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Rams' Maurice Alexander impressing in camp
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story...p?hootPostID=92a7bc9f2331330451c756647b043b0d
ST. LOUIS — Maurice Alexander came to Rams training camp a year ago as a fourth-round pick with a compelling story, but failed to make much of an impact as a rookie. Now, the safety impressing the coaching staff with his progress going into his second season.
For Alexander, being healthy has made a world of difference between his rookie season and his second training camp. He feels good now, maybe better than he’s felt since participating in his first organized team activities a year ago.
“It’s a big difference when you’re injured and when you’re not injured,” Alexander said. “We did a good job rehabbing in the offseason. I’ve been here the whole time. I’m from here, so I just stayed here and (worked hard). I feel good. I haven’t been 100 (percent) yet. I’m about 95 percent. I’ve been feeling good.”
The 24-year-old said his injury issues started during OTAs last year.
He would end up having surgeries to fix the meniscus in both of his knees before he would really feel better.
“It started with the left one, OTAs,” Alexander said. “Then I got to training camp, preseason, and I got my right one hit. Docs told me I was going to need surgery one of these days. They could tell there was loose cartilage in there.”
The 6-foot-1 safety, who said he now weighs 212 pounds after weighing in at the 2014 Combine at 220 pounds, said his focus was affected by the injuries throughout his rookie campaign.
“Last year I was more focused on my injuries,” Alexander said. “It’s hard to be injured and then try to think about plays and this and that. It was tough. I was trying my hardest to think last year but my mind would go right back to my leg, if I make this cut I’m going to hurt something, if I make this cut I’m going to hurt something. So this year I’m just focused directly on ball.”
The Eureka (Mo.) High School product’s increased focus has led to him impressing the coaching staff during OTAs and now in training camp. It’s still early in camp, but Alexander has been getting snaps working with the starting defense in place of Rodney McLeod, T.J. McDonald and Mark Barron at times.
No, that doesn’t mean the second-year player is going to steal the spot of one of those veteran safeties. But it does show how the coaching staff regards the youngster at this point.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams lauded Alexander during OTAs.
“If you want to talk about a guy that’s drastically different than last year, it’s Maurice,’’ Williams said. “He could hardly speak what we’re doing last year. He’d only played one season in college as a DB and now he’s in the NFL as a DB. Holy Cow, he was lost, but we knew he was talented. He’s had a great spring because he’s gotten more reps — next man up — because T.J. and Mark haven’t had as many.”
Rams coach Jeff Fisher called Alexander a “tremendous surprise” early in training camp when he was asked about returning all 11 starters from a year ago.
“We got the 11 (returning starters), but we also got some great competition at the backup spots, so we’ve got some depth,” Fisher said. “So, when you look at Maurice, for example, who’s just a tremendous surprise. You’re OK with him playing safety if you have a problem. That gives us a comfort level.”
Fisher was asked a few days later what, exactly, has made the youngster so impressive in his second training camp.
“You know he is playing really fast right now and that implies that he knows what to do,” the veteran coach said. “I mean he’s sure, he’s decisive. He makes good decisions. He is reacting. He’s very athletic and he’s playing fast. He’s going to make a lot of plays for us.”
Alexander was considered a bit of a project a year ago when the Rams selected him in the fourth round (No. 110 overall) out of Utah State.
He was a defensive lineman and linebacker in high school and played linebacker in college — he spent two years at Arizona Western College before Utah State — before later switching to safety.
He also got into trouble at Utah State. He was kicked off the team and ended up in jail after a fight with a friend and teammate. It was during Alexander’s time away from his college team, back in 2012, that he worked as a janitor at the Edward Jones Dome and cleaned up after Rams games.
It was then that Alexander could only dream of one day playing for the Rams … and it was only a dream at that point.
That’s also why he said he can’t be too disappointed by his rookie season, in which he appeared in just nine games and recorded seven special teams tackles.
“I dealt with way worse adversity than that,” Alexander said. “I always stay positive in everything I do. It’s hard to bring me down. I’m always positive.”
And now he’s making a positive impression on the coaching staff after working hard to bounce back from the injuries and learn the playbook.
“The coaching staff makes it very easy for me,” he said. “We’ve got great coaches. We’ve got Dennard (Wilson). We’ve got Brandon (Fisher). We’ve got Gregg (Williams), Chuck (Cecil), all those guys. They just make it easy. Once you’ve got coaches like that, they make it more simple.”
So far in training camp, it’s been like night and day from a year ago.
“It comes and goes,” Alexander said. “It’s very fast. I’m taking advantage of every moment.”
