Just by observing OTAs, there’s a clear difference in the way Groh runs his drills. He heavily focuses on precise route running and making contested catches.

Nice. A real observation.

off the net from Marshall’s Faulk28HOF

It’s a very nice crowd here… It as well done. Bruce and Holt look like the KT could suit up right now. Warner and Bulger are throwing darts. It’s a bitter sweet time.

Last time I’ll sit in this dome. Damn.

Thank you, @IsaacBruce80. pic.twitter.com/Zpq7Tzqyaf

— The Fast Lane (@101ESPNFastLane) July 23, 2016

off the net from Madam Goldberg

Cooper in the slot. Reverses, double reverses, Cooper passing out of the backfield.

Austin or Cooper running up the middle.

Wait til you all see Cooper.
He is built like a running back.
He will definitely make special teams because he loves to hit on the fly.
I have to think they loved him for his downfield blocking as well.

He’s kind of inspirational because fellow players see him hustling and busting his butt.

It rubs off on his teammates.

It will be tough to keep him off the field.

Uni Watch Profiles: Todd Hewitt

BY PAUL LUKAS, ON MAY 17TH, 2011

link: http://www.uni-watch.com/2011/05/17/fantastic-interview-with-former-rams-equipment-manager-todd-hewitt/

As many of you know, the Rams fired longtime equipment manager Todd Hewitt back in January. Today we have an extensive interview with him, but it wasn’t conducted by me. It was done by football historian Robert Harvell, whose photo archives have been featured here on the site many times.

Robert interviewed Todd last month, and the resulting transcript was recently posted over on Helmet Hut. But Robert and Helmet Hut honcho Curtis Worrell both felt that the interview deserved to be published here at Uni Watch as well. After reading it, I wholeheartedly agreed.

As you’ll see, the interview has nothing to do with Todd’s firing. That’s another topic for another day. This is all about the work he did with the Rams, the team’s uniform history, and so on. It’s really good stuff — enjoy.

Robert Harvell: Todd, when did you start working for the Rams?

Todd Hewitt: Well, my dad was hired by the Rams in 1967. I was 11 years old at the time and helped out in the locker room and was a ball boy. In 1978, I was officially hired by the Rams as Assistant Equipment Manager and continued to work with my dad until his retirement in 1984. In 1985, I took over as Rams Equipment Manager, although my dad remained with the team as Equipment Manager Emeritus through 1994, the Rams’ final year in Los Angeles. In 1995, the Rams relocated to St. Louis. My dad joined us there for one final year. So all told, I was with the Rams for 44 years and have worked under 14 different Rams head coaches! Funny, I still remember when the Packers came to town in 1967, my first year with the team. I walked down the Coliseum tunnel flanked by Vince Lombardi and Bart Starr!

RH: How many hours per week would you put in once camp began?

TH: Let’s put it this way: Once camp started I definitely spent more time at work than at home. In at 5am, leave at 7pm, seven days a week. The only day I’d take off during the season is the Sunday of the bye week. The players’ day off was a treat, because I’d “only” work from 5am to 4:30pm. But I made up for that on game day, especially when we returned from road games, often working very late. It wasn’t unusual for me to spend the night at work after road games. During the off-season I typically worked five days a week, from 6am to 4:30pm.

RH: Like most teams, the Rams have changed their uniform color schemes over the years. Do you have a favorite?

TH: Honestly, I like them all. For sentimental reasons, I really like the blue and white. But I would have to say that my favorite color scheme was what we wore from 1973-1999, the blue and yellow, what we wore when we won the Super Bowl. In fact, when we wore those colors again for a throwback game, I realized just how much I missed them, they were just so vibrant. I really like the current uniforms as well, but they are so much darker than what we wore before. When we changed our color scheme in 2000, we actually considered many different possibilities, 15 to 20 combinations or so.

Mrs. Frontiere’s [team owner Georgia Frontiere] favorite color was powder blue, think UCLA, a color she used to wear all of the time. She thought the Rams would look great in this color and wanted to see some examples. So we made up some powder blue helmets with gold horns and gold helmets with powder blue horns, which she loved. But being someone who was very much into astrology, Mrs. Frontiere agreed to the current color scheme because, actually, she liked the names of the colors we used: new century gold and millennium blue. She thought it made cosmic sense if you will, given the year was 2000.

