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Rams lineman Wichmann knows how to hammer
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_782e8582-c8ea-5115-ad7c-2e8d15f82f3a.html
As he watched the rookie class go through the paces Saturday afternoon at Rams Park, general manager Les Snead described sixth-round draft pick Cody Wichmann of Fresno State, thusly: “He’s the kind of guy that’ll give you a rib shot, knock you down, and then help you up.”
That is not a bad thing when your job — as an offensive guard — is to clear the road for running backs and keep the road clear of intruders for your quarterback.
It turns out much of Snead’s description of Wichmann (pronounced WICK-man) was dead on. At Fresno State, the coaches called effective blocks “getting ribs.” Wichmann said they had a scoreboard of sorts, with the offensive linemen awarded points for “getting ribs.”
“And at the end of the year, you get a hammer,” Wichmann said.
That’s if you get the most ribs — and most points — over the course of the season. Well, Wichmann is the proud possessor of two hammers, for the 2014 and 2013 college seasons.
“They had stickers all over it and what-not,” Wichmann said. “Bulldogs stickers, and they put your name on it. It had all sorts of decorations.”
So, is the latest hammer proudly displayed in a trophy room at home?
“I think it’s in the trunk of my car right now,” he replied, shrugging. “I might need it some day.”
Strangely, he then added: “The trunk of my car is a special place.”
We’re not sure what that means.
But Wichmann isn’t sure about the part of Snead’s description dealing with helping opponents get up after knocking them down.
“Once in a while if it’s an opponent I’ll help him up, I guess,” he said, with some reluctance. “Not every time. First couple times you’ve gotta let ’em know you’re here to play, and then maybe after a while you start feeling bad for ’em, I guess.”
The Rams would like nothing better than if Wichmann threw more hammer-worthy blocks for years to come in the NFL. As the last of four offensive linemen picked by the Rams on May 1-2, he’s one of the so-called Refrigerators with Legs in the 2015 draft class.
Wichmann, 6 feet 5 and 311 pounds, started 50 games during his time at Fresno State — the last 32 of which came at right guard. He had previous starting experience at right tackle, but it looks like his NFL future will be at guard.
The 50 starts isn’t a school record, but it’s close.
“Ben Jacobs, he’s a linebacker, plays for the (Carolina) Panthers right now. I think he had 52,” Wichmann said. “So a little short.”
Jacobs indeed started 52 times from 2007-10 for the Bulldogs.
Wichmann was part of some prolific offenses at Fresno State. The 2013 squad led the nation in passing with current Oakland Raiders starter Derek Carr at quarterback. The Bulldogs finished sixth in theFootball Bowl Subdivision in fewest sacks allowed that season.
Over his last three seasons at Fresno, or 2012-14, the Bulldogs averaged 36.4 points and 474.8 yards of offense per game.
“Just playing in all of the games that I’ve played in, just getting that experience on the field, it makes you more aware of certain situations and how to counter other situations,” Wichmann said. “I hope to take what I can from college to the NFL, but I do understand that the speed and the players will be top-notch.”
Earlier in his college career, Wichmann played in the pro-style offense of coach Pat Hill. The Bulldogs switched to an up-tempo spread offense under Hill’s successor, Tim DeRuyter, starting with the 2012 season.
But Wichmann remembers enough of the Hill pro-style; he even brushed up on the terminology before the draft by keeping an old playbook. And that has helped him through the first days of the transition to the Rams’ offense.
“Many of the terms — at least for run blocking — are the same,” Wichmann said.
And make no mistake, even with all the passing under DeRuyter, a player won’t earn a couple of hammers without some bruising work as a run blocker.
“I love when we run the ball,” Wichmann said. “I like to get my hands on people and drive them back, which is kind of my specialty. I would definitely say my physicality is probably one of my strong suits.”
Be it at Fresno State, or at Mariposa (Calif.) High, Wichmann has had a role model to look up to in the great Logan Mankins.
Mankins, who attended both schools, earned six Pro Bowl berths in nine seasons with New England before being traded to Tampa Bay before the 2014 season.
“Basically everyone in the town of Mariposa knows who he is and what he’s done,” Wichmann said. “He’s a big role model in Mariposa for everyone.”
Mankins’ high school jersey is retired and hanging in the school gymnasium, and as such was daily reminder of the goals Wichmann aspires to reach.
“Even at Fresno they have his picture in the main hallway to our meeting rooms,” Wichmann said. “I’d just glance up there every once in a while and tell myself, ‘Gosh, he did it from a small town. Why can’t I?’”
Wichmann is on that path, hammers and all.
