Whatever happened to...?

[1maGoh]

KR Tony Horne

Horne works as a strength and speed coach at D1 Sports Training in Greenville.

Somebody needs to tell Horne that you can't teach speed. Clearly his job is a sham.

 

[Prime Time]

QB: Vince Ferragamo

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vince_Ferragamo#Career_after_football

Ferragamo played in the National Football League for the Los Angeles Rams (1977–1980 and 1982–1984), Buffalo Bills(1985) and Green Bay Packers (1985–1986). After leading the 9–7 Rams to road victories over the Dallas Cowboys and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 1979–80 NFL playoffs, Ferragamo started for the Rams in Super Bowl XIV, making him the first quarterback to start a Super Bowl in the same season as his first career start, in which the Rams led after three quarters of play before falling to the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-19.

Ferragamo enjoyed his best statistical season in 1980 in which he threw for 30 touchdowns, tied for second most in the NFL. The Rams again made the playoffs, but were defeated by Dallas, 34–13 in an NFC Wild Card Playoff game.

Ferragamo led the Rams back to the NFL playoffs during the 1983 season behind the running of rookie Eric Dickerson. After beating the favored Cowboys in Irving in the wild card matchup 24–17, Ferragamo and the Rams were drubbed by the defending Super Bowl champion and Super Bowl-bound Washington Redskinsby the score of 51–7.

In 1984, Ferragamo again started out as the Rams' starting quarterback. But in a 24–14 loss at Pittsburgh in Week 3, Ferragamo broke his right hand and did not return to the lineup for the remainder of the season. He would never play for the Los Angeles Rams again, playing the next two seasons with the Buffalo Bills and the Green Bay Packers.

He has been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated twice, once in 1980 and again in 1981.

Career after football

Ferragamo owns Touchdown Real Estate in Orange County, California and Ferragamo-Migneco Vineyards in Santa Maria, California. He is the chairman of the Vince Ferragamo Foundation, a non-profit charitable organization begun in 1996 that focuses on raising donations for children's organizations such as the Special Olympics, the Speech and Language Development Center and Ronald McDonald House Charities.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLwvWwhRaFc


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZI_K8d2XEL0

https://twitter.com/ferragamovince?lang=en

 

[CGI_Ram]

Jake McQuaide in the offseason...

 

[-X-]

Jake McQuaide in the offseason...

He must be off his last roid cycle.

 

[-X-]

Notre Dame CB coach Todd Lyght one of nation’s best recruiters

After Notre Dame inked one of the Top 10 recruiting classes in the nation in 2018, it’s clear that the coaching staff collectively pulled their weight on the recruiting trail. However, Notre Dame cornerbacks coach Todd Lyght stands out above the rest.

Lyght spent 12 seasons in the NFL, making a Pro Bowl, three All-Pro teams, winning NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1991 and winning Super Bowl 34 with the St. Louis Rams. He’s done it and that helps him connect with elite athletes on an entirely different plane.

Which is probably why Rivals.com named him one of the Top 25 recruiters of the year on Saturday. And they awarded him the honor in large part because he absolutely killed it in the secondary on the recruiting trail.

“Notre Dame quietly had a very good National Signing Day, adding five prospects and finishing just outside the top 10 recruiting classes nationally,” Josh Helmholdt wrote of Lyght’s inclusion on the list. “One of the big pick-ups that day, and maybe the most surprising grab, was four-star cornerback Noah Boykin, who chose the Fighting Irish over a Florida team that was expected to get his signature.

“Notre Dame defensive backs coach Todd Lyght orchestrated that recruitment, and he also brought in the classes’ top-ranked prospect in Houston Griffith. Other big gets for Lyght in the 2018 recruiting cycle with four-star Derrik Allen and three-star Joseph Wilkins.”

A former Notre Dame grad, Lyght is now entering his fourth season coaching at his alma mater and you know he has the technical knowledge to coach the position after 37 interceptions in his NFL career, but his evolution into one of the best recruiters in the nation truly makes him one of the best assistants in the country.

And it should only be a matter of time before he gets opportunities as a coordinator or even as a head coach.

The post Notre Dame CB coach Todd Lyght one of nation’s best recruiters appeared first on Diehards

http://www.ajc.com/sports/college/n...ation-best-recruiters/mhHbayc0wxS41nb1NUTe8L/
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[Dieter the Brock]

My all time favorite in this category has to be:

Mike Guman
Senior Consultant - Oppenheimer Funds

Love this guy as a kid
In fact all my passwords have 44 in them - oh wait.... anyway i wish i was in East Penn and gave a rats ass about retirement so i could ring up Guuuuuuman for financial advise (Rams)

 

[RamDino]

Great thread! Interesting stuff.