Speaking of Mrs. Frontiere, not many know this because she was very private about it, but she was an extremely generous woman who often helped out many ex-Rams players in their hour of need. She was a wonderful owner and a wonderful person to work for.

RH: Speaking of the Rams’ color schemes, why did the Rams change from blue and yellow to blue and white in 1964, which they wore for nine years, until 1972?

TH: Kind of a funny story. Before the change, the Rams often wore yellow home jerseys, which, as it turned out, didn’t look particularly good on black-and-white TV — a consideration that became increasingly important at the time. So the Rams experimented with different shades of yellow until they found one that actually showed up well on TV. The problem was the shade of the yellow that worked well for TV was called “buttercup yellow.” When Mr. Reeves [Dan Reeves, Rams owner from 1941-1971] found out about that, he said that there was no way his team would ever wear a color called “buttercup yellow.”

Also, the yellow horns on the Rams’ helmet at the time didn’t show up very well on TV either. So Mr. Reeves decided to remove yellow from the uniforms altogether, opting for a simple blue and white, which as it turned out looked great on black and white TV.

RH: Sticking with the Rams’ blue-and-white uniform era, I always wondered why the Rams rarely wore their navy jerseys when playing at home during that time, much like the Dallas Cowboys do today. Did the Rams do this because the white jerseys offered relief when playing under the hot California sun?

TH: Another interesting story. Actually, there were years during the blue-and-white era when the Rams never wore their navy jerseys at all, not during the preseason or the regular season. It had nothing to do with the sun. In fact a lot of those home games we played were quite cool, especially since we played a lot of night games at home. Wearing white jerseys at home was the brainchild of Mr. Reeves, an extremely smart owner and businessman with a talent for promotion. He felt that if the Rams wore their white jerseys at home it would make for a better gameday experience for the fans by giving them a chance to see the colorful jerseys of visiting teams, which most Rams fans would not otherwise get a chance to see. So rather than Rams fans seeing the same thing each and every week, which would be the Rams always in navy and the visiting teams always in white, Rams fans instead got to see different colors each week. And Rams fans loved it — it was a smart decision by Mr. Reeves.

RH: Why did the Rams change back to blue and yellow uniforms in 1973, after wearing blue and white uniforms for nine years?

Screen shot 2011-05-16 at 6.37.04 PM.png

TH: This was Mr. Rosenbloom’s [Caroll Rosenbloom, Rams owner 1972-1979] idea, something he decided to do when he took over as the Rams’ owner in 1972. He felt the blue-and-white uniforms were somewhat bland and wanted a uniform look that better reflected the glitz of Hollywood. Horns were added to the jerseys, at the shoulder area, and we went to white shoes and blue shoes. The new jersey numbers were also pretty snazzy — they had a white trim. But we quickly discovered that the white trim made the numbers very tough to differentiate on TV, so they were scrapped after the 1973 preseason.

RH: So many teams have gone through different helmet designs over the years — not only color but logos as well. Have the Rams ever considered doing away with their helmet horns in favor of another logo?

TH: Never. Not once. The Rams have always been very proud of the horns on their helmet and fully understand how iconic they are and what they represent in terms of NFL history. The Rams’ helmet horns were so important to the Rams that, unlike many other teams, the Rams have always ensured that they were always applied to the helmets even for scrimmages, mini-camps, camps, and practices. You won’t see a Rams player wearing a Rams helmet without horns!

RH: Those horn decals must be a pain to apply. How often are they applied during the course of a year, and how many equipment staffers are involved in applying them?

TH: I imagine they would be a challenge to apply for someone new to it, but I can pretty much do it in my sleep. We actually got to the point of using three different types of horn decals in recent years, because of the different shapes and ventilation holes found on the new helmets. Applying decals to some of these newer helmets is, even for me, a bit of a challenge!

We’d go through about 800 sets of decals per year. Lots of pulling off and applying new ones goes on each year. Although I had a small staff — two full-time assistants and one intern — I’m the only one who’d apply the horn decals. And when my dad was Equipment Manager, he and I were the only ones that applied the decals. So for the last 38 years, from the time the Rams switched from painted horns to decals, only a Hewitt has applied the horns, something I kind of take pride in.

