG/SF UNC
24. Philadelphia 76ers – Romeo Langford SG Indiana
25. Portland Trailblazers – Chuma Okeke SF/PF Auburn
26. Cleveland Cavaliers f/Rockets – Luka Samanic PF Croatia
27. Brooklyn Nets f/Nuggets – Bruno Fernando C Maryland
28. GS Warriors – KZ Okpala SG/SF Stanford
29. SA Spurs f/ Raptors – Ty Jerome PG Virginia
30. Milwaukee Bucks – Romeo Langford SG Indiana

2nd round
31. Brooklyn Nets f/Knicks -Talen Horton-Tucker SG/SF Iowa State
32. Phoenix Suns – Matisse Thybulle SG/SF Washington
33. Philadelphia 76ers f/Cavs – Eric Paschall PF Villanova
34. Philadelphia 76ers f/Bulls -Mfiondu Kabengele PF/C Florida State
35. Atlanta Hawks – Jalen Lecque PG/SG NC State
36. Charlotte Hornets f/Wizards – Dylan Windler SF Belmont
37. Dallas Mavericks – Jordan Bone PG Tennessee
38. Chicago Bulls f/Grizzlies – Deividas Sirvydis SF Lithuania
39. NO Pelicans – Naz Reid C LSU
40. Sacramento Kings f/Wolves – Quinndary Weatherspoon SG Mississippi State
41. Atlanta Hawks f/Lakers – Louis King SF Oregon
42. Philadelphia 76ers f/Kings – Daniel Gafford PF/C Arkansas
43. Minnesota Timberwolves f/Heat – Tacko Fall C Central Florida
44. Atlanta Hawks from Charlotte Hornets
46. Orlando Magic f/Nets – Admiral Schofield SF Tennessee
47. Brooklyn Nets f/Magic – Jaylen Nowell SG Washington
48. LA Clippers – Moses Brown C UCLA
49. SA Spurs – Yovel Zoosman SG/SF Isreal
50. Indiana Pacers – Jontay Porter PF/C Missouri
51. Boston Celtics – Darius Bazley SF Princeton HS.(OH)
52. Charlotte Hornets f/Thunder – Jalen McDaniels SF/PF San Diego State
53. Utah Jazz – Jaylen Hands PG UCLA
54. Philadelphia 76ers – Cody Martin SF Nevada
55. NY Knicks f/Rockets – Tremont Waters PG LSU
56. LA Clippers f/Blazers – Kris Wilkes SF UCLA
57. NO Pelicans f/Nuggets – Laurynas Birutis C Lithuania
58. GS Warriors – Brian Bowen SG/SF Australia
59. Toronto Raptors – Joshua Obiesie SF Germany
60. Sacramento Kings f/Bucks – Amir Hinton SG Shaw

http://www.espn.com/blog/seattle-seahawks/post/_/id/31584/how-paul-allen-saved-the-seahawks-from-leaving-seattle

How Paul Allen saved the Seahawks from leaving Seattle

RENTON, Wash. — Remembering Paul Allen a day after his passing, Pete Carroll said never “in a million years” would he have left USC had it not been for the late Seattle Seahawks owner. Carroll was referring to the vision and the spirit that Allen expressed while making a convincing sales pitch, the likes of which Carroll hadn’t heard from any other NFL owner.

If not for what Allen did more than a decade before Carroll arrived in 2010, though, there likely wouldn’t have been an NFL team to come to in Seattle.

The saga of the team’s near departure in the mid-1990s is worth revisiting in the wake of Allen’s death on Monday at age 65 due to complications from non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Because to understand Allen’s legacy as the Seahawks’ owner, it’s necessary to understand how close Seattle came to losing the team before he stepped in.

The past eight seasons of Seahawks football have seen so many monumental developments: Carroll leading the franchise to its only Super Bowl championship, Russell Wilson becoming a megastar on and off the field, the Legion of Boom becoming one of the greatest secondaries the league has ever seen, Marshawn Lynch becoming Beast Mode. None of them would have happened in Seattle — or perhaps at all — had Allen not saved the team from leaving when no one else would.

One foot in Southern California

Steve Raible, an original Seahawk and the team’s longtime radio broadcaster, remembers the call he got one day during the 1996 offseason. It was from one of the Seahawks’ assistant coaches under Dennis Erickson, who was telling Raible that he might want to get to the team’s Kirkland, Washington, headquarters to see what was happening.

“‘They’re backing up moving vans to the building. We’re outta here. We’re moving,'” Raible recalled hearing.

The destination was Anaheim, California. Ken Behring, a California real estate developer who bought the team in 1988 and was never embraced in Seattle, announced in February 1996 that he was moving the team south. His stated reason was an inability to secure funding for a new stadium or improvements to the crumbling Kingdome.

So the organization packed up equipment, headed south and set up shop at the facility the Rams had vacated when they left for St. Louis a year earlier. The Seahawks even held a few workouts there before returning to Seattle amid threats of lawsuits from the city and hefty fines from the NFL.

