http://theramswire.usatoday.com/2016/06/24/creating-the-all-time-rams-roster-quarterback/
In this new series, we will break down our All-Time Rams roster position-by-position. There’s no better place to kick things off than with the former Rams quarterbacks. We’ll have a starter and two backups for this position.
Starter: Kurt Warner
The former grocery bagger turned two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl champion gets the nod to start on this historic team. Warner may have had much less time with the team than past quarterbacks on the Rams, but the time he was there was very substantial.
Warner finished his Rams career with 14,447 passing yards, 102 touchdowns and a crazy 66.4 completion percentage. Oh, and if that doesn’t do enough for you, he was also the quarterback that came in and orchestrated the iconic Greatest Show on Turf. Even more importantly, as previously mentioned, he also brought the franchise their first Super Bowl victory in history. To this day, Warner is the only quarterback to throw for over 400 yards in a Super Bowl.
Since his departure, the Rams have never been the same. He is the Rams All-Time quarterback and should be in the Hall of Fame sooner than later.
Backup: Norm Van Brocklin
A fourth-round pick from Oregon who fell due to the uncertainty of him continuing playing football. The Rams felt they couldn’t pass up on the opportunity to take him, even though they already had a superstar quarterback under center in Bob Waterfield.
Head coach Joe Stydahar decided to use Van Brocklin and Waterfield in a rotation during the 1950 season. That paid off on the scoreboard, as the team averaged 38.8 points per game, which is an NFL record to this day. The Hall of Famer recorded six Pro Bowl appearances in his nine-year career with the Rams. He also teamed up with Waterfield to lead the Rams to two NFL Championship games in back-to-back seasons, resulting in one victory.
After Waterfield retired in 1952, Van Brocklin ended up taking over completely. He also holds a record that has stood the test of time, as he racked up the 554 passing yards in a single game, which came on opening night of the 1951 season.
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QB No. 3: Bob Waterfield
Speaking of Waterfield. It seems crazy putting the only quarterback to have his number retired by the Rams at third string. Here is the dilemma though. Waterfield won two titles for the Rams, but Van Brocklin has a single season record that still stands 60-plus years later. For what it’s worth, that definitely doesn’t mean that Waterfield isn’t a legend.
The Hall of Famer had his number retired for a reason. He was a superstar who was part of a great and very important era in Rams football. He threw for 11,849 passing yards and 97 touchdowns during his eight years with the Rams.
Honorable Mention: Roman Gabriel
It’s hard to leave off Gabriel, who won an MVP with the Rams and also had a pretty superb career with the team. He threw for 22,223 passing yards, while accumulating 154 touchdowns for the Rams during his 11 years with the Rams.