 

[Prime Time]

DE: Kevin Carter

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Carter_(American_football)

The St. Louis Rams selected Carter in the first round (sixth pick overall) of the 1995 NFL Draft, and he signed a contract with the Rams for a reported $10 million over six years.

During his rookie year with the Rams, Carter ranked second on the team and second among rookies with six sacks, while posting 50 tackles, two forced fumbles, one safety and one fumble recovery. He was named the Rams' Rookie of the Year. He recorded his first career sack when he dropped Brett Favre for a 10-yard loss in Green Bay (9/3/1995). He tallied first career safety when he sacked New York Jets quarterback Boomer Esiason in end zone (12/3/1995).

In 1998, Carter led the team in sacks with twelve and tied for sixth in the NFC, earning him the Daniel F. Reeves Memorial Award as the Rams' Most Valuable Player. He was also a Pro Bowl alternate.

His best season as a pro came in 1999 with the Rams when he tallied a career high 17 quarterback sacks which led the NFL and was the highest sack total by a Ram since Jack Youngblood collected 18 sacks in 1979. These efforts earned him a spot on the 1999 Pro Bowl team. He also became the first defensive end to represent the Rams at Pro Bowl since Youngblood in 1979.

Carter was a consensus All-Pro selection in 1999, in addition to being named to the All-Madden and Phil Simms' All-Iron Teams. The 1999 Rams defense, anchored by Carter at left defensive end, had the No. 1-ranked rushing defense in the NFL (74.3 ypg) and led the NFL in quarterback sacks with fifty-seven (tied with the Jacksonville Jaguars).

Carter (7.5 sacks in the month of November) was recognized as the NFC Defensive Player of the Month and earned NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors in Week Eight versus the Carolina Panthers. He and his teammates ended the 1999 regular season with a 13–3 record and were Super Bowl XXXIV champions. Carter made one of the Rams' sacks in the Super Bowl XXXIV win over the Tennessee Titans.

In 2000, Carter totaled 10.5 sacks and started thirteen of the sixteen games he played for the Rams. In 2000, for the first time in his career, Carter moved to defensive tackle in the Rams' nickel defense, with Leonard Little playing the left defensive end position. After the 2000 season he was traded to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2001 first-round draft choice on April 4, 2001.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIwdn1UzoEw

Carter is extremely active in community endeavors. He and his wife, Shima, established the Kevin Carter Foundation in 2002, which is an organization created to enrich the lives of children, focusing on youth and character development. One of Carter’s favorite quotes from his father is: "To whom much is given, much is expected" and he founded his organization on that principle.

For the past eleven years, Carter has hosted the "Waiting for Wishes" celebrity dinner and reception, where he and his teammates, along with Hollywood stars and musicians have come together to be the waiters and waitresses for dinner attendees. The annual dinner has generated thousands of dollars for the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Kevin Carter Foundation. Carter was named the Community Man of the Year Award for three straight years by his Titans' teammates, and while he was with the Rams, he was named a United Way African American Leadership Giver.

In 1998, Carter founded the Kevin Carter Football Endowment at the University of Florida, which provides scholarships to deserving college athletes. He also serves on the NFL Players Association Executive Committee.

https://twitter.com/kevincarter_93?lang=en

 

[-X-]

AMP LEE
BIOGRAPHY
Position: Running Backs

A Florida native, Lee has 10 years of extensive coaching experience for the NFL, NFL Europe, and multiple high school teams and has coached the Las Vegas Locomotives running backs the past two seasons. Lee was a running back at Florida State University, where he majored in Physical Education. He was selected by the San Francisco 49ers in the second round of the 1992 NFL Draft and played in nine NFL seasons from 1992-2000. His best year as a professional came during the 1995 season as a member of the Minnesota Vikings when he caught 71 receptions. Lee’s career highlights as a NFL player include catching Joe Montana’s final touchdown pass for the 49ers, and being named MVP for the St. Louis Rams in 1997.

Lee started his coaching career as a Running Backs Coach for Phoenix Valley Christian High School in 2003. He spent the 2004 and 2005 seasons as Running Back Coach for the Amsterdam Admirals and the Berlin Thunder respectively in NFL Europe. During the same time, he was an Area Scout for the Kansas City Chiefs.

In 2006, Lee served as Quality Control Assistant for the Arizona Cardinals. Lee has worked as a manager and trainer at Foothills Acceleration Sports Training (FAST), and acted as the Head Football and Basketball Coach at Scottsdale Prep Academy.

Playing Career
College: Florida State University
Drafted: 1992 / Round: 2 / Pick: 45San Francisco 49ers (1992-93)
Minnesota Vikings (1994-96)
St. Louis Rams (1997-99)
Philadelphia Eagles (2000)

Career Highlights
St. Louis Rams MVP (1997)
Caught Joe Montana’s final touchdown pass for the 49ers in 1992

Coaching Highlights
Amsterdam Admirals (RB Coach) 2003
Berlin Thunder (RB Coach) 2004
Las Vegas Locomotives (RB Coach) 2009-Present

 

[Prime Time]

DE: Chidi Ahanotu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chidi_Ahanotu

He was originally selected with the fifth pick of the sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of California; he spent the first 8 years of his career with the Buccaneers. He then played for one year at the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins before returning to the Bucs for one final year.