But in the absence of someone stepping forward to buy the team from Behring, the feeling was that those legal actions were merely delaying the inevitable.

As detailed in this 2013 Seattle Times story, Allen had been quietly and tepidly discussing the possibility with local officials. He was fearful that he would be used as leverage for Behring to secure a sweeter deal in California. Plus, Allen — who had owned the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers since 1988 — was a basketball fan first. Football wasn’t his biggest sporting passion. He was interested but hesitant.

He also was the only person with both an interest in buying the Seahawks and deep enough pockets to make it happen.

“Paul was really the only alternative,” Raible said. “That’s where they focused their efforts, the group here. Paul was pretty open to it for one simple reason. He believed it was good for the community. He believed it was something that should be done to keep the team here in the community.”

The make-or-break vote

In describing the support the Seahawks received from fans at London’s Wembley Stadium during their win over the Raiders last week, Carroll said it didn’t just feel like a home game. It practically was one.

“All you had to do was go to London to see the extent to which (a) the 12s travel and (b) that the 12s are literally spread across the globe,” Raible said. “We had fans with Seahawks jerseys and clothing on from Spain to Sweden to Germany and, of course, Great Britain and so many that came from here.

“That certainly was not the case then.”

By “then,” he meant during the 1996 and ’97 seasons, when the Seahawks’ future in Seattle was hanging in the balance. They were mired in mediocrity, cycling through coaches and highly drafted quarterbacks while finishing above .500 only once between 1989 and 1997. It wasn’t anything close to a sure thing that the Seahawks would remain in Seattle when their fate there was effectively left up to a statewide vote.

Allen had agreed to an option to buy the team on the condition that voters pass a referendum to foot the majority of the bill for a new stadium, which would eventually become CenturyLink Field. Taxpayers would pay $300 million, while Allen would cover the remaining $130 million plus cost overruns.

“We knew that it was going to be difficult,” Raible said of the vote. “And very much as the state is today, it’s two different states. [With] Eastern Washington and so many of those folks, it was hard to convince them that they would be getting something from a building built on the west side of the state. … They were not of the mind of, ‘OK, let’s build some more rich guys another stadium,’ regardless of the fact that the vast majority of the taxes were coming from visitors who were renting cars and getting hotel rooms. Still, it was just that sense of government making something happen for sports owners. So we knew it was going to be dicey at best, and it was a very close vote.”

The early returns on election night were discouraging before a late swing allowed Referendum 48 to pass with 51 percent of the vote.

‘It meant everything to him’

It hardly needs to be stated that Allen’s legacy in Seattle goes far beyond saving the Seahawks. The Microsoft co-founder gave away what Forbes estimated to be more than $2 billion of his fortune. The various charitable causes ranged from brain science to wildlife conservation to the Ebola crisis in Africa.

“Look at what he’s done, and look at all of the extraordinary, amazing places he’s taken us to because he could and because it was there to be challenged,” Carroll said. “Whether it’s in space or whether it’s under the ocean or whether it’s in the farthest reaches of the globe in chasing diseases and freeing animals and saving elephants and all the amazing things that he stood for, it’s just being around an amazing individual like that, that had that kind of vision.”

It was Allen’s affinity for Jimi Hendrix and rock music that led him to found what is now called the Museum of Pop Culture in Seattle.

It also led Allen to the stage at the team’s victory party following Super Bowl XLVIII. Asked his favorite memory of Allen, Carroll recalled him wailing on his guitar as the Seahawks celebrated their first and only championship in franchise history.

“He was hittin’ in,” Carroll said with a smile. “He thought he was Eddie Vedder or something up there. He was going. But I think that was the great moment that we got to share, that he got to have. Because you can have all the money in the world, but it’s really hard to have that world championship. It meant everything to him. To be able to share that with him was amazing.”

It was a celebration that, like so many other moments in Seahawks history, never would have happened without Allen.

This past week turned out to be a great beach week up in Phippsburg, ME. Lots of sun, and the water was relatively warm (62 F on Friday).

It was nice to do barely anything for a week. The kids still love to go, but at 22 and 19, I was afraid they would outgrow it. When my wife said maybe just the two of us would keep going, my daughter said, “No way! We’re coming too.”

We did our yearly trip in to Bath to go to Reny’s for back to school stuff and Beale St BBQ for dinner.

We also visited my sister in Portland on Thursday and got the three hour tour of the city. She took us to the East Prom, where we walked down by the water and saw a narrow gauge train. We ate oysters at The Spot on Washington Ave. We went over to South Portland and then to Cape Elizabeth and went to Fort Williams Park (cool lighthouse). Then we drove down by the waterfront and went to King of the Roll on Congress St for dinner.

Very nice city from what I saw. My daughter, who is living in Boston and is thinking about maybe Nursing School (after she gets her Masters in Public Health) liked it very much, especially when my sister told her that her daughter went to Nursing school in Portland.

