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http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... 07043.html
Wide Receiver Nick Johnson (14), Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (21) and Wide Receiver Brian Quick (83) run sprints near the end of Rams rookie practice Thursday, July 26, 2012, at Rams Park in Earth City. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
After serving a one-game suspension for violating team rules, wide receiver Chris Givens and cornerback Janoris Jenkins were back in the good graces of coach Jeff Fisher and back on the practice field Wednesday at Rams Park.
“They’ve rejoined the program and the issues are behind them, been addressed, and they’re back on the practice field,” Fisher said following practice.
But Fisher wouldn’t go as far as saying either rookie would be in the starting lineup this Sunday against the New York Jets.
“They’ll play,” Fisher said.
Which given the circumstances was fair enough for Givens and Jenkins.
“If I get out there Sunday, I’ll be ready,” Jenkins said.
“Right now I’m just working, doing what I’m asked,” Givens said. “And just trying to earn my stripes back.”
Jenkins and Givens spoke with reporters for the first time since their benching. Both expressed remorse but neither addressed why he was disciplined by Fisher. However, a league source with knowledge of the situation said Jenkins, Givens and backup defensive tackle Kellen Heard were out partying Friday night and either missed a team curfew or showed up late for a team meeting. As a result, Heard was released by the team Saturday.
“I just violated team rules,” Jenkins said. “My coach and my teammates, we talked about it and we put it behind us. I take full responsibility for that. It won’t happen any more, and I’m just looking forward to moving forward.”
With only 16 games in an NFL regular season, a full-game suspension is a pretty stiff penalty. So if nothing else, Fisher got his point across.
“I made a mistake and Coach did the right thing about disciplining me,” Givens said. “I can’t question how he did it. I just take it how it comes and move forward and learn from it.”
Jenkins said: “There’s nothing I could do about it but take the consequences because I put myself in that situation.”
Jenkins and Givens were on the sidelines for Sunday’s high-drama 24-24 tie with San Francisco, but in sweats.
“It felt terrible,” Jenkins said. “It was eating me up in my stomach the whole game, and it just wasn’t feeling right.”
“It was the worst experience I’ve had so far,” Givens said. “Just being out there, knowing I let my team down. It just disappointed me and disappointed a lot of other people.”
Jenkins has been a starter basically from the moment he was drafted in the second round out of North Alabama. His draft stock dropped because he was arrested twice for possession of marijuana and once for resisting arrest while at the University of Florida, subsequently being dismissed from that school.
Jenkins and Givens said some of their teammates were upset with them for getting benched but also supportive.
“They were definitely upset,” Givens said. “Everyone was upset and everyone was understanding at the same time. They know I’m young. I make mistakes, but it’s up to me to grow up early, grow up fast, and just know that I can’t make stupid mistakes that put the team in jeopardy.”
Count cornerback Cortland Finnegan, who has tried to mentor Jenkins, among those who were supportive.
“You know what?” Finnegan said. “We all make mistakes. (Janoris) is a great kid. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do on or off the field. This minor hiccup doesn’t say anything other than we’re standing behind him.”
During his regular Wednesday media session, quarterback Sam Bradford said he spoke to Givens for a few minutes on the topic — just a little earlier in the day, in fact.
“I talked to Chris and told him the big thing is showing everyone that they’re gonna be accountable,” Bradford said. “Obviously those are two of our key guys. When they’re not in the lineup, we’re not as good as we could be. It’s important for those guys to be on the field. They’ve helped us all year.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that that’s gonna be a non-issue from here on out. They’re gonna get back on the field and they’re gonna continue to help us.”
Speaking specifically of Givens, Bradford said he was more disappointed than upset with what happened over the weekend in San Francisco.
“Chris is a very talented player for us, who’s helped us a lot this year,” Bradford said. “And he was a big part of our game plan going into last week. To find out that he wasn’t gonna be with us, and not finding out till Saturday, obviously that was a little bit frustrating and disappointing.
“Hopefully, like I said, it’ll be a non-issue from here on out. Hopefully, those guys won’t make the same mistakes again. And they’ll be on the field the rest of the year.”
Givens promised as much. “I promise not to leave it again,” he said.
Givens has developed into a big-play threat for the Rams, so not having him in the lineup definitely put a dent in the offensive game plan. Before his benching, he became the first player since Detroit’s Pat Studstill in 1966 to have a pass reception of 50 yards or more in five consecutive games.
So watching the Rams and 49ers go at it for five physical, intense quarters was painful for Givens.
