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Jim Thomas
As part of the new era at Rams Park, coach Jeff Fisher has instituted an open-door policy for former Rams players. This wasn't really the case, for whatever reason, under former coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney.
Most Rams fans are familiar with what happened. The pictures of team greats from the Greatest Show on Turf days were taken down in the team auditorium. Offensive line coach Jim Hanifan basically was told he was no longer welcome in the building.
There was no more telling example of this than the sight of former Rams star Isaac Bruce helping Chicago wide receivers at Bears camp two summers ago. When asked why he wasn't working at Rams camp, the always-direct Bruce replied: "They didn't ask."
Well, within weeks of Fisher's hire, Hanifan was back in the building visiting Fisher, assistant head coach Dave McGinnis and others. Bruce came around in the spring. Former linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa has been seen a couple of times earlier in camp.
And all this week, wide receiver Torry Holt and defensive back Aeneas Williams have been attending practices, providing tips and answering questions from players.
"There was a point there where I guess guys didn't feel as welcome in regards to coming back around the organization," Holt said. "But I think Coach Fisher and his staff and the organization have done a good job in terms of inviting and welcoming guys back. I think it's healthy.
"It's good for guys to see the history of our organization because we've got a lot of history in this organization. I've talked about it before. When I was a rookie and a couple years in the league, Deacon Jones and Jack Youngblood, they'd come back and talk to us and just talk about the pride and the tradition of Rams football.
"And I mentioned that to the receivers in the (meeting) room. I said, 'There's a standard here in regards to the receiving position, all the way back to Henry Ellard, Crazylegs (Hirsch), Flipper Anderson, myself, Isaac, Ricky (Proehl) — the list goes on and on of guys that played the position at a high level. So keeping that standard, keeping that tradition alive, I think it's huge."
Williams, who played for McGinnis for five seasons as an Arizona Cardinal, said the new regime at Rams Park "just always encourages you that you're welcome. It's never like you're eavesdropping or you're intruding. I never had an issue (before), because if I'm not invited I won't come around."
Rest of the story: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... 4d6fc.html
As part of the new era at Rams Park, coach Jeff Fisher has instituted an open-door policy for former Rams players. This wasn't really the case, for whatever reason, under former coach Steve Spagnuolo and general manager Billy Devaney.
Most Rams fans are familiar with what happened. The pictures of team greats from the Greatest Show on Turf days were taken down in the team auditorium. Offensive line coach Jim Hanifan basically was told he was no longer welcome in the building.
There was no more telling example of this than the sight of former Rams star Isaac Bruce helping Chicago wide receivers at Bears camp two summers ago. When asked why he wasn't working at Rams camp, the always-direct Bruce replied: "They didn't ask."
Well, within weeks of Fisher's hire, Hanifan was back in the building visiting Fisher, assistant head coach Dave McGinnis and others. Bruce came around in the spring. Former linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa has been seen a couple of times earlier in camp.
And all this week, wide receiver Torry Holt and defensive back Aeneas Williams have been attending practices, providing tips and answering questions from players.
"There was a point there where I guess guys didn't feel as welcome in regards to coming back around the organization," Holt said. "But I think Coach Fisher and his staff and the organization have done a good job in terms of inviting and welcoming guys back. I think it's healthy.
"It's good for guys to see the history of our organization because we've got a lot of history in this organization. I've talked about it before. When I was a rookie and a couple years in the league, Deacon Jones and Jack Youngblood, they'd come back and talk to us and just talk about the pride and the tradition of Rams football.
"And I mentioned that to the receivers in the (meeting) room. I said, 'There's a standard here in regards to the receiving position, all the way back to Henry Ellard, Crazylegs (Hirsch), Flipper Anderson, myself, Isaac, Ricky (Proehl) — the list goes on and on of guys that played the position at a high level. So keeping that standard, keeping that tradition alive, I think it's huge."
Williams, who played for McGinnis for five seasons as an Arizona Cardinal, said the new regime at Rams Park "just always encourages you that you're welcome. It's never like you're eavesdropping or you're intruding. I never had an issue (before), because if I'm not invited I won't come around."
Rest of the story: http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... 4d6fc.html