RH: Up until the mid-1970s or so, the Rams were a team that pretty much wore only Riddell helmets and Schutt facemasks. Many other teams of the era wore Riddell helmets as well as helmets made by other manufacturers, and they used facemasks made by other companies as well, such as Dungard. Why didn’t the Rams typically use helmets and facemasks made by other manufacturers?

TH: My dad knew John Riddell, inventor and owner of Riddell helmets, and was always very happy with the helmets he made and the service Riddell provided. He was always very happy with Schutt facemasks as well and the service they provided, plus Schutt was nearby and we could get things from them quickly if needed. My dad was a very loyal person, and when he was taken care of by a supplier like he was by Riddell and Schutt, when a supplier was loyal, my dad always returned the loyalty, always, even when the competition would inevitably try to undercut on prices. That’s just the type of guy my dad was.

In fact, there was a gentleman that did the lettering for our jerseys for many, many years, who always went out of his way to help my dad and the Rams. Bigger, more modern companies would come in and offer slightly lower prices for the lettering, but my dad wouldn’t be swayed, he stuck with our lettering guy.

I’ll never forget when we drafted Dennis Harrah in the first round of 1975. Dennis wore a helmet made by Bike in college, not a Riddell. When he reported to the Rams, he didn’t want a Riddell, couldn’t be talked into one, he wanted a Bike. My dad fretted to no end thinking that he would be letting Riddell down, that he would be disloyal if he purchased a Bike helmet for Dennis. But of course we did get Dennis a Bike helmet. I mean there was no way we were going to put the team in a position where a player got a head injury and it was later discovered that we gave him a helmet he didn’t want, no way. But until Dennis came to the Rams it never really came up, everyone was happy with Riddell. But after Dennis got his Bike, other players wanted one too, especially kids coming out of college where Bike helmets had become very popular.

RH: Did traded players usually want to take/bring their helmets with them to their new teams? How about college players, did they often bring their helmets with them, wanting to continue wearing them in the pros?

TH: Traded vets would sometimes want to take their gear with them to their new team, but more often than not teams could fit them identically as before, so there was usually no need. College players usually don’t bring their equipment with them. In fact, college kids often end up wearing equipment when they reach the pros that they didn’t wear in college. For example, when Sam Bradford arrived, I fitted him with a full girdle pad. Sam said he didn’t want to wear one, that he never wore one in college. I told him that he wasn’t going to be facing Baylor at the pro level! In his first preseason game he was quickly sacked three times or so. He was happy that I fitted him with a full girdle pad.

RH: How many helmets does a player usually go through each season? How many helmets are issued to each player each season, are they issued a backup and a practice helmet?

TH: Players are issued one helmet each year and, except for rare occasions, use it for the entire season. A supply of helmets is kept on hand, in stock, in case a player’s helmet needs to be replaced during the course of the year. Game helmets are the same ones used in practice. During Coach Robinson’s time with the Rams, we used to use two helmet shells for each lineman, one for games and one for practice, because the horn decals on the linemen’s helmets would always get so damaged during practice. In this case, we would simply pull the padding from their game helmet shells and put it into their practice helmet shells, back and forth, throughout the year.

RH: Are players allowed to keep their helmets or uniforms when traded, cut or when they retire?

TH: Always a case-by-case situation. If you have a vet — say Marshall Faulk — then of course the Rams would probably give him whatever he wanted. But if it’s a guy that hasn’t been here long, or a guy that didn’t make the team, then he would most likely have to pay for anything he was interested in taking with him.

RH: How involved, if ever, were coaches, management or ownership in the team’s appearance, what they wore on game day?

TH: As mentioned earlier, Mrs. Frontiere, Mr. Reeves, and Mr. Rosenbloom all offered input. As far as coaches are concerned, one year Coach Malavasi decided that he wanted to wear white jerseys at home — he felt it made the Rams look bigger. But we ended up winning only one or two home games that year, I believe, so that was scratched! Coach Vermeil was concerned about winning games, not about what we wore on game day. Coach Robinson had a thing about comfortable pants, wanted to make sure that we purchased and used the most comfortable pants available. Coach Martz decided to go with the white pants one year (he didn’t like the blue pants), and we got a bunch of calls from fans who loved the white pants, loved the look, wanted us to keep wearing them. They reminded fans of the blue-and-white days, but John Shaw couldn’t stand them. Coach Spagnuolo wanted to make all of the uniform decisions but eventually handed the job off to Steven Jackson and Oshiomogho Otogwe, the team captains.

