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NFP Sunday Blitz
Why Fisher chose St. Louis; Scout Talk on Senior Bowl standouts; coaching moves and more. Dan Pompei
Print ThisJANUARY 29, 2012, 05:30 AM EST11 COMMENTS
It wasn’t the money that drew Jeff Fisher to St. Louis.
It wasn’t the power.
It wasn’t the Arch.
It was the quarterback.
If Sam Bradford were in Miami or Jacksonville or Washington or someplace else, chances are Fisher would not be in St. Louis. Bradford isn’t the only thing the new Rams coach likes about his job, mind you. But Bradford was a big draw. “The exciting part is Mr. Kroenke’s vision, the direction he wants to take this football team,” Fisher told me. “I’m honored and privileged to be a part of that. This is an opportunity to build a foundation. And Sam was a big part of the decision.”
Fisher arguably never has had a chance to work with a quarterback with as much potential as Bradford, though he has coached some good ones. There was Steve McNair, who was a three-time Pro Bowler and the co-most valuable player in 2003. There was Vince Young, the third overall pick of the draft and a Heisman winner. There was Kerry Collins, who has thrown for more yards than all but nine players in NFL history.
Bradford should be better than all of them. “We think he has a chance to be grrrreat,” Fisher said, sounding a little like he was pitching Frosted Flakes. “A lot of people around the league believe that. We are going to everything possible to make that happen.”
Sam Bradford was a powerful draw to Jeff Fisher.
Fisher and Bradford first met at a conference room at the Indianapolis Holiday Inn where the Titans were interviewing college prospects during the 2010 combine. Fisher walked away impressed. “I remember just about every word he said,” Fisher said. “He was very, very impressive, sharp, motivated. Hates losing like most elite college players.”
When Fisher thought the Rams job was a possibility, he started researching Bradford. He did some tape study. He called some friends who had worked with him to find out more about him from a personal perspective.
The coach and quarterback met again in January as part of Fisher’s interview process. After Fisher’s initial interview with Kroenke in Denver, he came to St. Louis and toured the Rams’ Earth City facility. While there, he met with Bradford for close to two hours.
“It went way beyond getting acquainted,” Fisher said. “I didn’t need to get him on the board. He knows more offense than I do. We exchanged ideas. I wanted to get a sense of him and the team, his teammates, the pulse, where he thought they were. His injury [a high ankle sprain that limited him to 10 starts] was a difficult thing, especially with the lack of an offseason, and it being his second year. We covered it. I felt very comfortable as he did when we went different directions.”
The thought of working with Bradford is enough to revitalize a 53-year old, 17-year NFL head coaching veteran. But having a year off helped Fisher too.
“The first objective when I stepped aside was to completely get away, get recharged,” Fisher said. “I needed to distance myself from it.”
In the offseason, Fisher didn’t pay much attention to the NFL. He spent a lot of time training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, which he did last May. He stayed on the competition committee as a non-voting member, attending meetings. When the season came, he made about a half dozen trips to New York to help out the league’s officiating department. He watched his son Trent play football at Auburn, and his other son Brandon coach for the Lions. “To be able to go to an Auburn home game and sit with a ball cap on backwards as a parent was kind of a rare experience for me,” he said. “I really enjoyed that.”
The time away recharged Fisher and gave him a new perspective. “As I got back involved, I looked at what would you differently, what would you do moving forward,” he said. “You look at things differently. I’m rested. I’m really excited.”
Especially because of who he has under center.
Go Sam!!! Go Sam!!!
NFP Sunday Blitz
Why Fisher chose St. Louis; Scout Talk on Senior Bowl standouts; coaching moves and more. Dan Pompei
Print ThisJANUARY 29, 2012, 05:30 AM EST11 COMMENTS
It wasn’t the money that drew Jeff Fisher to St. Louis.
It wasn’t the power.
It wasn’t the Arch.
It was the quarterback.
If Sam Bradford were in Miami or Jacksonville or Washington or someplace else, chances are Fisher would not be in St. Louis. Bradford isn’t the only thing the new Rams coach likes about his job, mind you. But Bradford was a big draw. “The exciting part is Mr. Kroenke’s vision, the direction he wants to take this football team,” Fisher told me. “I’m honored and privileged to be a part of that. This is an opportunity to build a foundation. And Sam was a big part of the decision.”
Fisher arguably never has had a chance to work with a quarterback with as much potential as Bradford, though he has coached some good ones. There was Steve McNair, who was a three-time Pro Bowler and the co-most valuable player in 2003. There was Vince Young, the third overall pick of the draft and a Heisman winner. There was Kerry Collins, who has thrown for more yards than all but nine players in NFL history.
Bradford should be better than all of them. “We think he has a chance to be grrrreat,” Fisher said, sounding a little like he was pitching Frosted Flakes. “A lot of people around the league believe that. We are going to everything possible to make that happen.”
Sam Bradford was a powerful draw to Jeff Fisher.
Fisher and Bradford first met at a conference room at the Indianapolis Holiday Inn where the Titans were interviewing college prospects during the 2010 combine. Fisher walked away impressed. “I remember just about every word he said,” Fisher said. “He was very, very impressive, sharp, motivated. Hates losing like most elite college players.”
When Fisher thought the Rams job was a possibility, he started researching Bradford. He did some tape study. He called some friends who had worked with him to find out more about him from a personal perspective.
The coach and quarterback met again in January as part of Fisher’s interview process. After Fisher’s initial interview with Kroenke in Denver, he came to St. Louis and toured the Rams’ Earth City facility. While there, he met with Bradford for close to two hours.
“It went way beyond getting acquainted,” Fisher said. “I didn’t need to get him on the board. He knows more offense than I do. We exchanged ideas. I wanted to get a sense of him and the team, his teammates, the pulse, where he thought they were. His injury [a high ankle sprain that limited him to 10 starts] was a difficult thing, especially with the lack of an offseason, and it being his second year. We covered it. I felt very comfortable as he did when we went different directions.”
The thought of working with Bradford is enough to revitalize a 53-year old, 17-year NFL head coaching veteran. But having a year off helped Fisher too.
“The first objective when I stepped aside was to completely get away, get recharged,” Fisher said. “I needed to distance myself from it.”
In the offseason, Fisher didn’t pay much attention to the NFL. He spent a lot of time training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, which he did last May. He stayed on the competition committee as a non-voting member, attending meetings. When the season came, he made about a half dozen trips to New York to help out the league’s officiating department. He watched his son Trent play football at Auburn, and his other son Brandon coach for the Lions. “To be able to go to an Auburn home game and sit with a ball cap on backwards as a parent was kind of a rare experience for me,” he said. “I really enjoyed that.”
The time away recharged Fisher and gave him a new perspective. “As I got back involved, I looked at what would you differently, what would you do moving forward,” he said. “You look at things differently. I’m rested. I’m really excited.”
Especially because of who he has under center.
Go Sam!!! Go Sam!!!