By Nate Latsch
http://www.scout.com/nfl/rams/story...p?hootPostID=92a7bc9f2331330451c756647b043b0d
ST. LOUIS — Maurice Alexander came to Rams training camp a year ago as a fourth-round pick with a compelling story, but failed to make much of an impact as a rookie. Now, the safety impressing the coaching staff with his progress going into his second season.
For Alexander, being healthy has made a world of difference between his rookie season and his second training camp. He feels good now, maybe better than he’s felt since participating in his first organized team activities a year ago.
“It’s a big difference when you’re injured and when you’re not injured,” Alexander said. “We did a good job rehabbing in the offseason. I’ve been here the whole time. I’m from here, so I just stayed here and (worked hard). I feel good. I haven’t been 100 (percent) yet. I’m about 95 percent. I’ve been feeling good.”
The 24-year-old said his injury issues started during OTAs last year.
He would end up having surgeries to fix the meniscus in both of his knees before he would really feel better.
“It started with the left one, OTAs,” Alexander said. “Then I got to training camp, preseason, and I got my right one hit. Docs told me I was going to need surgery one of these days. They could tell there was loose cartilage in there.”
The 6-foot-1 safety, who said he now weighs 212 pounds after weighing in at the 2014 Combine at 220 pounds, said his focus was affected by the injuries throughout his rookie campaign.
“Last year I was more focused on my injuries,” Alexander said. “It’s hard to be injured and then try to think about plays and this and that. It was tough. I was trying my hardest to think last year but my mind would go right back to my leg, if I make this cut I’m going to hurt something, if I make this cut I’m going to hurt something. So this year I’m just focused directly on ball.”
The Eureka (Mo.) High School product’s increased focus has led to him impressing the coaching staff during OTAs and now in training camp. It’s still early in camp, but Alexander has been getting snaps working with the starting defense in place of Rodney McLeod, T.J. McDonald and Mark Barron at times.
No, that doesn’t mean the second-year player is going to steal the spot of one of those veteran safeties. But it does show how the coaching staff regards the youngster at this point.
Defensive coordinator Gregg Williams lauded Alexander during OTAs.
“If you want to talk about a guy that’s drastically different than last year, it’s Maurice,’’ Williams said. “He could hardly speak what we’re doing last year. He’d only played one season in college as a DB and now he’s in the NFL as a DB. Holy Cow, he was lost, but we knew he was talented. He’s had a great spring because he’s gotten more reps — next man up — because T.J. and Mark haven’t had as many.”
Rams coach Jeff Fisher called Alexander a “tremendous surprise” early in training camp when he was asked about returning all 11 starters from a year ago.
“We got the 11 (returning starters), but we also got some great competition at the backup spots, so we’ve got some depth,” Fisher said. “So, when you look at Maurice, for example, who’s just a tremendous surprise. You’re OK with him playing safety if you have a problem. That gives us a comfort level.”
Fisher was asked a few days later what, exactly, has made the youngster so impressive in his second training camp.
“You know he is playing really fast right now and that implies that he knows what to do,” the veteran coach said. “I mean he’s sure, he’s decisive. He makes good decisions. He is reacting. He’s very athletic and he’s playing fast. He’s going to make a lot of plays for us.”
Alexander was considered a bit of a project a year ago when the Rams selected him in the fourth round (No. 110 overall) out of Utah State.
He was a defensive lineman and linebacker in high school and played linebacker in college — he spent two years at Arizona Western College before Utah State — before later switching to safety.
He also got into trouble at Utah State. He was kicked off the team and ended up in jail after a fight with a friend and teammate. It was during Alexander’s time away from his college team, back in 2012, that he worked as a janitor at the Edward Jones Dome and cleaned up after Rams games.
It was then that Alexander could only dream of one day playing for the Rams … and it was only a dream at that point.
That’s also why he said he can’t be too disappointed by his rookie season, in which he appeared in just nine games and recorded seven special teams tackles.
“I dealt with way worse adversity than that,” Alexander said. “I always stay positive in everything I do. It’s hard to bring me down. I’m always positive.”
And now he’s making a positive impression on the coaching staff after working hard to bounce back from the injuries and learn the playbook.
“The coaching staff makes it very easy for me,” he said. “We’ve got great coaches. We’ve got Dennard (Wilson). We’ve got Brandon (Fisher). We’ve got Gregg (Williams), Chuck (Cecil), all those guys. They just make it easy. Once you’ve got coaches like that, they make it more simple.”
So far in training camp, it’s been like night and day from a year ago.
“It comes and goes,” Alexander said. “It’s very fast. I’m taking advantage of every moment.”