• By Jim Thomas
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_782e8582-c8ea-5115-ad7c-2e8d15f82f3a.html
As he watched the rookie class go through the paces Saturday afternoon at Rams Park, general manager Les Snead described sixth-round draft pick Cody Wichmann of Fresno State, thusly: “He’s the kind of guy that’ll give you a rib shot, knock you down, and then help you up.”
That is not a bad thing when your job — as an offensive guard — is to clear the road for running backs and keep the road clear of intruders for your quarterback.
It turns out much of Snead’s description of Wichmann (pronounced WICK-man) was dead on. At Fresno State, the coaches called effective blocks “getting ribs.” Wichmann said they had a scoreboard of sorts, with the offensive linemen awarded points for “getting ribs.”
“And at the end of the year, you get a hammer,” Wichmann said.
That’s if you get the most ribs — and most points — over the course of the season. Well, Wichmann is the proud possessor of two hammers, for the 2014 and 2013 college seasons.
“They had stickers all over it and what-not,” Wichmann said. “Bulldogs stickers, and they put your name on it. It had all sorts of decorations.”
So, is the latest hammer proudly displayed in a trophy room at home?
“I think it’s in the trunk of my car right now,” he replied, shrugging. “I might need it some day.”
Strangely, he then added: “The trunk of my car is a special place.”
We’re not sure what that means.
But Wichmann isn’t sure about the part of Snead’s description dealing with helping opponents get up after knocking them down.
“Once in a while if it’s an opponent I’ll help him up, I guess,” he said, with some reluctance. “Not every time. First couple times you’ve gotta let ’em know you’re here to play, and then maybe after a while you start feeling bad for ’em, I guess.”
The Rams would like nothing better than if Wichmann threw more hammer-worthy blocks for years to come in the NFL. As the last of four offensive linemen picked by the Rams on May 1-2, he’s one of the so-called Refrigerators with Legs in the 2015 draft class.
Wichmann, 6 feet 5 and 311 pounds, started 50 games during his time at Fresno State — the last 32 of which came at right guard. He had previous starting experience at right tackle, but it looks like his NFL future will be at guard.
The 50 starts isn’t a school record, but it’s close.
“Ben Jacobs, he’s a linebacker, plays for the (Carolina) Panthers right now. I think he had 52,” Wichmann said. “So a little short.”
Jacobs indeed started 52 times from 2007-10 for the Bulldogs.
Wichmann was part of some prolific offenses at Fresno State. The 2013 squad led the nation in passing with current Oakland Raiders starter Derek Carr at quarterback. The Bulldogs finished sixth in theFootball Bowl Subdivision in fewest sacks allowed that season.
Over his last three seasons at Fresno, or 2012-14, the Bulldogs averaged 36.4 points and 474.8 yards of offense per game.
“Just playing in all of the games that I’ve played in, just getting that experience on the field, it makes you more aware of certain situations and how to counter other situations,” Wichmann said. “I hope to take what I can from college to the NFL, but I do understand that the speed and the players will be top-notch.”
Earlier in his college career, Wichmann played in the pro-style offense of coach Pat Hill. The Bulldogs switched to an up-tempo spread offense under Hill’s successor, Tim DeRuyter, starting with the 2012 season.
But Wichmann remembers enough of the Hill pro-style; he even brushed up on the terminology before the draft by keeping an old playbook. And that has helped him through the first days of the transition to the Rams’ offense.
“Many of the terms — at least for run blocking — are the same,” Wichmann said.
And make no mistake, even with all the passing under DeRuyter, a player won’t earn a couple of hammers without some bruising work as a run blocker.
“I love when we run the ball,” Wichmann said. “I like to get my hands on people and drive them back, which is kind of my specialty. I would definitely say my physicality is probably one of my strong suits.”
Be it at Fresno State, or at Mariposa (Calif.) High, Wichmann has had a role model to look up to in the great Logan Mankins.
Mankins, who attended both schools, earned six Pro Bowl berths in nine seasons with New England before being traded to Tampa Bay before the 2014 season.
“Basically everyone in the town of Mariposa knows who he is and what he’s done,” Wichmann said. “He’s a big role model in Mariposa for everyone.”
Mankins’ high school jersey is retired and hanging in the school gymnasium, and as such was daily reminder of the goals Wichmann aspires to reach.
“Even at Fresno they have his picture in the main hallway to our meeting rooms,” Wichmann said. “I’d just glance up there every once in a while and tell myself, ‘Gosh, he did it from a small town. Why can’t I?’”
Wichmann is on that path, hammers and all.
