Eagles ‘ Sam Bradford faces the coach who drafted him
http://www.nj.com/eagles/index.ssf/2015/10/eagles_sam_bradford_faces_the_coach_who_drafted_hi.html#incart_river
Steve Spagnuolo’s first year as head coach of the St. Louis Rams back in 2009 ended 1-15, which gave the Rams the first pick in the 2010 NFL Draft.
They used the pick to select quarterback Sam Bradford out of Oklahoma.
Six years later, Bradford, after two torn ACLs, is now the quarterback of the Eagles; and Spagnuolo, after a 2-14 season in 2011, has returned to the place that earned him the head coaching position, as the Giants’ defensive coordinator.
Monday night the two will go head to head for the first time in what is also a crucial game in the NFC East standings.
“I’m very grateful to Coach Spags, I really am, Bradford said, as he prepared for the Giants’ defense. “He gave me my chance in St. Louis. When we were together there in St. Louis we were very close. I learned a lot from him, especially about defense, my first two years in the league.”
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Bradford had a good rookie season for the Rams and “Spags”, good enough to earn the NFL’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award as the Rams went 7-9 and just missed the playoffs. He completed 60 percent of his passes for 3,512 yards with 18 touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Injuries began for Bradford in ’11 when he missed all of parts of seven games, the Rams tumbled and Spagnuole was fired.
After tearing his ACL the first time in 2013, and then a second time in the 2014 preseason, current Rams head coach Jeff Fisher decided to part ways with the former No. 1 overall pick and sent him to Chip Kelly and the Eagles for Nick Foles and a 2016 second-round pick.
Now as Bradford continues his comeback he faces a new foe and old friend in his biggest game as an Eagles thus far.
Is there an advantage for him, knowing what kind of defense Spagnuolo likes to play?
“As far as my knowledge of his defense it’s been a long time,” Bradford said. “But there is some familiarity. When I was going against his defense back then we were in a lot (two back), now teams use a lot more (one back, three wide receiver sets). So a lot has changed.
“I don’t know if there’s an advantage. It’s been a long time since we worked together. It’s really hard to say.”
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Agamemnon