Screen shot 2011-05-16 at 6.37.19 PM.png

RH: What sort of budget were you responsible for as the Rams Equipment Manager?

TH: About half a million dollars per year, which is about $10,000 per player. That includes helmets, pads, uniforms, tape, gum, everything. I took our budget very seriously and in my entire time with the Rams, I never once came in over budget — not an easy thing to do! Helmets, depending on the manufacturer and facemask used, run anywhere from $200 to $500. The new Xenith helmet alone is $450. Shoulder pads can run $350 to $450. Football equipment is expensive!

RH: What would you say was the most important aspect of your job?

TH: First and foremost, player safety. Making sure players are fitted properly with the best equipment available. I always told the young kids that come in that they’re not going to make any money in this league sitting on the bench nursing an injury, that they need to be on the field playing, getting seen and noticed by the coaches. And that it was my job, to help them stay out on the field, not on the bench, and to protect them the best I could by fitting them with the right equipment.

Another important aspect of my job was earning the players’ trust, letting them know that the locker room is their sanctuary and what is said there doesn’t leave, isn’t leaked. It’s important to the players’ morale to know that they have a safe haven and can trust those around them.

And of course there’s also doing what the coaches ask, helping the best I can to make their jobs easier by doing my job well.

RH: Not that you got much of it, but what did you do with your free time?

TH: Spent it all with my wife and kids. I coach my boy’s baseball team. Obviously, my wife is a saint, having put up with the long hours I spent at work. She has pretty much raised our children herself; I missed the birth of one of my sons during an away game. Fortunately, I was able to spend time with my sons, who were able to come to work with me and help out in the locker room, it’s great. My daughter was actually allowed to be the water girl for a few years, which was great and a lot of fun, but that ended a couple of years ago.

RH: What was your favorite part of your job?

TH: The players. And the fact that no two days are the same, always something different going on, always a new challenge, not being chained to a desk. Locker room chemistry, it can be incredible. The Greatest Show on Turf years were awesome in the locker room and on the practice field. Everyone wanted to be there, everyone couldn’t wait to go to work. Practices were awesome, so fast, there were many days when the ball never hit the ground, just unbelievable. The friendships. I’m great friends with Vince [Ferragamo], Irv [Pankey], Dennis [Harrah] and Jack [Youngblood] to name a few. Fifty Rams players and wives attended my wedding, just awesome.

———

Let’s have a tip of the sideline cap to Robert Harvell for conducting such a great interview, to Helmet Hut’s Curtis Worrell for generously sharing the interview with Uni Watch, and of course to Todd Hewitt for all the great stories and information.

And there’s more: Very soon (possibly as soon as tomorrow) we’ll have an interview with Todd’s dad, Don Hewitt.
+ + + + +

Countdown to Camp – Wide Receivers

Myles Simmons

http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Countdown-to-Camp—Wide-Receivers/9e24a45c-2ce2-4f1b-880b-84e536064f5e

With the Rams now eight days away from training camp, we continue our Countdown to Camp series by taking a look at the team’s wide receivers. Be sure to submit your question about tomorrow’s position group, cornerbacks, on Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments below.

WIDE RECEIVERS

Newcomers: Pharoh Cooper, Mike Thomas, Paul McRoberts, Marquez North, Nelson Spruce, Duke Williams

If there’s a clear area in which the Rams must improve to be competitive in 2016, it’s the club’s passing game.

Los Angeles did plenty to address the unit over the course of the offseason, beginning with promoting Rob Boras to offensive coordinator and hiring Mike Groh to be the team’s passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach.

Just by observing OTAs, there’s a clear difference in the way Groh runs his drills. He heavily focuses on precise route running and making contested catches. Building that kind of foundation in the offseason program should help the Rams once Week 1 rolls around.

But when it comes to players, head coach Jeff Fisher said at the start of OTAs that Tavon Austin could be headed for a stellar season. With the revamped offense, Fisher told therams.com Austin has a chance to double his catches.