Ahanotu retired from the NFL in 2005. After retiring, he became the founder of Magellan Entertainment Inc., a full service Talent Management Firm. One the firm's biggest clients is World Champion sprinter Usain Bolt. Magellan Entertainment co-manages Bolt with its partner Gina Ford of G2 Marketing.

The firm also touts as one of its clients three-time light heavyweight boxing champion Antonio Tarver. As president and founder of Magellan Entertainment Ahanotu has grown the firm's clients list to include musicians, producers, actors, models, digital media companies and professional athletes.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcwsCS9nD3g

 

[Prime Time]

TE: Ernie Conwell

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernie_Conwell

Conwell was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 1996 NFL Draft and played for them until 2002. He played for the New Orleans Saints from 2003 until he was released on February 28, 2007.

View: http://www.therams.com/news-and-events/article-1/Catching-up-with-Ernie-Conwell/30f20f21-6fe6-4f04-bc4e-97333ba92554

Catching up with Ernie Conwell
Julia Faron

When a fan thinks of their favorite player or team, most don’t root for them to open up their 401(k) or properly utilize their benefits package. That’s not what being a sports fan is about and it surely isn’t what draws loud cheers from the stands on gameday. Fortunately, fans can leave that to the NFLPA, so players and teams can take care of business on the field. The business side of football is where former Rams Super Bowl winning tight end Ernie Conwell finds himself today.

Conwell was a Rams’ second round draft pick in 1996 out of the University of Washington. An immediate contributor in his first two seasons with the team, Conwell suffered a near career ending injury in October of 1998 that required five surgeries in his knee. Thanks to the training and medical staff, as well as unwavering support from then Head Coach Dick Vermeil, Conwell was able to return to the field in November to finish out the 1999 regular season, and play into the postseason.

After fighting through the rehab, Conwell grew through the adversity and had a deepened respect for Vermeil and Offensive Coordinator Mike Martz. Those two coaches stood behind him and encouraged him throughout the process. Looking back, Conwell gave both of them a lot of credit for what transpired during that championship season.

“How they brought such a spirit of excellence to the men that came to work there every day,” said Conwell. “How it was able to go from an environment of, ‘Hey, we’re just coming here, getting paid to play.’ To, this is a family and it’s something unique and special to be able to put that helmet and that jersey on and what that represents.”

Conwell noted Coach Vermeil’s ability to make the pros feel like it once again had that unique, passionate climate that goes along with the college environment.

“I can remember when I put on the University of Washington uniform for the first time as a freshman in college and I probably would assume that most of my teammates felt the same way, whether it was a Nebraska or Penn State or Notre Dame jersey that they kind of recognized what that meant, what the expectations were to have that on,” said Conwell.

“It’s hard when you get to the NFL sometimes and often times that that gets lost,” said Conwell. “Dick allowed me as a man and I think our whole team to feel that way again and feel that passion again. He told us that, ‘Listen, the way we work is what we become.’ That’s really what we saw happen out on that field and that played out in front of everybody. We work with a spirit of excellence and integrity and that’s what kind of team that we became.”

With the support from the head coach and coordinator, Conwell jumped into the tail end of the ’99 season with a deepened sense of gratitude for his second chance. At the request of a couple of the local reporters, Conwell taped a ‘home video’ documenting the week leading up to the Super Bowl and even a little bit of the post-game field celebration.

“For me, it was an exercise of giving thanks and being thankful and noting my experience and how grateful I was and how awesome God is that he put this passion and desire in me and gave me the energy to come back from that,” said Conwell.

Conwell went on to play seven more seasons in the NFL, three with St. Louis and four with the New Orleans Saints. His career numbers include 211 receptions for 2,251 yards, and 15 touchdowns in 132 games played. He retired following the 2006 season.

For the first couple years after retirement, Conwell served as an assistant coach for football and track and field at Christ Presbyterian Academy in Nashville, Tenn. While coaching football, Conwell had the opportunity to get to know current Rams Head Coach Jeff Fisher’s son, Trent.

“It was fun to get to know him,” said Conwell. “I competed against Jeff my whole career, so it was fun to watch him grow and develop as a young man.”

Conwell and his wife Andrea - whose relationship started back in middle school - now have four kids together: Devon (23), Andrew (18), Grace (16) and Isabella (12). Recently, Andrew accepted a scholarship offer to play soccer at his father’s alma mater in Washington.

