HS coach says Rams QB Austin Davis went a year without throwing a pick until the last practice

Jason Jordan

October 23, 2014

http://usatodayhss.com/2014/hs-coach-says-rams-qb-austin-davis-went-a-year-without-throwing-a-pick-until-the-last-practice

Before Michael Jordan was making Bryon Russell fall with a killer crossover and draining the go ahead jumper to win his sixth NBA title with the Chicago Bulls, Jordan was a skinny, determined athlete dominating the competition at Laney High (Wilmington, N.C.).

Before Adrian Peterson was trucking opposing defenses and racking up 2,097 yards in a single season for the Minnesota Vikings he was shining bright under the Friday night lights at Palestine High (Palestine, Texas), averaging 12 yards a carry and scoring 32 touchdowns.

Before any athlete can become legendary they have to lay their foundation in the high school ranks.

Each week I’ll chat with a high-profile athlete’s former coach, mentor, family member, etc., and reminisce about their high school playing days; everything from the greatest moment to the wackiest story.

This week I caught up with St. Louis Rams quarterback Austin Davis’ high school coach at West Lauderdale (Collinsville, Miss.) Stan McCain.

Jason Jordan: I know Austin was the most accomplished player in West Lauderdale history so this will be hard; what’s your best memory of him on the field?

Stan McCain: You know there were so many; he really came into his own by the end of his sophomore year. He was our starter and played OK, but wasn’t doing what I thought he could do. Then he turned it on in the playoffs and took us all the way to the state title game. He could really throw the ball man! We were a Wing-T team so we didn’t throw the ball as much as some other schools. We used his legs and his arm.

JJ: What’s your best memory of Austin off the field?

SM: He had a group of about eight or nine friends that all came up together and they were always together fishing and hanging out and all that stuff. For the most part he was all about ball; if he wasn’t in the batting cage he was throwing the football.

JJ: What’s the craziest story you can recall from his recruitment?

SM: He didn’t get all the loads of offers because, like I said, we had a Wing-T offense so that hurt his stats a little. The thing I remember is that he made the Mississippi-Alabama All Star game and Southeastern Louisiana really wanted him bad. They saw his value before any other school saw it and wanted him to come in and start as a freshman, but he decided to sign a baseball scholarship with Southern Mississippi and walk-on to the football team. The best thing that happened to him was when Coach Fedora came in and gave him a legitimate shot at starting. When he did that they couldn’t get him off the field.

JJ: What was his personality on the team?

SM: He was the leader. He was the guy that the guys on the team looked up to. They knew he could get them wins and they did what he said. He’s a great leader and he knows how to get his teammates to play for him as hard as they can. You’ll start seeing it more and more.

JJ: What’s something about Austin that people would be shocked to know?

SM: Well, he was one of our slower quarterbacks; he ran about a 5.2 40 and that didn’t set well with him. At the end of the football season he was starting baseball and after baseball practice you’d see him stretching a running sprints. By the time he finished baseball season four months later he was down to a 4.7. Another thing is that he went his whole senior year without throwing one interception; I’m talking in games and in practice.

Think about that. I mean he never threw one pick. Then the week of our playoff game he threw one in practice. We literally just stopped and all looked at each other because we’d never seen that all year. We pass a lot in practice too; plenty of opportunities to throw interceptions and he never threw one. Not one. Then he threw it on that last practice. He ended up throwing one in the game too!

JJ: Do the Rams have their quarterback of the future in Austin Davis?

SM: You better believe it. I knew that all he needed was a chance. I knew if he were to get a chance it’d be hard to get that joker out of there. He got his chance and he’s not letting go! I know there are great quarterbacks in the NFL, but none of them will outwork him or study harder than him. Somebody’s gonna have to beat his tail back out to put him on the bench. I think he can will them to wins too. He’s just that type of player. I’ll tell you what; if they don’t make the playoffs it won’t be because of him. He’ll more than do his part.

Justice Dept. ‘exasperated’ by local probe of Missouri teen shooting

http://news.yahoo.com/justice-dept-exasperated-local-probe-missouri-teen-shooting-151027957.html

(Reuters) – U.S. Justice Department officials on Thursday criticized local authorities’ investigation of the shooting death of an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Missouri, saying the case had been handled in a “selective” and “inappropriate” manner.

The department’s criticism comes after the official St. Louis County autopsy of Michael Brown, 18, who was shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9, was leaked to media on Wednesday.

The autopsy report, obtained by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and published on its website, suggested Brown sustained a gunshot wound to the hand from close range and came as a grand jury considered whether Wilson should face charges.

“The department considers the selective release of information in this investigation to be irresponsible and highly troubling,” Justice Department spokeswoman Dena Iverson said.

“Since the release of the convenience store footage there seems to be an inappropriate effort to influence public opinion about this case,” Iverson added, referring to the Ferguson police department’s release of video shortly after the shooting that showed a robbery at a nearby convenience store, although it did not specifically link Brown at the time to the footage.

