Rams GM Les Snead – Press Conference
February 14, 2012
(Opening Remarks from Executive Vice President of Football Operations/ C.O.O. Kevin Demoff)
“Welcome guys. Hopefully this is the last one of these we do in here for a while. It feels like we’ve had a run of a few of them. Today is an exciting day as we announce the man to my left, Les Snead, as our new general manager. It’s been a great process over the past six weeks trying to re-shape the leadership on the football side. When we started this process in January, to think that we’d wind up with the two men sitting to my left here to run our building and to lead us forward was an exciting thought. I didn’t know if it was attainable, but as we sit here today it absolutely was.
Les Snead was the first call we made regarding our general manager and the last call we made regarding our general manager position, and that’s a great thought for me. I remember driving home from Rams Park on that Monday night and calling Les and saying, ‘Hey, I think this process is going to get started and we’d like to have you be a part of it.’ From our first interview, it was clear he was ready to lead our football team and to lead a football team in the National Football League and I know throughout our time after hiring Coach Fisher, he impressed that upon us as well.
The one thing that stood out to me in time as we talked with Les is, in his time with the Falcons he’s seen everything. He’s been a part of everything a general manager is going to see. He’s been part of a big draft day trade. He’s been part of an organization that took a player first. He’s traded for a Pro Bowler. They’ve had successful, winning seasons after I don’t want to say turmoil, but certainly they never had back-to-back winning seasons and all the sudden you have four straight winning seasons. And that’s the sign of someone who can come into a franchise like ours that seeks stability and provide it. With Coach Fisher on the coaching side and Les overseeing our personnel department, we are set up for the future and for future success.
It’s been an exciting process for us to discover what the St. Louis Rams can become, and what we envisioned was a team that could compete on the field, that was physical and tough, and Coach Fisher can bring that, and a general manager that could bring innovative thinking, a different way of looking at players, a different way of looking at pro personnel, at the college scouting process, and bring us to the forefront in the most advanced metrics and scouting ideas in the NFL. Les is an intelligent thinker, someone who when you sit down and talk to him, you come away saying this is not your average scout in the NFL. This is someone who thinks a little bit different, who approaches problem solving in a unique way and someone who I think will change our personnel environment and our scouting environment. So with that I’m pleased to introduce Les Snead as the next general manager of the St. Louis Rams.”
(Opening Remarks from General Manager Les Snead)
“Thank you, Kevin. I’ll start by thanking Mr. Kroenke for this very distinct opportunity. I want to thank Kevin (Demoff), Jeff (Fisher) for inviting me into their partnership. I’m looking forward to that. I will say this, this was, and I said, it’s a distinct opportunity because when I started the process I really respected Mr. Kroenke’s paradigm for organizational leadership, the way he sets it up. I really respect Kevin and his intelligence, his knowledge of the business, football and his vision for this organization. And with Jeff, he’s a proven winner. He’s proven that he’s going to put a competitive football team on the field consistently, so that was a very distinct opportunity that I wanted to take advantage of. I think we have a quarterback here. I think we have some young players here, and I think we have some very good picks in this draft to get this team better as well as free agency. That was the opportunity I wanted to take and I’m glad to be here.
I will say this, I’m going to keep this short, at least the introduction part, because I know you guys want to get back to Valentine’s Day at least and get to the date. But I will say this, just a quick philosophy, I do want this organization to be an organization that understands how to build, develop, and coach it’s football team to win division championships consistently, and that’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to hear me say a lot of times that everybody in this building is going to be passionate about winning. Every player, every staff member, every coach. We’re going to have a purpose. We’re going to understand what we’re trying to accomplish and why it works. And then we’re going to go thrive, and you’ll hear me say that a lot. So with that I’ll open it up for questions.”
full transcript: www.Ramsfans.com
February 14, 2012
(Opening Remarks from Executive Vice President of Football Operations/ C.O.O. Kevin Demoff)
“Welcome guys. Hopefully this is the last one of these we do in here for a while. It feels like we’ve had a run of a few of them. Today is an exciting day as we announce the man to my left, Les Snead, as our new general manager. It’s been a great process over the past six weeks trying to re-shape the leadership on the football side. When we started this process in January, to think that we’d wind up with the two men sitting to my left here to run our building and to lead us forward was an exciting thought. I didn’t know if it was attainable, but as we sit here today it absolutely was.
Les Snead was the first call we made regarding our general manager and the last call we made regarding our general manager position, and that’s a great thought for me. I remember driving home from Rams Park on that Monday night and calling Les and saying, ‘Hey, I think this process is going to get started and we’d like to have you be a part of it.’ From our first interview, it was clear he was ready to lead our football team and to lead a football team in the National Football League and I know throughout our time after hiring Coach Fisher, he impressed that upon us as well.
The one thing that stood out to me in time as we talked with Les is, in his time with the Falcons he’s seen everything. He’s been a part of everything a general manager is going to see. He’s been part of a big draft day trade. He’s been part of an organization that took a player first. He’s traded for a Pro Bowler. They’ve had successful, winning seasons after I don’t want to say turmoil, but certainly they never had back-to-back winning seasons and all the sudden you have four straight winning seasons. And that’s the sign of someone who can come into a franchise like ours that seeks stability and provide it. With Coach Fisher on the coaching side and Les overseeing our personnel department, we are set up for the future and for future success.
It’s been an exciting process for us to discover what the St. Louis Rams can become, and what we envisioned was a team that could compete on the field, that was physical and tough, and Coach Fisher can bring that, and a general manager that could bring innovative thinking, a different way of looking at players, a different way of looking at pro personnel, at the college scouting process, and bring us to the forefront in the most advanced metrics and scouting ideas in the NFL. Les is an intelligent thinker, someone who when you sit down and talk to him, you come away saying this is not your average scout in the NFL. This is someone who thinks a little bit different, who approaches problem solving in a unique way and someone who I think will change our personnel environment and our scouting environment. So with that I’m pleased to introduce Les Snead as the next general manager of the St. Louis Rams.”
(Opening Remarks from General Manager Les Snead)
“Thank you, Kevin. I’ll start by thanking Mr. Kroenke for this very distinct opportunity. I want to thank Kevin (Demoff), Jeff (Fisher) for inviting me into their partnership. I’m looking forward to that. I will say this, this was, and I said, it’s a distinct opportunity because when I started the process I really respected Mr. Kroenke’s paradigm for organizational leadership, the way he sets it up. I really respect Kevin and his intelligence, his knowledge of the business, football and his vision for this organization. And with Jeff, he’s a proven winner. He’s proven that he’s going to put a competitive football team on the field consistently, so that was a very distinct opportunity that I wanted to take advantage of. I think we have a quarterback here. I think we have some young players here, and I think we have some very good picks in this draft to get this team better as well as free agency. That was the opportunity I wanted to take and I’m glad to be here.
I will say this, I’m going to keep this short, at least the introduction part, because I know you guys want to get back to Valentine’s Day at least and get to the date. But I will say this, just a quick philosophy, I do want this organization to be an organization that understands how to build, develop, and coach it’s football team to win division championships consistently, and that’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to hear me say a lot of times that everybody in this building is going to be passionate about winning. Every player, every staff member, every coach. We’re going to have a purpose. We’re going to understand what we’re trying to accomplish and why it works. And then we’re going to go thrive, and you’ll hear me say that a lot. So with that I’ll open it up for questions.”
full transcript: www.Ramsfans.com