All in all a good time

I Have to do it if there were no trades. Trades are hard to predict where they will be. So this is if there will be none. The Draft is this Thursday for anyone interested.

1st Round

1. Phoenix Suns – DeAndre Ayton 7’0” 260 C Arizona
2. Sacramento Kings – Luka Doncic 6’8” 215 SG/SF Slovenia
3. Atlanta Hawks – Mo Bamba 7’1” 230 C Texas
4. Memphis Grizzlies – Marvin Bagley 6’11” 240 PF Duke
5. Dallas Mavericks – Jaren Jackson 6’11” 240 PF Michigan St.
6. Orlando Magic – Trae Young 6’3” 188 PG Oklahoma
7. Chicago Bulls – Michael Porter 6’7” 205 SF Missouri
8. Cleveland Cavaliers f/Nets – Mikal Bridges 6’7” SG/SF Villanova
9. NY Knicks – Collin Sexton 6’2” 182 PG Alabama
10. Philadelphia 76ers – Wendell Carter 6’10” 250 PF/C Duke
11. Charlotte Hornets – Miles Brides 6’7” 225 SF Michigan St.
12. LA Clippers – Lonnie Walker 6’5” 200 SG Miami (FL)
13. LA Clippers f/Pistons – Mitchell Robinson 7’1” 227 C Chalmette H.S. (Louisiana)
14. Denver Nuggets – Kevin Knox 6’9” 218 PF Kentucky
15. Washington Wizards – Robert Williams 6’10” 255 PF/C Texas A&M
16. Phoenix Suns f/Heat – Zhaire Smith 6’4” 208 SG Texas Tech
17. Milwaukee Bucks – Dzanan Musa 6’9” 180 SG/SF Bosnia
18. San Antonio Spurs – Donte Divicenzo 6’5” 206” SG Villanova
19. Atlanta Hawks f/Timberwolves – Chandler Huchinson 6’7” 197 SF Boise St.
20. Minnesota Timberwolves f/Thunder – Khyri Thomas 6’4” 203 SG Chreighton
21. Utah Jazz – Keita Bates Diop 6’9” 219 PF Ohio St.
22. Chicago Bulls f/Pelicans – Brandon McCoy 7’1” 255 C UNLV
23. Indiana Pacers – Aaron Holiday 6’1” 187 PG UCLA
24. Portland Trailblazers – Omari Spellman 6’10” 245 PF Villanova
25. LA Lakers f/ Cavaliers – Mortiz Wagner 6’11” PF/C Michigan
26. Philadelphia 76ers – Grayson Allen 6’5” 200 SG Duke
27. Boston Celtics – Jacob Evans III 6’6” 208 SF Cincinnati
28. Golden State Warriors – Landry Shamet 6’6” 192 PG/SG Wichita St.
29. Brooklyn Nets f/Raptors – Jalen Brunson 6’2” 198 PG Villanova
30. Atlanta Hawks f/Rockets – Jevon Carter 6/2 195 PG West Virginia

2nd Round

31. Phoenix Suns – Devonte Graham 6’2” 189 PG Kansas
32. Memphis Grizzlies – Hamilton Diallo 6’7” 201 SF Kentucky
33. Atlanta Hawks – Shake Milton 6’6” 209 PG SMU
34. Dallas Mavericks – Bruce Brown 6’5 195 Miami (FL)
35. Orlando Magic – Chimezie Metu 6’10” 225 PF USC
36. Sacramento Kings – Troy Brown 6’7” 208 SG Oregon
37. NY Knicks f/ Bulls – Theo Pinson 6’7” 211 SF UNC
38. Philadelphia 76ers f/Nets – Rodions Kurucs 6’9” 207 SF Latvia
39. Philadelphia 76ers f/Knicks – Josh Okogie 6’5” 201 SG Georgia Tech
40. Brooklyn Nets f/Lakers –Kevin Hervy 6’7” 210 SF Texas-Arlington
41. Orlando Magic f/Hornets – Jerome Robinson 6’5” 183 PG Boston College
42. Detroit Pistons – Elie Okobo 6’3” 185 PG France
43. Denver Nuggets f/Clippers – Melvin Fraizer 6’7” 208 Tulane
44. Washington Wizards – Gary Trent 6’6” 213 SG/SF Duke
45. Brooklyn Nets f/Bucks – Isaac Bonga 6/10” 186 SF Germany
46. Houston Rockets f/ Heat – Alize Johnson 6’10” 207 SF Southern Mississippi
47. LA Lakers f/Nuggets – Malik Newman 6’4” 180 PG/SG Kansas
48. Minnesota Timberwolves – D.J. Hogg 6’8” 218 PF Texas A&M
49. San Antonio Spurs – Issuf Sanon 6’5” 200 PG Ukraine
50. Indiana Pacers – Bonzie Colson 6’6” 225” SF Notre Dame
51. New Orleans Pelicans – Tony Carr 6’4” 208 PG Penn State
52. Utah Jazz – Ray Spalding 6’10” 220 PF Louisville
53. Oklahoma City Thunder – Devon Hall 6’5” 211 PG Virginia
54. Dallas Mavericks f/Trailblazers – Tryggvi Hlinason 7’1” 256 C Iceland
55. Charlotte Hornets f/Cavaliers – Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk 6’8” 218 SF Kansas
56. Philadelphia 76ers – Allonzo Trier 6’5” 201 SG Arizona
57. Oklahoma City Thunder f/Celtics – Jarrod Vanderbilt 6’8” 221” PF Kentucky
58. Denver Nuggets f/Warriors – Kostas Antetokunmpo 6’11” 205 SF Dayton
59. Phoenix Suns f/Raptors – Billy Preston 6’11” 230 PF Kansas
60. Philadelphia 76ers f/Rockets – Arnoldas Kulboka 6’9” 210 SF Lithuania

