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<a class="postlink" href="http://blog.stlouisrams.com/2013/02/21/detroit-hc-schwartz-praises-walton-hire/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://blog.stlouisrams.com/2013/02/21/ ... lton-hire/</a>
INDIANAPOLIS - Lions head coach Jim Schwartz just took his turn at the podium speaking to the media and discussed a couple of topics of interest to Rams fans, most notably the hire of defensive coordinator Tim Walton, who spent the previous four seasons working for Schwartz as secondary coach, and recently-released WR Titus Young, an original second round pick of the Lions.
- Schwartz had high praise for Walton’s work with the Lions and said he believed Walton is ready for his new role as Rams DC and thinks enough of Walton that he believes he’ll someday be a head coach himself.
“Tim has been a coordinator in college,” Schwartz said. “He was a coordinator at the University of Miami and also at Memphis. He’s a really smart guy and it was just a matter of time before he was a coordinator. As we went forward last year hiring Marcus Robertson to be our assistant secondary coach, we sort of created a spot for him because I wanted him to be prepared in case Tim got an opportunity like this.
“He’s a smart guy. He’ll be missed but we also have already prepared for him to go. In a couple years, he’s going to be standing up on this podium also. Tim is a sharp guy, a charismatic guy and he’s a little bit under the radar type guy but not for long.”
- Schwartz was also asked about the status of former Lions receiver and recent Rams audition Young. The Lions parted ways with Young after two tumultuous seasons in Detroit and the Rams summarily claimed him off waivers in order to get to know him and see if he could be a fit in the locker room. After about a week, the Rams decided it wasn’t a fit and also released Young, who cleared waivers officially on Tuesday.
“He’s no longer a member of our team,” Schwartz said. “Obviously it didn’t work out for us. It’s very disappointing. He’s a guy we drafted in the second round and a guy that physically was very productive for us and looked like he was going to be a very important part of our offense. But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t all just physically what he could do on the field. As a result, he is no longer with us and we have moved on.”
- Schwartz said he did not have any conversations with Rams HC Jeff Fisher about Young but acknowledged that Fisher got a chance to be around Young during his time away from coaching in 2011.
“When Jeff was out of work that year, he was coming up to see him and was sitting in the stands for three or four of our games,” Schwartz said. “He had some insight but not personal conversations.”
- Schwartz added that Rams assistant secondary coach Brandon Fisher, son of Jeff, is a talented young coach after he spent his first year in the league in Detroit learning from Schwartz and Walton.
- In a non-Rams related note, Schwartz offered some solid dry humor. Asked why BYU DE Ezekiel Ansah struggled during Senior Bowl practices (the Lions staff coached Ansah’s team that week) and then played so well in the game, Schwartz offered a simple two-word response: “Allen Iverson,” Schwartz said, making reference to the famous press conference in which the basketball star lamented the (lack of) virtues of practice.
- Still waiting for some players to roll through. Plenty more to come.
<a class="postlink" href="http://blog.stlouisrams.com/2013/02/21/detroit-hc-schwartz-praises-walton-hire/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;">http://blog.stlouisrams.com/2013/02/21/ ... lton-hire/</a>
INDIANAPOLIS - Lions head coach Jim Schwartz just took his turn at the podium speaking to the media and discussed a couple of topics of interest to Rams fans, most notably the hire of defensive coordinator Tim Walton, who spent the previous four seasons working for Schwartz as secondary coach, and recently-released WR Titus Young, an original second round pick of the Lions.
- Schwartz had high praise for Walton’s work with the Lions and said he believed Walton is ready for his new role as Rams DC and thinks enough of Walton that he believes he’ll someday be a head coach himself.
“Tim has been a coordinator in college,” Schwartz said. “He was a coordinator at the University of Miami and also at Memphis. He’s a really smart guy and it was just a matter of time before he was a coordinator. As we went forward last year hiring Marcus Robertson to be our assistant secondary coach, we sort of created a spot for him because I wanted him to be prepared in case Tim got an opportunity like this.
“He’s a smart guy. He’ll be missed but we also have already prepared for him to go. In a couple years, he’s going to be standing up on this podium also. Tim is a sharp guy, a charismatic guy and he’s a little bit under the radar type guy but not for long.”
- Schwartz was also asked about the status of former Lions receiver and recent Rams audition Young. The Lions parted ways with Young after two tumultuous seasons in Detroit and the Rams summarily claimed him off waivers in order to get to know him and see if he could be a fit in the locker room. After about a week, the Rams decided it wasn’t a fit and also released Young, who cleared waivers officially on Tuesday.
“He’s no longer a member of our team,” Schwartz said. “Obviously it didn’t work out for us. It’s very disappointing. He’s a guy we drafted in the second round and a guy that physically was very productive for us and looked like he was going to be a very important part of our offense. But in the grand scheme of things, it wasn’t all just physically what he could do on the field. As a result, he is no longer with us and we have moved on.”
- Schwartz said he did not have any conversations with Rams HC Jeff Fisher about Young but acknowledged that Fisher got a chance to be around Young during his time away from coaching in 2011.
“When Jeff was out of work that year, he was coming up to see him and was sitting in the stands for three or four of our games,” Schwartz said. “He had some insight but not personal conversations.”
- Schwartz added that Rams assistant secondary coach Brandon Fisher, son of Jeff, is a talented young coach after he spent his first year in the league in Detroit learning from Schwartz and Walton.
- In a non-Rams related note, Schwartz offered some solid dry humor. Asked why BYU DE Ezekiel Ansah struggled during Senior Bowl practices (the Lions staff coached Ansah’s team that week) and then played so well in the game, Schwartz offered a simple two-word response: “Allen Iverson,” Schwartz said, making reference to the famous press conference in which the basketball star lamented the (lack of) virtues of practice.
- Still waiting for some players to roll through. Plenty more to come.