In a meeting with Justice Department lawyers on Wednesday, Holder said he was “exasperated” by the “selective flow of information coming out of Missouri” and called the leaks “inappropriate and troubling,” the official said.

Brown’s death ignited angry protests across Ferguson, a mostly black community with a majority white police force and city government, and drew global attention to racial tensions in the United States.

Protests have continued since August and flared again on Wednesday night, leading to multiple arrests, according to police.

Accounts of the shooting differ, but witnesses and law enforcement officials have said Brown and Wilson got into an altercation through the window of the officer’s vehicle after Wilson told Brown and a friend to leave the middle of a street.

Brown, who was shot six times, died about 30 feet from the patrol car.

The official autopsy released this week said at least one bullet struck Brown’s hand at close range, suggesting that Brown’s hand was near Wilson’s weapon at some point. It also showed Brown tested positive for marijuana.

St. Louis County’s medical examiner office verified the autopsy report but said it did not release it.

Some activists have said the leak seemed aimed at bolstering support for Wilson and has further strained the community.

An attorney for Brown’s parents has said the autopsy was not surprising given witnesses accounts of an altercation at the patrol car.

Brown’s family released a preliminary private autopsy findings in August. The Justice Department also ordered its own autopsy but has not yet released its report. [ID:nL2N0QO049]

from off the net

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WestCoastRam

What do you need to see from Davis for rest of season? To convince you he can be the starter next year?

Some people might be fine with him already, as he is, but I want to see some improvement and consistency through the next 10 games before I feel like he’s the QB of the future.

1) He’s going to have some rough games going forward but I’d like to see some more bounce backs like we did against Seattle. The ending of the San Francisco game was depressing. His throws became wild and desperate. Loved how he bounced back in the Seattle game and played a very contained game.

2) Putting deep passes and check-downs together in one game. He’s leaned heavily on the deep passes up till now and was captain check-down in the Seattle game (think this was definitely a game-plan design) and I’d like to see him take advantage of all parts of the field in a game.

3) Improved decision making. He’s had a couple gift interceptions he’s thrown to defenders be dropped. I’d like to see some games where those don’t even show up.

from off the net

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RAMSONpw

Davis has played very well at times but he has played poorly at times.

He seems to have good spurts of play and bad spurts. The 2nd half of Dallas and SF were pretty close to awful. His turnovers lost the Dallas game.

So what to think, the very best thing he has done in the 5 games are the two late drives (one against Tampa and the other this last week against the Seahawks.)The two drives were clutch and he won both games with those drives.

But he is 2-3 as a starter with 3 at home and poor play on his part in halves of each loss are part of the reason.

So If he becomes consistent I think we may have something, but if not well….

Brett Favre’s comments on Austin Davis unrealistic

By Nick Wagoner | ESPN.com

http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/12898/brett-favres-comments-on-austin-davis-unrealistic

EARTH CITY, Mo. — It was almost one year ago today that the St. Louis Rams contacted Brett Favre to see if he’d be interested in returning to replace injured quarterback Sam Bradford.

When Favre declined via his representatives, the Rams turned back to a familiar face in the form of Austin Davis. Davis, who spent a season and a training camp with the Rams before being released in the final round of 2013 cuts, re-signed with the Rams on Oct. 23 of last year.

Just before the anniversary of Davis’ return to the Rams, his name is again tied to Favre, but for quite different reasons.

“Austin can definitely play at this level,” Favre, the only Southern Miss quarterback other than Davis to start more than one NFL game, told Werder. “Not to sound off my rocker, but [Davis] — in my mind — can be the next Tom Brady or Kurt Warner. [Brian] Hoyer, as well.

“Austin, like those mentioned, just needed a legit opportunity.”

Since the shooting star that was Warner’s three-year run in St. Louis ended in 2003, any time a little-known quarterback has stepped into the Rams’ starting job, the hope has existed that the player will somehow morph into the next Warner.

Late-round or undrafted quarterbacks such as Keith Null, Scott Covington, Brock Berlin and a few others have tried their hand and failed only to retreat back into anonymity. Others, such as Marc Bulger and Ryan Fitzpatrick, have developed into starters in the league to varying degrees of success, but none developed into potential Hall of Famers like Warner.

As recently as this preseason, some even went so far as to equate Shaun Hill to Warner after Hill became the starter under circumstances similar to Warner’s. That lasted all of one half before a calf injury to Hill gave Davis an opportunity.

But, to the surprise of many, Davis has done enough in his first five starts to give observers pause and consider the possibility that he might have more of a future than the usual third-stringer-turned-starter.

My first reaction to Favre’s comments was to answer his rhetorical supposition with a resounding yes: He is indeed off his rocker. To compare Davis to Warner or Brady, two quarterbacks who will end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, is simply not realistic. Brady and Warner are legendary aberrations at a position where the failure rate far outpaces the success stories. Brady and Warner aren’t just success stories — they’re full-blown outliers.