True NFL Draft Grades: 2014 Draft, Four Years Later

ANDY BENOIT

https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/05/08/draft-grades-2014-jadeveon-clowney-johnny-manziel-blake-bortles-khalil-mack

Every spring there’s a rush to (prematurely) grade every team’s draft, even though we all know you can’t truly grade a draft until years later, when the players have (or haven’t) developed. With that in mind, a look back at the true grades of the 2014 NFL draft

LOS ANGELES (THEN ST. LOUIS) RAMS

Round 1 (2 overall). Greg Robinson, T, Auburn

1 (13). Aaron Donald, DT, Pittsburgh

2 (41). Lamarcus Joyner, CB, Florida State

3 (75). Tre Mason, RB, Auburn

4 (110). Maurice Alexander, SS, Utah State

6 (188). E.J. Gaines, DB, Missouri

6 (214). Garrett Gilbert, QB, Southern Methodist

7 (226). Mitchell Van Dyk, T, Portland State

7 (241). Christian Bryant, DB, Ohio State

7 (249). Michael Sam, DE, Missouri

7 (250). Demetrius Rhaney, C, Tennessee State

Greg Robinson’s career was like one big heavy plop onto a whoopy cushion. He struggled at multiple positions, for multiple coaches and in multiple schemes. At 25, he’s currently an unsigned free agent.

Aaron Donald, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, is whatever you’d call the opposite of Greg Robinson.

Tre Mason had off-field problems that his family attributed to head injuries, ending his career.

File this Lamarcus Joyner pick in the back of your mind. Joyner began his career as a nickel slot, but in 2017 he moved to free safety, where he played well enough to warrant a 2018 franchise tag. His 5′ 8″, 184-pound frame wouldn’t suggest it, but Joyner is a ferocious hitter. He’s also very rangy.

Joyner starts ahead of Maurice Alexander, who has been an adequate backup but is too limited in coverage to start. Also in that secondary was E.J. Gaines, who turned out to be a steal and went to Buffalo in 2017 as part of the Sammy Watkins trade.

The players who were selected after Gaines combined to play 13 NFL games, mainly on special teams. If not for that, and much, much more so for the Robinson pick, this draft would have been a solid A, maybe even an A+ if Joyner keeps ascending. But a giant whiff on the No. 2 overall selection and a disappointing third-round running back can’t be ignored.

Grade: B

A Familiar Position For Jared Goff

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-feature/A-Familiar-Position-For-Jared-Goff/5fc43c88-b06a-4c94-86e9-3be059e0c619

A trip to Jared Goff’s hometown reveals a lot about the QB who starred at Marin Catholic and Cal and is now aiming for big things with the Rams.

NOVATO, Calif. — When Jared Goff was a freshman at Cal, the Golden Bears finished 1-11.

If that piece of information is familiar to you, it should be. As one of the widely heralded top quarterbacks of the 2016 draft class, Goff’s record was repeatedly dissected and scrutinized in the lead up to the Rams selecting him with the No. 1 overall pick.

Despite the team struggles of that first college season, Goff helped put the program in a position to go 8-5 in his junior year, winning a bowl game for the first time since 2008. And in the process, Goff became one of the most prolific passers in Pac-12 history.

The situations are not the same, but it’s easy to draw parallels between that freshman season and Goff’s first year in the NFL. Speaking with the quarterback and a few of those close to him in his hometown over a weekend in late June, it’s clear why they are all eager and optimistic as Goff’s second season gets underway.

“I was always a quarterback since I was about 7 or 8 years old,” Jared says. “Always a quarterback.”

The Rams No. 1 overall pick has been hosting a youth flag football tournament over the last two days at his alma mater, Marin Catholic, where he starred as the high school’s varsity signal-caller from 2010-2012. Jared led the program to a 39-4 record in that time, winning three Marin County Athletic League championships and one CIF North Coast Section title.

As he said himself, Jared has been a quarterback long before he was torching high schools from all over the Bay Area. But always?