In 2010, Conwell got a call from the NFLPA to serve as a regional director/player advocate, so he left coaching and has been in that role ever since. In his role, Conwell works with six to seven NFL teams and helps their players with health and safety issues. He also informs them of any pressing issues that may be happening.

“I’m charged really with informing our players of the business of the NFL and hopefully equipping them to deal with the business side of the game,” said Conwell. “A bigger part of my job, probably, is to get that voice back into the player’s association to work with the player reps on the team.”

The NFLPA provides future, current and former members with various services and activities that better themselves on and off the field. The union also protects their rights as professional football players and everything that goes along with protecting that image.

Outside of those initiatives, Conwell also makes six to seven visits to each of his teams per year to get some face-to-face communication. When he’s not at the facility, he remains in contact with the club’s player rep as well as individual players to address personal issues they may be dealing with.

“That’s the nice thing about my job is that it’s not adversarial, it’s really in conjunction with the team,” said Conwell. “I work with the teams to make sure they are in compliance with the CBA (Collective Bargaining Agreement), and usually do the best thing by the players.”

When time permits, Conwell soaks up the opportunity that the Rams alumni program has afforded him to reconnect with fans and his former teammates in St. Louis.

“I don’t know how other teams do it, but I would say that the Rams alumni and the way that (Director of External Football Affairs) Kyle (Eversgerd) has handled it and the way the Rams have reached out has to be as good as anyone in the NFL,” said Conwell. “They do a tremendous job. I give a lot of credit to (Owner/Chairman) Stan Kroenke as well because it started after Stan became the owner.”

In the last five years, Conwell has been an alumni guest of honor at a home game, and attended the 75th Anniversary Alumni Weekend and 1999 Homecoming Celebration.

“I will always be grateful for my experience in the NFL and that I was lucky enough to get the chance to get to come play in the city of St. Louis,” said Conwell. “It’s one of the treasures in the U.S. as far as a town that loves their teams. I’m excited every year that there’s something going on and I do everything I can to make sure I try to make it.”

 

[Prime Time]

LB Maxie Baughan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxie_Baughan#NFL_career

George Allen, who was entering his first season as an NFL head coach with the Los Angeles Rams, won the right to Baughan's services by sending two players (linebacker Fred Brown and defensive tackle Frank Molden ) to the Eagles in return. Baughan and Allen would develop a strong relationship, spending extensive time studying game film together. Baughan would later state that he learned more about football from Allen than anyone else.

Baughan was chosen to be the Rams defensive captain and was in charge of signal calling for the unit. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons with the Rams and was also named 1st Team All-Pro three times. After an injury-plagued 1970 season, in which he played in only 10 games, Baughan retired from the NFL.

From 1972 to 1973, he was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. In 1974, Allen, now the head coach of the Washington Redskins, talked Baughan into a brief return to the NFL as a player-coach for the Redskins. At the conclusion of that season, Baughan retired. He finished with 18 interceptions (including 1 returned for a touchdown) and 10 fumble recoveries in 147 games played.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/where-are-they-now-maxie-baughan/

Where are they now: Maxie Baughan
November 1, 2013

When people talk about the greatest linebackers not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Maxie Baughan’s name is high on the list. Named to nine Pro Bowls in his twelve-year career, Baughan was a constant force on the defense of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1974.

He started playing football when he was about six years old. According to Baughan, “Football was a way of life back then.” He continued, “I lived in a steel town in Alabama. You either played football or you were in the band. I couldn’t play an instrument, so I played football. We all played football. You lived in a neighborhood where all of the steel workers were on strike. You hadn’t got anything, but you always had football.”

Baughan attended Georgia Tech. “I wanted to go to work and wear a white shirt. I figured if I took Industrial Management and Engineering, that I would be able to go to work.” He continued, “My daddy came home from work. He climbed telephone poles at U.S. Steel. About two or three times a year, he would come home with marks all over his arms and his legs where he had to grab the pole as he fell and he came down. I didn’t want to do that. That is the reason why I went to [Georgia] Tech. It was a great football program. I am glad I [went there] and I would do it again.”

Even though academics were high on Baughan’s agenda, he still played football and played well. Baughan set a record with 124 tackles his senior year at Georgia Tech. That season, he was named All-American and was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. It was at that point that pro football showed interest in him. “I never thought about playing professional football until my senior year when I started to receive some flyers from various pro teams.

Being consensus All-American didn’t hurt, either. When all of that stuff started happening, I started thinking about it.” He added, “I thought I might as well try it. I thought I would probably play two or three years, but as the years went on, I never thought about quitting.”

Baughan’s professional career started about the best way possible for any player. “I was lucky. My rookie year, I started every game. I went to the Pro Bowl. We won the World Championship. We beat Green Bay. I got a ring as a rookie. It was a lot of fun.” He continued, “I thought, ‘Well, hey, we will do this every year.’ I did go to nine Pro Bowls, but I never went back to that World Championship Game again. I was in the playoffs a lot, but I never won another World Championship. Never got another ring. A lot of players go their entire career and never get one. At least I have one.”