Austin racked up 1,187 all-purpose yards last season and 10 total touchdowns between his receptions, rushes, and punt returns. Heading into his fourth year, he’s mentioned wanting to become more of a vocal leader.

Kenny Britt returns for his third season with the Rams, also an incumbent starter. Still recovering from offseason surgery, he went through rehab drills on the side for much of OTAs. But Fisher said in June he expects everyone to be able to participate once camp begins, which signals good news for Britt.

Last year, the Rutgers product finished No. 2 with 18.9 yards per reception. But he and the offense would undoubtedly like to increase overall production.

Having completed his four-year rookie contract, Brian Quick re-signed with the Rams on a one-year deal in March. Last year, the wideout had to go through the offseason rehabbing his surgically-repaired shoulder, which likely affected his production. Being further removed from the recovery process could help him make an impact offensively in 2016.

Second-year wide receiver Bradley Marquez was mainly a special teams contributor as a rookie, having made the initial 53-man roster as a undrafted free agent. But he also showed strong receiving ability and made his way into the rotation later in the year, making 13 receptions for 88 yards. He continued flashing his good hands during OTAs, and could work his way up the wideout depth chart with more strong performances in the preseason.

As for the rookies, fourth-round pick Pharoh Cooper looked like he belonged during OTAs. He earned reps with the starting unit and made the most of them, showing quickness and explosiveness from the slot. He’s also the type of player who enjoys physicality, which means he may stand out even more once pads come on. Fisher said Cooper has the potential to become a household name. That may happen sooner rather than later if the South Carolina product has an outstanding camp.

Sixth rounder Mike Thomas looked a bit raw at times during OTAs, but his big-play ability is apparent just from watching him. He will likely have to contribute on special teams to make an impact as a rookie.

Others in the mix include Deon Long — who spent time on the Rams’ practice squad last year — and UDFAs Marquez North (Tennessee), Paul McRoberts (Southeast Missouri State), Nelson Spruce (Colorado), and Duke Williams (Auburn). Spruce is the Pac 12 all-time leader in receptions. He’s also a local, having graduated from Westlake High School.

Also of note, Stedman Bailey, who was placed on the non-football injury list in June, has elected to go back to West Virginia to complete his degree and serve as a student assistant coach.

QUESTION OF THE DAY

@MylesASimmons Duke Williams, Michael Thomas, or Nelson Spruce. Who claims a roster spot/who goes to the practice squad? #CountdownToCamp

— SeattleRams (@seattlerams_nfl) July 21, 2016
At this point, it’s kind of hard to predict who will be on the roster and practice squad, simply because we haven’t seen them in pads yet.

That said, between those three, I would give Thomas an edge for the 53-man roster, if for no other reason than he was a draft pick. And as mentioned earlier, Thomas has nice big-play ability that should come in handy sooner or later so long as he picks up the offense well.

Spruce did really impress me in OTAs, as it seemed like he reeled in every catchable pass thrown his way. If there’s a knock on him, it’s that he hasn’t played much special teams. If you’re going to make the 53-man roster as a UDFA, that’s how you’ll need to contribute. But having him on the practice squad could be valuable as a depth piece.

As for Williams, I think it’s important to remember he came in as a tryout player — not even in the initial class of undrafted free agents. If he were to make the practice squad, that would be a significant accomplishment.

We’ll see how it shakes out during camp and the preseason games.

Thanks for your question, Rob. If you’ve got a Q about our next group up, cornerbacks, be sure to send it along via Twitter, Facebook, or in the comments below. We’ll be back tomorrow to discuss the position led by the franchise tagged Trumaine Johnson.

Warner, back for one last game at Dome, deserves a statue

By Jose de Jesus Ortiz

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/columns/jose-de-jesus-ortiz/ortiz-warner-back-for-one-last-game-at-dome-deserves/article_d0de788e-6aab-5d99-a214-7791adc7139e.html

Although it has been six months since the National Football League voted to move the Rams out of his beloved St. Louis, the legendary Kurt Warner still finds it difficult to consider them the Los Angeles Rams.

As a broadcaster these days, he’ll eventually have to adjust. But he views the Rams like most folks in this area.