“That’s probably what hurts the most is knowing I could’ve contributed and I wasn’t able to because of my absence,” he said.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... 07043.html
Wide Receiver Nick Johnson (14), Cornerback Janoris Jenkins (21) and Wide Receiver Brian Quick (83) run sprints near the end of Rams rookie practice Thursday, July 26, 2012, at Rams Park in Earth City. Photo by Laurie Skrivan, lskrivan@post-dispatch.com
After serving a one-game suspension for violating team rules, wide receiver Chris Givens and cornerback Janoris Jenkins were back in the good graces of coach Jeff Fisher and back on the practice field Wednesday at Rams Park.
“They’ve rejoined the program and the issues are behind them, been addressed, and they’re back on the practice field,” Fisher said following practice.
But Fisher wouldn’t go as far as saying either rookie would be in the starting lineup this Sunday against the New York Jets.
“They’ll play,” Fisher said.
Which given the circumstances was fair enough for Givens and Jenkins.
“If I get out there Sunday, I’ll be ready,” Jenkins said.
“Right now I’m just working, doing what I’m asked,” Givens said. “And just trying to earn my stripes back.”
Jenkins and Givens spoke with reporters for the first time since their benching. Both expressed remorse but neither addressed why he was disciplined by Fisher. However, a league source with knowledge of the situation said Jenkins, Givens and backup defensive tackle Kellen Heard were out partying Friday night and either missed a team curfew or showed up late for a team meeting. As a result, Heard was released by the team Saturday.
“I just violated team rules,” Jenkins said. “My coach and my teammates, we talked about it and we put it behind us. I take full responsibility for that. It won’t happen any more, and I’m just looking forward to moving forward.”
With only 16 games in an NFL regular season, a full-game suspension is a pretty stiff penalty. So if nothing else, Fisher got his point across.
“I made a mistake and Coach did the right thing about disciplining me,” Givens said. “I can’t question how he did it. I just take it how it comes and move forward and learn from it.”
Jenkins said: “There’s nothing I could do about it but take the consequences because I put myself in that situation.”
Jenkins and Givens were on the sidelines for Sunday’s high-drama 24-24 tie with San Francisco, but in sweats.
“It felt terrible,” Jenkins said. “It was eating me up in my stomach the whole game, and it just wasn’t feeling right.”
“It was the worst experience I’ve had so far,” Givens said. “Just being out there, knowing I let my team down. It just disappointed me and disappointed a lot of other people.”
Jenkins has been a starter basically from the moment he was drafted in the second round out of North Alabama. His draft stock dropped because he was arrested twice for possession of marijuana and once for resisting arrest while at the University of Florida, subsequently being dismissed from that school.
Jenkins and Givens said some of their teammates were upset with them for getting benched but also supportive.
“They were definitely upset,” Givens said. “Everyone was upset and everyone was understanding at the same time. They know I’m young. I make mistakes, but it’s up to me to grow up early, grow up fast, and just know that I can’t make stupid mistakes that put the team in jeopardy.”
Count cornerback Cortland Finnegan, who has tried to mentor Jenkins, among those who were supportive.
“You know what?” Finnegan said. “We all make mistakes. (Janoris) is a great kid. He’s done everything we’ve asked him to do on or off the field. This minor hiccup doesn’t say anything other than we’re standing behind him.”
During his regular Wednesday media session, quarterback Sam Bradford said he spoke to Givens for a few minutes on the topic — just a little earlier in the day, in fact.
“I talked to Chris and told him the big thing is showing everyone that they’re gonna be accountable,” Bradford said. “Obviously those are two of our key guys. When they’re not in the lineup, we’re not as good as we could be. It’s important for those guys to be on the field. They’ve helped us all year.
“There’s no doubt in my mind that that’s gonna be a non-issue from here on out. They’re gonna get back on the field and they’re gonna continue to help us.”
Speaking specifically of Givens, Bradford said he was more disappointed than upset with what happened over the weekend in San Francisco.
“Chris is a very talented player for us, who’s helped us a lot this year,” Bradford said. “And he was a big part of our game plan going into last week. To find out that he wasn’t gonna be with us, and not finding out till Saturday, obviously that was a little bit frustrating and disappointing.
“Hopefully, like I said, it’ll be a non-issue from here on out. Hopefully, those guys won’t make the same mistakes again. And they’ll be on the field the rest of the year.”
Givens promised as much. “I promise not to leave it again,” he said.
Givens has developed into a big-play threat for the Rams, so not having him in the lineup definitely put a dent in the offensive game plan. Before his benching, he became the first player since Detroit’s Pat Studstill in 1966 to have a pass reception of 50 yards or more in five consecutive games.
So watching the Rams and 49ers go at it for five physical, intense quarters was painful for Givens.
“That’s probably what hurts the most is knowing I could’ve contributed and I wasn’t able to because of my absence,” he said.