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Filed to ESPN: Sources: Rams plan to release WR Bud Sasser today after he was unable to get cleared physically because of a heart condition.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) June 4, 2015
Agamemnon2015 St. Louis Rams Roster: Team To Release WR Bud Sasser For Heart Condition After Signing Him On
@3k_ on Jun 4, 2015, 12:08p 7
Jeff Curry-USA TODAY SportsSad story, but classy move by the Rams.
On Tuesday, the Rams signed Missouri product and 2015 NFL Draft sixth-round pick WR Bud Sasser.
It was a bit of a strange move as the Rams, per custom under head coach Jeff Fisher and general manager Les Snead, have opted to sign their draft picks in unison. Well today, we found out why.
It’s a cold world sometimes. Here’s hoping Sasser is able to have it cleared and either make it with another team or move on from football.
On the other side, props to the Rams for doing the classy thing. By signing him to his rookie four-year deal, Sasser gets medical coverage to help him treat the condition. As much as we follow sports for the sports, it’s always heartening for your team to do something as charitable as this.
Sasser will pick up a signing bonus just less than $135k.
Best of luck, Bud.
AgamemnonRams to release rookie Bud Sasser due to pre-existing heart condition
Nick Wagoner, ESPN Staff Writer
EARTH CITY, Mo. — St. Louis Rams rookie wide receiver Bud Sasser’s career with the team is over before it ever got started.
According to league sources, the Rams plan to release Sasser on Thursday afternoon because of a pre-existing heart condition. After multiple tests, he was not physically cleared to play. Sasser will be waived with a nonfootball-related illness designation.
The Rams signed Sasser to his rookie contract Tuesday, and he will receive his signing bonus of $113,737.
Sasser took the required physicals from the team before last month’s rookie orientation but wasn’t cleared at that time. Sasser has since sought multiple opinions, but none cleared him to play.
During the orientation, Sasser said he hoped to get his clearance in the coming weeks.
“It’s a little frustrating, just have to wait for this whole physical thing to go through and that’s all I can do is just wait,” Sasser said then. “That’s for them, their whole staff to be looking at that. I have to play the waiting game. I’m just waiting on the physical at this point.”
The Rams used a sixth-round choice on Sasser in this year’s NFL draft, but he never had the opportunity to participate in so much as a single practice. He sat out the team’s rookie orientation and was not present for the start of the team’s organized activities that began Tuesday.
Sasser played at Missouri, where he had 77 catches for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2014. Despite that production, he was not invited to participate in the NFL scouting combine or any of the postseason all-star games.
Coach Jeff Fisher is scheduled to speak to the media later Thursday afternoon.
AgamemnonWorth noting that Sasser was not invited to the scouting combine, where extensive physicals usually take place. Incredibly tough deal.
— Nick Wagoner (@nwagoner) June 4, 2015
AgamemnonFolks, please don't feel sorry for me bc I am already taken care of! So many opinions and only one matters #GodsPlan #NothingToWorryAbout
— Bud Sasser (@budsasser21) June 4, 2015
Agamemnonhttp://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/rams-report/updated-heart-condition-ends-sasser-s-time-with-rams/article_0fa3ad7e-769e-59b0-aa99-35b2ec756554.html
Heart condition ends Sasser’s time with Rams
1 hour ago • By Jim ThomasAt least as far as the Rams are concerned, wide receiver Bud Sasser’s NFL career is over before it started because of a heart condition.
Rams coach Jeff Fisher confirmed after Thursday’s OTA practice what has been rumored for several weeks, namely that Sasser could not pass his physical because of the heart condition — known as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, or HCM.
In layman’s terms, it’s a thickening of the heart muscle that can make it more difficult to pump blood.
“We did some extensive studies after the draft,” Fisher said. “And it was determined and concluded by numerous physicians that he had a pre-existing condition that we don’t feel will allow him to play.”
The Rams placed Sasser on the non-football illness list, and then placed him on waived/non-football inury on Thursday. The Rams did pay the former University of Missouri star his signing bonus of $113,000. It’s possible he could be claimed by another team, but his time with the Rams is over.