“I don’t know if it’s going to settle in until you actually see them,” he said. “When I think of the Rams I still think of them as St. Louis, not as the Los Angeles Rams. Me calling games now, it’s going to be weird.”

More than most, Warner appreciates just how much the people of St. Louis love their Rams. He lived it, felt it, embraced it.

Now the kid from Burlington, Iowa, wants to say thank you for the love and memories. He’s eager to play in Isaac Bruce’s Legends of the Dome game Saturday afternoon at the Dome at America’s Center.

“We always look for an excuse to get back to St. Louis because we feel like that community is so special to us,” Warner said. “I think the biggest thing is I’m hoping that a lot of people come out. It’s a great opportunity for us as players to say thanks for the memories.”

Bruce, who threw a perfect strike during the ceremonial first pitch at the Cardinals’ game Thursday, invited Warner and several former St. Louis Rams greats for the Legends of the Dome flag football game.

Stan Kroenke, arguably the most despised sports figure in St. Louis history, moved the Rams without having the decency to truly say goodbye to their loyal fans here.

The Legends of the Dome game will provide a great opportunity for fans to find closure.

St. Louis has already lost the football Cardinals and the Rams, and one must wonder if the NFL will ever find its way back to the Gateway to the West.

Whether the NFL returns or not, we must find a way to honor Warner beyond the Legends of the Dome game. There needs to be a statue of Warner to go along with the statues of other sports legends downtown.

We must honor Warner in the same way Blues legends Brett Hull, Al MacInnis and Bernie Federko are honored with statues in front of Scottrade Center. Most baseball fans here can tell you about the statues of Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Lou Brock and other Cardinals legends outside Busch Stadium.

We must not let Kroenke’s greed deny us of an opportunity to leave a monument for local fans to remember one of the St. Louis Rams’ all-time greats.

To be clear, this is not my idea. Esteemed Post-Dispatch NFL writer Jim Thomas, who covered every St. Louis Rams game, mentioned this idea earlier this week when he gave me a lesson on the team’s history.

When I told Warner about Thomas’ idea, Warner appeared humbled by the suggestion.

“It’s more about people in that community and how they rallied around me and my family both off and on the field for many years,” Warner said. “I don’t even know how you think of or consider (statues and) that stuff. It’s about the people and the organization.

“It’s a tremendous honor any time you’re a part of something like that. When you leave you want to believe you left it better than when you got there and left a lasting impact that doesn’t leave when you step off the field.”

Warner definitely left his mark in St. Louis. His rags to riches story inspired legions of fans throughout the Midwest. Who doesn’t love a story of a guy reaching the NFL after spending three years with the Iowa Barnstormers?

Most Americans and perhaps even most folks in St. Louis had no idea that the Iowa Barnstormers even existed until Warner joined the Rams 18 years ago. I surely had no clue there was such a thing as an indoor football league back then. Did you?

Moreover, Warner’s University of Northern Iowa isn’t exactly known for pumping out NFL quarterbacks.

By now, Warner’s story is the stuff of legend. From stocking the shelves on the night crew at a Hy-Vee in Iowa to the Super Bowl with the Rams. You wouldn’t believe that story if you saw it in the movies.

Despite not being drafted by the NFL, Warner refused to abandon his dream. He honed his skills with the Barnstormers and then cherished every moment with the Rams.

Warner was the architect of the Greatest Show on Turf. He reached the NFL in 1998 and appeared in one game that season. Then he took over the starting spot in 1999 and led the Rams to the Super Bowl title that season.

He led the Rams to the Super Bowl two years later, falling to the New England Patriots 20-17. He threw for 32,344 yards in a 12-year career that included stints with the Giants and Arizona Cardinals. He still has a son living in St. Louis.

He also has his foundation here, so he and his wife Brenda return at least three times a year. He’s excited to see his old Rams teammates and their loyal fans this weekend.

“First of all it’s great to just go back and play a game back in St. Louis and say, ‘Thank you’ to the fans for the great support they gave us when I played there. It’s going to be special. And it’s always awesome to find an excuse to get together with the guys and reminisce.”

Warner doesn’t need any excuses to return to St. Louis, but it would nice to ask him back one day to unveil a much deserved statue here.