Bruce likes what he sees in Rams' receivers
It was the Los Angeles Rams who brought Isaac Bruce into the NFL, drafting him in the second round in 1994. And he played his first NFL season in Los Angeles.
But there’s no doubt in Bruce’s mind and heart where the franchise should reside. His loyalty lies in the Gateway City.
“Honestly, I’d like to see them stay here,” Bruce told the Post-Dispatch. “I’m biased to St. Louis obviously.”
What about the stadium lease situation, and the fact that the Rams could be a franchise free agent following the 2014 season? It’s an issue that could drag on for years. Get it done, says Bruce.
“I think it’s an (issue) that needs to be settled,” Bruce said. “I think people should sit down, do what’s needed here in St. Louis, and possibly get a Super Bowl here. You see the way it’s going right now. Super Bowls are being played in cold-weather cities. We have a dome here. We could possibly put something retractable in the city and keep the team here. I think we’ve got a pretty good foundation here.”
Bruce spent the better part of a week working with Rams receivers in training camp before leaving Tuesday. He was invited by coach Jeff Fisher a couple of months ago while Bruce was holding a youth football camp at Rams Park.
“I just passed by Fisher in the building and he said, ‘Come see me,’ ” Bruce recalled.
It was simple as that. Fisher asked and Bruce was more than willing to help. With Bruce, all you have to do is ask — but you must ask. It’s kind of a pride thing.
During his stay, Bruce liked what he saw in the Rams’ receiver corps.
“They’ve got a really good group,” Bruce said. “They’ve brought a lot of speed to the offense — a lot of good change of direction. Some guys who can get down field, stretch the field, which is always a good thing.”
And Bruce really likes the addition of free-agent tight end Jared Cook.
“A guy as big as he is, who can run and really catch the ball — he’s a big-time mismatch for defensive backs, safeties,” Bruce said. “He’s gonna make this offense flow, I think.”
After practice one day, young wide receivers Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and undrafted rookie Emory Blake flocked around Bruce, who dropped some knowledge on them about how to escape press coverage at the line of scrimmage.
“Just small things,” Bruce said. “It’s kind of amazing that a guy is willing to listen to me, and they are willing to listen to me. It’s all for the benefit of the team, for the organization. If they play well, we’re all happy. Possibly get a trip to go to New York (the site of the Super Bowl) this year.”
What young wideout wouldn’t want to listen to a guy like Bruce, who ranks seventh in career receptions and fourth in career reception yards in the NFL and made a game-winning touchdown catch in a Super Bowl?
“You know what?” Bruce said, laughing. “You never know how a guy was raised. Or how he’s been coached. Maybe he thinks he knows it all until he really actually gets in the fire and it proves to him that he doesn’t know it all.”
Bruce said he had a little bit of that attitude coming out in 1994. He thought his speed and quickness would take him where he wanted to go. He didn’t need anyone else’s help, thank you.
“Fortunately, I had some guys that I was willing to sit down and open myself up to,” Bruce said. “Just getting the knowledge of the game really boosted everything else that I could do.”
Specifically, players such as wide receivers Jessie Hester and Flipper Anderson, plus Hall of Fame offensive tackle Jackie Slater helped show Bruce the way as a young NFL player.
In today’s “now” society, many NFL players don’t have much knowledge of the game’s history, even history that extends only a few years back. But the young Rams all know about Bruce and Torry Holt.
“Well, thank God for PlayStation,” Bruce said, referring to the video game company. “Because PlayStation keeps a guy’s face there, and they play so much PlayStation. I had my eight-year addiction to PlayStation and thank God I broke that addiction.”
During his stay in St. Louis, Bruce was careful about picking his spots in giving input to the players. He didn’t want to impinge on what Rams wide receivers coach Ray Sherman was trying to accomplish each day.
“Without a doubt,” Bruce said. “You definitely respect the (position) coach that they have. Coach Sherman’s been in this league for a lot of years. He’s coordinated in this league, and he’s very knowledgeable.
“The thing that I would say to them, he’s telling them already. So I’m just his choir, so to speak. He’s the preacher and I’m the choir.”
But sometimes it’s good for a player to hear things from a current or former player’s perspective.
“I think that’s (Sherman’s) message with me being in the (meeting) room,” Bruce said. “When I was coming out, my position coach could tell me one thing. But when Flipper told me something, I could sit back and watch Flipper do it on video. I had to do it the way he was saying to do it, and it worked for me.”