But before we go too far and offer that Favre has truly lost it, it’s important to note that he threw Hoyer’s name into the conversation. Hoyer has stepped in and done some good things for the Cleveland Browns this season, but in no way has he flashed anything resembling Brady or Warner. Brady won a Super Bowl after stepping into the starting lineup. Warner did the same and did it while posting video game numbers.

It’s also important to note that Favre probably wouldn’t mind seeing Davis, who broke most of Favre’s passing records at Southern Miss, carry the flag for his alma mater.

As for Davis, he’s 2-3 as the Rams’ starter, and though he’s posted big numbers in some games, his influence hasn’t turned his team into an instant winner as Warner and Brady once did.

In five starts plus one half, Davis is completing 66 percent of his passes for 1,517 yards, nine touchdowns and four interceptions for a passer rating of 94.3 (14th in the NFL) and a QBR of 60.9 (19th). He’s alternately flashed promise (leading a comeback win against Tampa Bay and a clutch late drive to seal the victory against Seattle) and struggled with backbreaking mistakes (three of his four interceptions have been returned for touchdowns).

That isn’t to say Davis doesn’t have some upside. He brings a fiery and enthusiastic approach that his teammates appreciate, and he has an honest way about him that allows him to openly acknowledge his faults and then set about correcting them the following week.

If nothing else, Davis has proved in his handful of starts that he’s deserving of at least a No. 2 job in the NFL. Beyond that, there is still plenty for Davis to prove. The opportunity to make the starting job his on a permanent basis lies in front of him. Becoming the next Hoyer is certainly possible, and you could argue he’s already outplaying Hoyer. But setting the bar at Warner and Brady is simply asking too much.

St. Louis Rams Add Devon Wylie, Kadron Boone, Korey Toomer to Practice Squad

by Patrick Karraker

http://archauthority.com/2014/10/21/st-louis-rams-add-devon-wylie-kadron-boone-korey-toomer-practice-squad/

The St. Louis Rams did some rather significant practice squad shuffling on Tuesday afternoon, filling two vacant spots created by the release of wide receiver Emory Blake and the promotion of linebacker Marshall McFadden to the active roster, while also performing a straight swap for another spot. Wide receivers Devon Wylie and Kadron Boone and linebacker Korey Toomer were signed, while linebacker Denicos Allen was released.

Wylie and Toomer actually are rather high-profile practice squad members. Wylie was a fourth-rounder out of Fresno State in 2012, selected by the Kansas City Chiefs. The 26-year-old, who measures in at just 5-foot-9 and 187 pounds, was released by the Chiefs at the end of last year’s training camp. He ended up having stints on the practice squads of both the Arizona Cardinals and Tennessee Titans, and he was later promoted to the active roster and played in two games for Tennessee near the tail end of 2013. He spent this year’s training camp with the San Francisco 49ers but had been out of work since being released in August.

Wylie has experience as both a kick and punt returner, so he gives the Rams some protection in that area should they lose Tavon Austin. Austin Pettis, who was released Monday, and recently-released practice squad receiver Justin Veltung were likely the next options had Austin gone down earlier, so Wylie reinforces the depth at punt returner.

Toomer joins Scott Wells and Jo-Lonn Dunbar as former Super Bowl champions on the Rams’ roster. The 25-year-old linebacker, who is 6-foot-2 and 234 pounds, spent last year on the Seattle Seahawks’ non-football injury list while recovering from a shoulder injury and earned a Super Bowl ring for his efforts. Despite his relatively solid draft status as a fifth-rounder in 2012, Toomer never actually played in a game with Seattle, as he was held back by injuries for both of his years there.

Toomer was claimed by the Dallas Cowboys after being cut by the Seahawks at the end of this year’s training camp, and he suited up for their defeat of the Seattle Seahawks last week. Shortly after, he was released to make room for defensive end Lavar Edwards on their active roster.

Toomer takes the place of Allen, an undersized rookie ‘backer with special teams potential who had been on the Rams’ practice squad since the start of the season. He’ll provide an extra body for practice and gives the team extra protection in case one of their top six options goes down.

Boone, a 6-foot, 202-pound undrafted rookie from LSU, had been unemployed since being released by the Philadelphia Eagles in training camp. The 23-year-old was stuck behind NFL draftees Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham, Jr. on on the Tigers’ depth chart last year, and it affected his production, as he only caught seven passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns.

Boone, along with Wylie, will act as needed practice bodies following the recent terminations of Pettis and Blake, which left the Rams with just five receivers on their active roster and none on the practice squad. With all five of the wideouts being contributors to the offense at this point, one of the new practice squad members may have an opportunity to establish a role later on should any of the Rams’ current receivers suffer an injury.