However, the Eagles started to dismantle the team over the next several years. Baughan knew he was on his way out. “I think that it was time for me to move on. There were a few of us that had to move on. We didn’t agree with Coach Kuharich. He asked me, ‘Do you want to get traded?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir. I would like to go to New York. That is where the money is, or I would like to go to Atlanta. That is where I live.’ So, he traded me to Los Angeles. But, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Did it bother him that he was traded to a team that was not on his list? “It bothered me right off the bat, because I didn’t know George Allen.”

Prior to Allen’s head coaching stint with the Rams, Allen was the head coach of both Morningside College and Whittier College. He was then an assistant coach with the Rams for one year before moving on to be an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears.

According to Baughan, “I knew that [Allen] had come from the Chicago Bears. A good friend of mine played for him with the Bears, Larry Morris. Larry was a linebacker at Georgia Tech before I got there. I lived about six or eight houses from him in Atlanta. I talked to him, and he said, ‘This is the luckiest day of your life.’ I said, ‘Oh, I hope you are right.’ He said, ‘I am right. You just wait.’”

Baughan continued, “When I got there, I could see what Larry was talking about. All of a sudden, I was calling the defenses and we were winning. We were one of the best defensive teams in football.” He added, “We had some pretty good players. Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Roosevelt Greer in front of us on the defensive line. Eddie Meador. Jack Pardee. We brought in Bill George on how to learn the system. Bill George was a linebacker from the Bears.”

“George Allen was a great football mind. I called the defenses. Back then, you didn’t have signaling in like today. I went to his office every morning, early. He and I would look at film. We would go over the practice schedule and prepare with him. Then, all of a sudden, I am thinking like he is. That is what he wanted to happen. In practice, we wound up doing what we talked about earlier that day. I had called the defenses for the Eagles. Now, I am calling them for the Rams.”

He played five seasons for the Rams, from 1966 through 1970. However, after an injury-plagued 1970 season, Baughan retired as a player and went into coaching. He credits Allen as his inspiration to become a football coach. “Yeah. That’s the only reason. I never thought about coaching before. I was selling bolts and nuts and industrial lubricants. As a football player, you had to work in the off-season to make things meet.”

Baughan started his coaching career at Georgia Tech. “Bill Fulcher got the [head coaching] job and he offered me the defensive coordinator job. I was there in 1972 and 1973. Then Fulcher quit. He decided that he didn’t want to coach anymore or something. I don’t know. Then, Pepper Rodgers came in. I would have stayed there with him. I walked into his office and he said, ‘Maxie, this place is not big enough for the both of us.’ So, that was the end of my coaching career at Georgia Tech.”

However, that was not the end for Baughan’s coaching aspirations. After leaving Georgia Tech, he joined the pro ranks as an assistant coach. “When [the Georgia Tech firing] happened, George Allen called. He said, ‘Hey Maxie, come on up here and play.’ I said, ‘George, I can’t even walk, let alone run.’ He said, ‘You can coach the linebackers, and if Chris [Hanburger] gets hurt, you can fill in for him calling the defenses.’

He wanted a backup for his signal-caller. He always had somebody. An old guy that knew what was happening. So, I went up there and played a year. I was a player-coach. I might have been one of the last of those. I don’t know.” Baughan played in two games for the Redskins before retiring for good from playing football.

“After that year, Ted Marchibroda went to Baltimore as a head coach, and Ted had been the offensive coordinator in L.A. when I was out there, and the offensive coordinator of the Redskins when I was there. [Marchibroda] said, ‘Hey Maxie, come to Baltimore and be the defensive coordinator.’ I said, ‘OK.’”

While Baughan was with the Colts, the team won three straight division titles. “We had a good run in Baltimore.” He continued, “We had some good players. Bert Jones was our quarterback. Physically, Bert was probably one of the best quarterbacks I was ever associated with, and I was associated with some pretty good ones. Norm Van Brocklin. Sonny Jurgensen. Pretty good quarterbacks.”

After spending five seasons with the Colts, Baughan coached the linebackers for the Detroit Lions for thee years. Then, he received his first and only head coaching job – Cornell University. According to Baughan, “I was coaching in Detroit. Tom Matte, who was a running back with the Colts, was a friend of mine. He recommended me to Cornell. He and Roger Weiss came out to Detroit to see me.”

Baughan added, “It was always a challenge. I always thought of coaching at the academy. Navy. Army. Air Force. Coast Guard. Some of those, because of the discipline. I thought that would be fun. Then, I turned it over to the Ivy [League] for the same reason. I didn’t even interview with Cornell. My wife did. My wife came to Ithaca because we were playing in the playoffs against the Redskins. I couldn’t come. By the time she got through, we had the job. She had a good interview!”