“It’s kind of funny. He was never the biggest kid. He’s gotten to the point now where he can handle himself, but back then, he was lean,” Jared’s father, Jerry Goff, recalls. Jerry played Major League Baseball in the 90s as a catcher for the Montreal Expos, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Houston Astros. “So we walked up the first day of football practice, and sent him out there with the rest of the kids. And he got in the linemen line.”

“Nobody knows — they’re seven years old, right?” Jerry laughs. “So he’s over there with the linemen and I’m like, ‘Man… I don’t want him to be a lineman.’ Because I had just played high school football and I knew his body wasn’t meant for that. So we had a little chat after and I said, ‘Hey, you’ve got to get out of that group and try this group.’ And that’s when he ended up doing what he’s doing now.”

“He loved it,” Jared’s mother, Nancy Goff, says of her son playing quarterback. “He just took off and loved it from Day 1.”

While quarterbacks don’t traditionally drop back much at that age, part of Jared’s love for the position came from his early ability to pass.

“I was just throwing the ball further than everyone so that’s why I started it,” Jared says. “And then as I grew older, I kind of grew into the position and everything that kind of goes along with it. And it’s kind of shaped me a little bit.”

Shaped him?

“Just the way I carry myself. [Being a quarterback] gives you confidence, and you have to have confidence at the position,” Jared says. “Leadership, energy, and everything else has shaped into my personality.

But if you ask his mom, Jared may have simply been innately suited to play what’s often described as the most difficult position in sports.

“I think he’s a natural leader. He loves telling people what to do, orchestrating things — even not just in football, but when he gets friends together,” Nancy says. “He likes orchestrating and leading, and he’s good at it.”

“He’s got a real strong sense of himself, a real strong sense of confidence,” she continues. “We get asked a lot that question — ‘Where does that come from?’ And I think the real explanation is the easiest: It’s just who he is.”

By the time Jared reached Marin Catholic, he’d been playing football for years. He clearly had arm talent, but no one quite knew how he would fare at the high school level.

Mazi Moayed has been Marin Catholic’s football coach since 2010, and remembers his first impression of Jared well.

“Tall, skinny kid who wanted to play quarterback,” Moayed says. “You have a lot of guys with that type of frame, and everybody wants to play quarterback.”

But there was something different about the way the ball would come off of Jared’s hand.

“You watch him throw the football, and you’d be like, ‘Wow, that looked really easy.’ Like, you felt like you could do it,” Moayed says. “You could tell he was special then. And he had the tools and the gifts — just had to see, at that point, was he going to have the head and the heart for it?”

Moayed and his staff learned Jared possessed both as he began his sophomore year.

“You could see right away [that] he was mature, just a mature athlete,” Moayed says. “And his competitive toughness was pretty awesome. He would compete like crazy at practice.”

Even though he was the starter, Jared wanted to be the scout-team quarterback, too. And so Moayed sent him out there in each practice as a sophomore, with Jared always trying to get the best of the first-team defense.

“It was fun — it was a good rivalry. A lot of his best friends were on the other side of the football, so it made it that much sweeter,” Moayed says. “That stood out right away, though, his sophomore year, was wanting to even be the scout-team guy. And we let him. And I think it made him better because it was always good-on-good.”

Growing up with a professional athlete as a father likely fostered that spirit in Jared.

“He’s got a very competitive side. I mean, he and my husband, they’ll compete over ping pong to where it gets a little nasty sometimes,” Nancy says. “Neither of them can stand to lose.”

But along with the intangibles, Jared’s skill-set allowed him to flourish.

Moyaed says Jared had an “ability to stand in the pocket and [keep his] eyes downfield. It didn’t matter what was happening — he’d be willing to stand in there and take a hit. You saw that in high school all the time and that was the No. 1 thing recruiters noticed when they’d come through, is, ‘Wow, he stays in the pocket and his eyes are downfield the whole time.’”

“He was pinpoint accurate and that was really helpful,” Moyaed adds. “It helped the average guys become a lot better, and the good guys become great because of how he was able to place the ball.”

Even then, Jared was exhibiting qualities that would help him get selected at the top of the draft — including his on-field demeanor.

“His calmness no matter the situation — he takes a hit, just playing the next play staying focused, and cool, and sort of calming the other guys down,” Moyaed says. “He has the energy to keep it fun and loose so he can be efficient.”

That sense of calmness was another significant point of Jared’s evaluation when he was entering the NFL. He says it’s just a quality he thinks he’s always had.

“I don’t know, I think it comes from trying to enjoy the game,” he says. “Trying to not make it more than it is, trying to have fun and don’t make the moment bigger than it is. It’s still just a game at the end of the day — a fun game we all play — and just try to enjoy it everyday.”

“I think he has a way of calming himself and knowing it’s going to be OK,” Jerry says. “You want to succeed at whatever you do. But there’s going to be some failures. And for his ability to push those off and push to the next play, or the next game — whatever it may be — is a really nice way to be wired as a quarterback.”

