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Chris Weinke's experience a plus for Rams
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16448/chris-weinkes-experience-a-plus-for-rams
INDIANAPOLIS -- In searching for a new quarterbacks coach, St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher wanted experience. But not necessarily coaching experience so much as playing experience.
So it was that Fisher interviewed three candidates who all played quarterback in the NFL for varying lengths of time and with a different range of success. Fisher spent time with Jeff Garcia, Steve Walsh and Chris Weinke in searching for a replacement for Frank Cignetti, who was promoted to offensive coordinator.
"Those were the three," Fisher said. "What do they have in common? They're all former players. My decision, or our decision, to go that direction stems from the fact that Cigs was the quarterback coach. He has a great understanding of the position. He's outstanding, so why not get somebody in that's played the game? The respect level from a player standpoint for those that have played the game is very high, especially right now."
Fisher said he was impressed with all three candidates, but in the end it was Weinke who won him over. During the interview process, Fisher even set up a meeting between Weinke and Rams quarterback Sam Bradford. The duo went to dinner and hit it off right away.
"Sam is very, very excited about, at that time, the possibility of Chris becoming our quarterback coach," Fisher said. "I was very, very impressed with Jeff, as well as with Steve. I think both of those guys, I hope that they end up in this league at that position because they are very, very talented."
In Weinke, the Rams are getting a young coach widely regarded as one of the emerging quarterback minds in the game. Although he's never coached in the NFL, he's been the Director of Football at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, since 2010. There, Weinke worked with quarterbacks of all shapes, sizes and styles. The list includes names like Seattle's Russell Wilson, Minnesota's Teddy Bridgewater and Carolina's Cam Newton.
And the quarterbacks who go through IMG to train for the NFL draft often were so pleased with what Weinke did to help them that they'd regularly go back for more.
“It was a huge factor,” Fisher said. “What he’s done over the last four, five years, not only with preparing quarterbacks for the draft but also a lot of guys have gone back. A lot of the (NFL) veterans are going back down there and working with him.”
What they get with Weinke is a former player who has a deep understanding of what it means to play the league's toughest position. Weinke won a Heisman Trophy at Florida State and went on to seven NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. In Weinke's final season in 2007, he actually worked with Cignetti, who was then the 49ers quarterbacks coach.
Unlike other position coaches, Fisher believes the connection between the quarterback and the coach has to be extremely close. While the NFL requires all players to put in plenty of work during the week, the quarterback is the one who keeps the longest hours, watches the most film and has the most responsibility on Sundays.
“One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the quarterback position itself over the years is very, very difficult to play,” Fisher said. “And the pressure on that position is extraordinary. It’s not Sundays. It’s Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. And it can become crippling if you don’t approach it that way. Chris understands that.”
It's an understanding that, sooner than later, Weinke is going to have to pass on to some new quarterbacks to enter the building. He's already established a relationship with Bradford, who will be the starter this season barring a shocking turn of events or another injury, but the Rams are likely to bring in another young quarterback at some point as well.
Weinke's history of working with pocket-style passers, scramblers and all things in between just might open up some new possibilities for how the Rams address the position. He has also spent time working with a couple interesting free-agent quarterbacks like Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman.
"There's going to be a time, whether it's here in two months or three months or whenever, that we're going to have a young quarterback," Fisher said. "I don't think there is anybody better qualified to coach a young quarterback than him. It was a great fit. He did an outstanding job. He's got a really good thing going, and this is a leap of faith for him to leave IMG and to leave the high school program, but I think it's a perfect fit for us."
By Nick Wagoner
http://espn.go.com/blog/st-louis-rams/post/_/id/16448/chris-weinkes-experience-a-plus-for-rams
INDIANAPOLIS -- In searching for a new quarterbacks coach, St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher wanted experience. But not necessarily coaching experience so much as playing experience.
So it was that Fisher interviewed three candidates who all played quarterback in the NFL for varying lengths of time and with a different range of success. Fisher spent time with Jeff Garcia, Steve Walsh and Chris Weinke in searching for a replacement for Frank Cignetti, who was promoted to offensive coordinator.
"Those were the three," Fisher said. "What do they have in common? They're all former players. My decision, or our decision, to go that direction stems from the fact that Cigs was the quarterback coach. He has a great understanding of the position. He's outstanding, so why not get somebody in that's played the game? The respect level from a player standpoint for those that have played the game is very high, especially right now."
Fisher said he was impressed with all three candidates, but in the end it was Weinke who won him over. During the interview process, Fisher even set up a meeting between Weinke and Rams quarterback Sam Bradford. The duo went to dinner and hit it off right away.
"Sam is very, very excited about, at that time, the possibility of Chris becoming our quarterback coach," Fisher said. "I was very, very impressed with Jeff, as well as with Steve. I think both of those guys, I hope that they end up in this league at that position because they are very, very talented."
In Weinke, the Rams are getting a young coach widely regarded as one of the emerging quarterback minds in the game. Although he's never coached in the NFL, he's been the Director of Football at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, since 2010. There, Weinke worked with quarterbacks of all shapes, sizes and styles. The list includes names like Seattle's Russell Wilson, Minnesota's Teddy Bridgewater and Carolina's Cam Newton.
And the quarterbacks who go through IMG to train for the NFL draft often were so pleased with what Weinke did to help them that they'd regularly go back for more.
“It was a huge factor,” Fisher said. “What he’s done over the last four, five years, not only with preparing quarterbacks for the draft but also a lot of guys have gone back. A lot of the (NFL) veterans are going back down there and working with him.”
What they get with Weinke is a former player who has a deep understanding of what it means to play the league's toughest position. Weinke won a Heisman Trophy at Florida State and went on to seven NFL seasons with the Carolina Panthers and San Francisco 49ers. In Weinke's final season in 2007, he actually worked with Cignetti, who was then the 49ers quarterbacks coach.
Unlike other position coaches, Fisher believes the connection between the quarterback and the coach has to be extremely close. While the NFL requires all players to put in plenty of work during the week, the quarterback is the one who keeps the longest hours, watches the most film and has the most responsibility on Sundays.
“One thing I’ve learned over the years is that the quarterback position itself over the years is very, very difficult to play,” Fisher said. “And the pressure on that position is extraordinary. It’s not Sundays. It’s Wednesday, Thursday, Friday. And it can become crippling if you don’t approach it that way. Chris understands that.”
It's an understanding that, sooner than later, Weinke is going to have to pass on to some new quarterbacks to enter the building. He's already established a relationship with Bradford, who will be the starter this season barring a shocking turn of events or another injury, but the Rams are likely to bring in another young quarterback at some point as well.
Weinke's history of working with pocket-style passers, scramblers and all things in between just might open up some new possibilities for how the Rams address the position. He has also spent time working with a couple interesting free-agent quarterbacks like Christian Ponder and Josh Freeman.
"There's going to be a time, whether it's here in two months or three months or whenever, that we're going to have a young quarterback," Fisher said. "I don't think there is anybody better qualified to coach a young quarterback than him. It was a great fit. He did an outstanding job. He's got a really good thing going, and this is a leap of faith for him to leave IMG and to leave the high school program, but I think it's a perfect fit for us."