In 1988, he led Cornell to a first place tie with the University of Pennsylvania for the Ivy League crown. He left after the 1988 season and went back to the NFL. “I wanted to stay on defense and the linebackers. To me, coaching linebackers in the NFL was a heck of a job. I enjoyed that.”

From Cornell, Baughan coached linebackers with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens.

“In football, you are hired to get fired. As soon as the head coach goes, you go.” Ravens’ head coach Ted Marchibroda was fired after going 6-10 in the 1998 season. Baughan was out of a job. According to Baughan, “We lived here in Baltimore for the second time. Diane didn’t want to move. So we stayed right here. That is when we retired.”

Retirement has gone well for Baughan. “I am sitting on my screened-in porch looking over a golf course. I played golf and I have a garden out here and I spend a lot of time with the grandchildren. We have three sons and eight grandchildren.” Baughan added, “I do some youth camps for kids from eight to around 15 or 16 years old. I do about three or four of those a year.”

Throughout his career, Baughan played with Hall of Fame linebackers: Chuck Bednarik, Dave Robinson and Chris Hanburger. “When you get with people like Chris and Jack Pardee and Dave Robinson, those guys are players. You don’t have to motivate them. They are already motivated. Just like Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. You just get them mentally ready. That is what George Allen did.”

He also coached perennial Pro Bowl linebackers Derrick Brooks and Ray Lewis. “Derrick was a great young man. Smart. He wanted to play football more than anything in the world.” He continued, “The same thing with Ray Lewis. He wanted to play. A quick story about Ray Lewis. We were going to have two [first round] draft choices [in the 1996 NFL Draft] with the Ravens. I didn’t think that we would use the first choice to get [Lewis], but I really wanted to get him. I was hoping that we could use the second draft choice.

We drafted Jonathan Ogden number one, which was great. He was a great player and turned out to be one of the best offensive tackles to play the game. Then, we were coming up on our second pick and they were thinking of drafting a wide receiver or running back. I stood up and said, ‘Hey. Listen. We have got to draft Ray Lewis. He is the best linebacker in the draft. He could play for a long time.’

[Some of the scouts] said he was too little. Anyway, I convinced them, or I think that I convinced them, that Ray Lewis is the man for that time in the draft. Eventually, they went along with it and they drafted him. I think that he was one of the better linebackers to ever play.”

In 2005, Baughan was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Baughan currently lives in Maryland with his wife.

Playing Career:
• Philadelphia Eagles (1960-65)
• Los Angeles Rams (1966-70)
• Washington Redskins (1974)

Coaching Career:
• Georgia Tech – Assistant Head Coach, Linebackers Coach, Defensive Coordinator (1972-73)
• Washington Redskins – Linebackers Coach (1974)
• Baltimore Colts – Defensive Coordinator (1975-79)
• Detroit Lions – Linebackers Coach (1980-82)
• Cornell University – Head Coach (1983-88)
• Minnesota Vikings – Linebackers Coach (1990-91)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Linebackers Coach (1992-95)
• Baltimore Ravens – Linebackers Coach (1996-98)

Awards:
• Named to the Pro Bowl nine times
• Inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame (1965)
• Inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1980)
• Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1983)
• Inducted into the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame
• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1988)
• Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2005)
• Inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2012)

 

[Selassie I]

DE: Chidi Ahanotu

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chidi_Ahanotu

He was originally selected with the fifth pick of the sixth round of the 1993 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers out of California; he spent the first 8 years of his career with the Buccaneers. He then played for one year at the St. Louis Rams, Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers, and Miami Dolphins before returning to the Bucs for one final year.

Ahanotu retired from the NFL in 2005. After retiring, he became the founder of Magellan Entertainment Inc., a full service Talent Management Firm. One the firm's biggest clients is World Champion sprinter Usain Bolt. Magellan Entertainment co-manages Bolt with its partner Gina Ford of G2 Marketing.

The firm also touts as one of its clients three-time light heavyweight boxing champion Antonio Tarver. As president and founder of Magellan Entertainment Ahanotu has grown the firm's clients list to include musicians, producers, actors, models, digital media companies and professional athletes.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pcwsCS9nD3g

Chidi used to have a really cool restaurant/bar in Tampon that I would frequent back in the day. They also offered great cigars.

He had a TV over every urinal... something that I think should be a requirement for all men's bathrooms.

 

[DaveFan'51]

LB Maxie Baughan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maxie_Baughan#NFL_career

George Allen, who was entering his first season as an NFL head coach with the Los Angeles Rams, won the right to Baughan's services by sending two players (linebacker Fred Brown and defensive tackle Frank Molden ) to the Eagles in return. Baughan and Allen would develop a strong relationship, spending extensive time studying game film together. Baughan would later state that he learned more about football from Allen than anyone else.