Whenever a high school player is putting up numbers like Jared — he threw 44 touchdowns as a junior — colleges are going to start giving him some attention. And so during that 2011 season, Jared started getting the sense that he had a future in football.

“I knew my junior year I could do it,” Jared says. “My junior year, I had a pretty good year — a bunch of touchdowns and not many interceptions and we were really good. I had some pretty good receivers around me that year and that’s when I kind of knew I could do it, started getting some interest.”

“Probably his junior year of high school where I knew, ‘You know, maybe he can play in college,’” Jerry says. “I’m like, ‘OK, he’s doing some things now that he has a chance to play in college. I don’t think he can for sure, because he’s still got to get better.’ And he kept getting better.”

So college programs began to show interest, and eventually Jared was offered Washington State, Boise State, and a school just a half hour away from his hometown: University of California, Berkeley.

“He had talked to a few other colleges, offers from a few others, and was still talking to a few others,” Nancy says. “And at one point he said to both Jerry and I, ‘I know I can’t do better than Cal. I know that’s where I want to go.’ And Jerry said, ‘Then just declare. Let’s do it.’ And so he did.”

“It was close to home, that was part of it,” Jared says. “It was nice to be close to home but ultimately, it was the chance to compete in the Pac-12. Great school — if football didn’t work out, you get a great degree.”

It was a choice that elicited plenty of family pride, as both Jerry and Nancy had attended Cal, too. Back then, Jerry not only excelled on the baseball field, but was also a punter for the football program.

“We were so happy — I was so happy. It’s unreal, it really is unreal, as a mom who went to school there, to have your son then deciding that he’s going to play there. And, hopefully, be the starting quarterback at Cal,” Nancy says. “I watched Jerry play there. So to be back on that field, Memorial Stadium, with Jared starting was unreal.”

“Yeah, selfishly it was great, because we could see every home game — we’re a half hour away,” Jerry says. “And then we were able to go on the road, too, because it wasn’t that big of a deal being on the West Coast. It meant a lot, in terms of just his legacy. He’s a second generation Cal guy, which is good.”

There were, however, a couple of factors that could have complicated Goff’s ascent. The first, was that Cal wanted Jared to enroll in the spring of 2013 so he could participate in spring practices. That meant the quarterback would have to graduate Marin Catholic early, which wasn’t something normally done.

“We got on the phone with Marin Catholic and said, ‘What do we need to do?’” Nancy says. “He had to take a few summer school classes. He had to do a few things because Marin Catholic has some other requirements. And they didn’t waive any of them — he had to finish the way everyone else finishes, but within three-and-a-half years. So we went online, he took some classes and he got it done.”

“That was just kind of new, believe it or not, in 2013,” Jerry says. “A lot of kids hadn’t been doing that. It started maybe in 2012 with a few kids. That’s your only chance to play as a freshman at the quarterback position — is to get out of high school a semester early. And he felt, you know, he’s like, ‘I want to do this. I want to get this done.’”

The opportunity to start as a freshman was a significant factor for why Jared wanted to graduate in that time frame. In a way, it’s an example of his highly competitive nature.

“I could’ve played baseball and still enjoyed my spring semester [in high school],” Jared says. “But it was the fact that I knew, if I’m sitting in class here, and it’s second semester senior year — you know how it goes. It’s like every class is kind of a joke towards the end. So sitting there and they’re doing practice across the bridge, and they don’t have a quarterback, and I’m like, ‘What am I doing here?’ I knew I didn’t want to be in that situation. So that’s why I went.”

“I obviously did miss my friends a little bit but there were times where they would come over and see me at Cal or I’d go back home on weekends all the time. It really wasn’t too bad, because I was so close,” Jared adds. “But that was the best decision I’ve ever made, going there early.”

“I think, obviously, when you look back on it, that could be why he is where he is now,” Jerry says. “If he doesn’t go there [early], he probably doesn’t start, and who knows? Things happen for a reason, and it was a good call on his part wanting to do that.”

The other complicating factor: Cal relieved head coach Jeff Tedford of his duties after the 2012 season, meaning Jared would walk into an unfamiliar situation with a coach who hadn’t recruited him. But even though there were potential opportunities to go elsewhere, Jared never wavered in where he wanted to be.

“I committed to the school,” he says. “I love coach Tedford, I thought he was great, I loved his whole staff. But I was committed to Cal as a school and as the institution it is.”

“I think he’s an ‘all-in’ type of guy with whatever he does — very loyal guy,” Moayed says of Jared. “And I think after he’d been committed that long, his heart, mind, and soul was into Cal. In his mind and heart, he had already played there, practiced there, walked-through there. He was already there.”

In some ways, the coaching change may have worked to Jared’s advantage. Cal hired Sonny Dykes and he brought with him an air-raid offense that bore a closer resemblance to what Moayed ran at Marin Catholic.

“With coach Tedford’s scheme, although very successful, it’s hard to come in and learn his system right away in one spring,” Moayed says. “You’re better off [red] shirting to grow in that offensive system.”