Sasser was not at Rams Park on Thursday, but told the Post-Dispatch via phone: “I’m all right. It’ll work out. I’m not down. You can put that out there.”
Sasser stopped just short himself of confirming the heart condition, saying, “it’s not 100 percent true,” and adding, “we’re going to figure it out.”
Those later comments by Sasser no doubt are related to encouraging medical reports he received from a cardiologist in Dallas as well as specialists from the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
“The Mayo Clinic doctor did say Bud was such a low risk, he should be able to play,” said Scott Thiel, Sasser’s agent. “The doctors at the Mayo Clinic said they had several patients that came in with that exact case that are currently playing in the NFL.”
Thiel said the Dallas cardiologist also provided a letter in which he states Sasser should be able to play.
“He said it’s not an issue,” Thiel said, speaking of the Dallas cardiologist. “He said Bud’s stress test, and different tests like that were in the 99th percentile — that he has an extremely healthy heart.”
But the Rams obviously didn’t want to take the risk, which is something Sasser and Thiel totally understood.
“The Rams have been great, I want to make sure that’s known,” Thiel said. “They’ve been nothing but class. But at the end of the day, any risk for them was too much risk.”
According to Thiel, Sasser’s condition is genetic. He’s had it from birth. To his knowledge the heart issue either didn’t show up in tests at Mizzou, or wasn’t deemed a problem.
Privacy laws prevent the university from commenting on Sasser’s medical history, but Mizzou athletics spokesman Chad Moller said the Tigers wouldn’t clear a player to play if it suspected he had a serious health issue.
Following his Mizzou career, Sasser didn’t get invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, so he didn’t undergo the exhaustive battery of medical tests that take place there in February.
In addition, Sasser didn’t work out or pay a predraft visit to the Rams, so the team didn’t have much medical information on him prior to the draft.
“Typically what you do is you contact the university, which we did,” Fisher said. “And this was just one of those things that kind of slipped through the cracks.”
During the predraft process, Sasser paid visits to Green Bay, Houston, Kansas City and Oakland. (Reports that he also visited Denver were erroneous.) There were rumors that some teams backed off Sasser in the draft because of the heart issue. But if that was the case, Thiel said he was unaware of it — no team alerted him about any health concerns.
There’s no doubt the Rams wanted to make it work with Sasser. There was no guarantee he’d make the final roster on a depth chart that returned the top five wide receivers from 2014. But the Rams liked his size (6-3, 219), strong hands, catch radius and ability to come down with the contested throw.
Despite a breakout 2014 season, which saw Sasser finish among the Southeastern Conference leaders in both catches (77) and yards (1,003), plus score 12 touchdowns, it was surprising that he didn’t get a Combine invite. In addition, he was not invited to any of the postseason all-star games, such as the Senior Bowl.
It all added to the chip on Sasser’s shoulder and the determination to make it in the NFL. When he finally got the call May 2 in the sixth round at No. 201 overall, Sasser could hardly contain his enthusiasm.
“Oh my gosh, if this isn’t the greatest feeling I’ve ever felt in my life, then I don’t know what would be,” Sasser said that day on a conference call with reporters.
It was hoped that he could provide some of the “sixth-round magic” that former Mizzou teammate E.J. Gaines provided as a rookie sixth-rounder a year ago — having an immediate impact at cornerback.
But then came the results of his Rams physical, follow-up results and then Thursday’s release. Sasser never took part in a Rams practice.
“You definitely have to feel for the guy,” veteran Rams wideout Kenny Britt said. “Especially when you’re this close to making your dreams come true.
“He worked so hard from grammar school, to high school and to college. You know that you get this next step and your dreams come true. Something like that is kind of sad. My heart and prayers go out to him.”
(Dave Matter of the Post-Dispatch staff contributed to this story.)
Update on Bud Sasser heart condition story; apparently Mayo Clinic specialists felt it was OK for Sasser to play. http://t.co/dgYo05GsqC
— Jim Thomas (@jthom1) June 5, 2015
That sounds like he is OK. imo
Agamemnon
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