Baughan was chosen to be the Rams defensive captain and was in charge of signal calling for the unit. He was selected for the Pro Bowl in each of his first four seasons with the Rams and was also named 1st Team All-Pro three times. After an injury-plagued 1970 season, in which he played in only 10 games, Baughan retired from the NFL.

From 1972 to 1973, he was an assistant coach and defensive coordinator at Georgia Tech. In 1974, Allen, now the head coach of the Washington Redskins, talked Baughan into a brief return to the NFL as a player-coach for the Redskins. At the conclusion of that season, Baughan retired. He finished with 18 interceptions (including 1 returned for a touchdown) and 10 fumble recoveries in 147 games played.

http://www.nationalfootballpost.com/where-are-they-now-maxie-baughan/

Where are they now: Maxie Baughan
November 1, 2013

When people talk about the greatest linebackers not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Maxie Baughan’s name is high on the list. Named to nine Pro Bowls in his twelve-year career, Baughan was a constant force on the defense of the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams. He finished his playing career with the Washington Redskins in 1974.

He started playing football when he was about six years old. According to Baughan, “Football was a way of life back then.” He continued, “I lived in a steel town in Alabama. You either played football or you were in the band. I couldn’t play an instrument, so I played football. We all played football. You lived in a neighborhood where all of the steel workers were on strike. You hadn’t got anything, but you always had football.”

Baughan attended Georgia Tech. “I wanted to go to work and wear a white shirt. I figured if I took Industrial Management and Engineering, that I would be able to go to work.” He continued, “My daddy came home from work. He climbed telephone poles at U.S. Steel. About two or three times a year, he would come home with marks all over his arms and his legs where he had to grab the pole as he fell and he came down. I didn’t want to do that. That is the reason why I went to [Georgia] Tech. It was a great football program. I am glad I [went there] and I would do it again.”

Even though academics were high on Baughan’s agenda, he still played football and played well. Baughan set a record with 124 tackles his senior year at Georgia Tech. That season, he was named All-American and was the Southeastern Conference Player of the Year. It was at that point that pro football showed interest in him. “I never thought about playing professional football until my senior year when I started to receive some flyers from various pro teams.

Being consensus All-American didn’t hurt, either. When all of that stuff started happening, I started thinking about it.” He added, “I thought I might as well try it. I thought I would probably play two or three years, but as the years went on, I never thought about quitting.”

Baughan’s professional career started about the best way possible for any player. “I was lucky. My rookie year, I started every game. I went to the Pro Bowl. We won the World Championship. We beat Green Bay. I got a ring as a rookie. It was a lot of fun.” He continued, “I thought, ‘Well, hey, we will do this every year.’ I did go to nine Pro Bowls, but I never went back to that World Championship Game again. I was in the playoffs a lot, but I never won another World Championship. Never got another ring. A lot of players go their entire career and never get one. At least I have one.”

However, the Eagles started to dismantle the team over the next several years. Baughan knew he was on his way out. “I think that it was time for me to move on. There were a few of us that had to move on. We didn’t agree with Coach Kuharich. He asked me, ‘Do you want to get traded?’ I said, ‘Yes, sir. I would like to go to New York. That is where the money is, or I would like to go to Atlanta. That is where I live.’ So, he traded me to Los Angeles. But, that was the best thing that ever happened to me.”

Did it bother him that he was traded to a team that was not on his list? “It bothered me right off the bat, because I didn’t know George Allen.”

Prior to Allen’s head coaching stint with the Rams, Allen was the head coach of both Morningside College and Whittier College. He was then an assistant coach with the Rams for one year before moving on to be an assistant coach with the Chicago Bears.

According to Baughan, “I knew that [Allen] had come from the Chicago Bears. A good friend of mine played for him with the Bears, Larry Morris. Larry was a linebacker at Georgia Tech before I got there. I lived about six or eight houses from him in Atlanta. I talked to him, and he said, ‘This is the luckiest day of your life.’ I said, ‘Oh, I hope you are right.’ He said, ‘I am right. You just wait.’”

Baughan continued, “When I got there, I could see what Larry was talking about. All of a sudden, I was calling the defenses and we were winning. We were one of the best defensive teams in football.” He added, “We had some pretty good players. Deacon Jones, Merlin Olsen and Roosevelt Greer in front of us on the defensive line. Eddie Meador. Jack Pardee. We brought in Bill George on how to learn the system. Bill George was a linebacker from the Bears.”

“George Allen was a great football mind. I called the defenses. Back then, you didn’t have signaling in like today. I went to his office every morning, early. He and I would look at film. We would go over the practice schedule and prepare with him. Then, all of a sudden, I am thinking like he is. That is what he wanted to happen. In practice, we wound up doing what we talked about earlier that day. I had called the defenses for the Eagles. Now, I am calling them for the Rams.”