Under Dykes, Jared effectively learned the new offensive system and seized the starting role as a true freshman in August.

“I went in there not really knowing what was gonna happen, but just trying to do my best. And through probably a few weeks of early spring training, I thought, ‘Man, I could do this. I feel like I’m better than all these guys and I feel like I could do it,’” Jared says. “And I worked, and worked, and worked all the way through the summer and worked hard all the way through training camp and was named the starter about two weeks before the first game.”

Though he earned the starting role and set a number of passing records in 2013, Goff’s first college season was tough.

“It was rough, there’s no doubt about that. He lost four games throughout his whole high school career, and he loses 11,” Jerry says. “And not only did they lose, they got rolled.”

It was the program’s worst record in history, with Cal’s only win coming Week 2 against Portland State.

Nevertheless, there were positives. Two of those new Cal records were yards passing (3,508) and completions (320) — both of which he’d later break. And it was during that year that Jared and those around him began to realize what his ceiling might be.

“When I played my freshman year, we were terrible but I was still throwing it around pretty good, and completing some balls, and completing some big plays,” Jared says. “So I was like, ‘Alright, I can do it.’”

“Even through that 1-11 season, you would hear a lot of bright things about Jared,” Nancy says. “Especially on TV by the commentators about his pocket presence, his arm, his quick feet — things that they talk about when players can go on, attributes that you kind of need to have to go on. Not that they won that often, but Jared’s physical attributes. So I think it was right his freshman year when we started hearing people talk about it on TV, and I was like, ‘Hmm, OK, this could happen for him.’”

Part of that was Jared’s attitude. Even though his freshman season went south quickly, he stayed even keel.

“He hung in there and kept it together,” Jerry says. “He could’ve fell apart real easily — because there was another guy there who was highly recruited who got there before him. He could’ve [started] looking over his shoulder — never ever flinched the whole time.”

“To see him perform consistently at the level he was, the way he was throwing the ball, that, to me, said a lot,” Moayed says. “Just to keep throwing for all the yards that he did even though the team was struggling the way that it was. And to keep your head about you to be executing efficiently, and re-set every week. When you have a fresh approach, you’ve got to be really tough minded to do that. And after that year, I was like, ‘Hey, it’s only going to get better from here. It’s not going to be any worse.’”

But in order to make that happen, Jared had plenty to overcome. He had the support of his coaches and teammates, but also the confidence in himself to put the 1-11 season behind him and take Cal football in the right direction.

“I think there were a lot of things we went through and had to learn from and ultimately, it was changing the culture, and changing the expectation in the building,” Jared says. “And I was a part of that but I wasn’t the only part of that — there were a bunch of guys there with me that were pulling their weight as well. And I’m proud to say I was a part of it but by no means was I the only person behind that. It was a group effort.”

“No team has ever gone 1-11 and then to a bowl game the next year in college football. And they could’ve done that. There were a couple of games that they probably could have won [but] didn’t,” Jerry says. “They ended up 5-8, and then yeah, they moved on.

“So I think the fans in L.A., just to push this forward a little bit, are going to see that, too, out of this kid,” Jerry continues. “Being that he played seven games and didn’t win any of them — that’s no secret — you guys, hang with this guy. He’s going to be alright.”

As Jerry says, the similarities between Jared’s freshman year at Cal and his rookie season in the NFL are plainly apparent. After L.A. traded up to No. 1 overall to select him, Jared started seven games, but the Rams finished the year 4-12. And completing just 55 percent of his passes for 1,089 yards with five touchdowns and seven interceptions was not an ideal first year by any stretch.

“I learned a lot,” Jared says. “I think I learned, ultimately, that winning in this league is not easy and doesn’t come without sacrifice. There’s a lot of things that you need to lay on the line a little bit to get what you want. And, ultimately, that is winning. And I think I learned that — I think our whole team learned that.”

“Definitely want to use some of the things I did learn last year, though, to continue to move myself forward and our team.”

Those close to Jared all have a strong sense that the quarterback will have a much improved 2017. They say he’s proven he has the ability to do it through his resolve and resiliency.

“His track record shows it — he gets better every year,” Jerry says. “Every year, no matter what he does, at whatever level he plays, he gets better. And he’s going to get better, and get better, and get better. He’s not going to stay static — that’s not in his DNA.”

“I think the biggest thing is going to be taking that 1-11 year and using that to his advantage, just sort of being himself and staying the course,” Moayed says. “He’s been playing football all his life and I always hear these different things on interviews or write ups, and sometimes it’s like they’re talking about a guy like he’s never played football before, you know? It’s sort of funny. But there’s a lot of elements involved. And I think he’s going to bounce back and have a great year coming up with the Rams.”

“I think things are on the rise there. I think it’s kind of similar to Cal, where it’s kind of a shift in culture, new coach, they’re kind of turning some things around,” Nancy says. “And I think it’s going to get better just like Cal — I really do. I have a lot of confidence. Jared, obviously, has a lot of confidence. And I think his teammates do. I mean, you can feel it.”

Wide receiver Nelson Spruce — who helped out at Jared’s camp in June — says he’s noticed a difference not just within the dynamic of the team, but also with the way his quarterback handled the offseason program.

“I just think that leadership role that he’s taken is where I’ve seen the most growth,” Spruce says. “He knows he’s going to be the guy Day 1, and he’s kind of taken the position as the leader of our offense, and the leader of our team. And I think a lot of that has to do with the year that he had, and seeing what goes into an NFL season, and what it takes to lead an NFL team. And I think on the field as well, he’s kind of taken some big strides.

“Being the No. 1 overall pick, and coming in [last year] as a quarterback in that situation — I couldn’t imagine the pressure,” Spruce adds. “Anyone in that situation is going to have their speed bumps. But I think what he did was learn from that. That’s one thing I’ve noticed he does well — he won’t repeat the same mistakes. So I think that he’s kind of taken all the lessons he’s learned from the past year. We did have a lot of negative moments last year, and I think he learned from all those. And he’s doing his best to make sure we don’t repeat them.”

Part of that certainly has to do with Los Angeles’ new staff, led by head coach Sean McVay. Between McVay, offensive coordinator Matt LaFleur, and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson, Jared has plenty of support to help guide him to a much more successful 2017. But it’s the environment McVay implemented in and around the building that Jared feels can make an even bigger impact.

“I think what coach McVay has done so far with the new culture he’s instilled and the new expectations and all that stuff is exactly on line with what we need,” Jared adds. “And I’m really excited about what we’ve got working now.”

Jared has the skills. He has the intangibles. He feels he has the right teammates and coaches around him. He has the experience.

That’s why when you ask him what to expect from the Rams this upcoming season, he eagerly replies, “A lot more.”

“It’s turning — you can feel it in OTAs, you can feel it in minicamp. The tide is turning,” Jared says. “And, again, I think it starts with coach McVay and everything he’s instilled. Just the expectation level is much higher this year — much higher. I know it’s higher on myself. And I know I’m ready to go.”

…

Why Roman concrete still stands strong while modern version decays
Scientists have cracked the secret to Roman water-based structures’ strength – and findings could help today’s builders

https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jul/04/why-roman-concrete-still-stands-strong-while-modern-version-decays

Their structures are still standing more than 1,500 years after the last centurion snuffed it: now the Romans’ secret of durable marine concrete has finally been cracked.

The Roman recipe – a mix of volcanic ash, lime (calcium oxide), seawater and lumps of volcanic rock – held together piers, breakwaters and harbours. Moreover, in contrast to modern materials, the ancient water-based structures became stronger over time.

Scientists say this is the result of seawater reacting with the volcanic material in the cement and creating new minerals that reinforced the concrete.

“They spent a tremendous amount of work [on developing] this – they were very, very intelligent people,” said Marie Jackson, a geologist at the University of Utah and co-author of a study into Roman structures.

As the authors note, the Romans were aware of the virtues of their concrete, with Pliny the Elder waxing lyrical in his Natural History that it is “impregnable to the waves and every day stronger”.

Now, they say, they’ve worked out why. Writing in the journal American Mineralogist, Jackson and colleagues describe how they analysed concrete cores from Roman piers, breakwaters and harbours.

Previous work had revealed lime particles within the cores that surprisingly contained the mineral aluminous tobermorite – a rare substance that is hard to make.

The mineral, said Jackson, formed early in the history of the concrete, as the lime, seawater and volcanic ash of the mortar reacted together in a way that generated heat.

But now Jackson and the team have made another discovery. “I went back to the concrete and found abundant tobermorite growing through the fabric of the concrete, often in association with phillipsite [another mineral],” she said.

She said this revealed another process that was also at play. Over time, seawater that seeped through the concrete dissolved the volcanic crystals and glasses, with aluminous tobermorite and phillipsite crystallising in their place.

These minerals, say the authors, helped to reinforce the concrete, preventing cracks from growing, with structures becoming stronger over time as the minerals grew.

By contrast, modern concrete, based on Portland cement, is not supposed to change after it hardens – meaning any reactions with the material cause damage.

Jackson said: “I think [the research] opens up a completely new perspective for how concrete can be made – that what we consider corrosion processes can actually produce extremely beneficial mineral cement and lead to continued resilience, in fact, enhanced perhaps resilience over time.”

The findings offer clues for a concrete recipe that does not rely on the high temperatures and carbon dioxide production of modern cement, but also providing a blueprint for a durable construction material for use in marine environments. Jackson has previously argued Roman concrete should be used to build the seawall for the Swansea lagoon.

“There’s many applications but further work is needed to create those mixes. We’ve started but there is a lot of fine-tuning that needs to happen,” said Jackson. “The challenge is to develop methods that use common volcanic products – and that is actually what we are doing right now.”