He played five seasons for the Rams, from 1966 through 1970. However, after an injury-plagued 1970 season, Baughan retired as a player and went into coaching. He credits Allen as his inspiration to become a football coach. “Yeah. That’s the only reason. I never thought about coaching before. I was selling bolts and nuts and industrial lubricants. As a football player, you had to work in the off-season to make things meet.”

Baughan started his coaching career at Georgia Tech. “Bill Fulcher got the [head coaching] job and he offered me the defensive coordinator job. I was there in 1972 and 1973. Then Fulcher quit. He decided that he didn’t want to coach anymore or something. I don’t know. Then, Pepper Rodgers came in. I would have stayed there with him. I walked into his office and he said, ‘Maxie, this place is not big enough for the both of us.’ So, that was the end of my coaching career at Georgia Tech.”

However, that was not the end for Baughan’s coaching aspirations. After leaving Georgia Tech, he joined the pro ranks as an assistant coach. “When [the Georgia Tech firing] happened, George Allen called. He said, ‘Hey Maxie, come on up here and play.’ I said, ‘George, I can’t even walk, let alone run.’ He said, ‘You can coach the linebackers, and if Chris [Hanburger] gets hurt, you can fill in for him calling the defenses.’

He wanted a backup for his signal-caller. He always had somebody. An old guy that knew what was happening. So, I went up there and played a year. I was a player-coach. I might have been one of the last of those. I don’t know.” Baughan played in two games for the Redskins before retiring for good from playing football.

“After that year, Ted Marchibroda went to Baltimore as a head coach, and Ted had been the offensive coordinator in L.A. when I was out there, and the offensive coordinator of the Redskins when I was there. [Marchibroda] said, ‘Hey Maxie, come to Baltimore and be the defensive coordinator.’ I said, ‘OK.’”

While Baughan was with the Colts, the team won three straight division titles. “We had a good run in Baltimore.” He continued, “We had some good players. Bert Jones was our quarterback. Physically, Bert was probably one of the best quarterbacks I was ever associated with, and I was associated with some pretty good ones. Norm Van Brocklin. Sonny Jurgensen. Pretty good quarterbacks.”

After spending five seasons with the Colts, Baughan coached the linebackers for the Detroit Lions for thee years. Then, he received his first and only head coaching job – Cornell University. According to Baughan, “I was coaching in Detroit. Tom Matte, who was a running back with the Colts, was a friend of mine. He recommended me to Cornell. He and Roger Weiss came out to Detroit to see me.”

Baughan added, “It was always a challenge. I always thought of coaching at the academy. Navy. Army. Air Force. Coast Guard. Some of those, because of the discipline. I thought that would be fun. Then, I turned it over to the Ivy [League] for the same reason. I didn’t even interview with Cornell. My wife did. My wife came to Ithaca because we were playing in the playoffs against the Redskins. I couldn’t come. By the time she got through, we had the job. She had a good interview!”

In 1988, he led Cornell to a first place tie with the University of Pennsylvania for the Ivy League crown. He left after the 1988 season and went back to the NFL. “I wanted to stay on defense and the linebackers. To me, coaching linebackers in the NFL was a heck of a job. I enjoyed that.”

From Cornell, Baughan coached linebackers with the Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Baltimore Ravens.

“In football, you are hired to get fired. As soon as the head coach goes, you go.” Ravens’ head coach Ted Marchibroda was fired after going 6-10 in the 1998 season. Baughan was out of a job. According to Baughan, “We lived here in Baltimore for the second time. Diane didn’t want to move. So we stayed right here. That is when we retired.”

Retirement has gone well for Baughan. “I am sitting on my screened-in porch looking over a golf course. I played golf and I have a garden out here and I spend a lot of time with the grandchildren. We have three sons and eight grandchildren.” Baughan added, “I do some youth camps for kids from eight to around 15 or 16 years old. I do about three or four of those a year.”

Throughout his career, Baughan played with Hall of Fame linebackers: Chuck Bednarik, Dave Robinson and Chris Hanburger. “When you get with people like Chris and Jack Pardee and Dave Robinson, those guys are players. You don’t have to motivate them. They are already motivated. Just like Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. You just get them mentally ready. That is what George Allen did.”

He also coached perennial Pro Bowl linebackers Derrick Brooks and Ray Lewis. “Derrick was a great young man. Smart. He wanted to play football more than anything in the world.” He continued, “The same thing with Ray Lewis. He wanted to play. A quick story about Ray Lewis. We were going to have two [first round] draft choices [in the 1996 NFL Draft] with the Ravens. I didn’t think that we would use the first choice to get [Lewis], but I really wanted to get him. I was hoping that we could use the second draft choice.

We drafted Jonathan Ogden number one, which was great. He was a great player and turned out to be one of the best offensive tackles to play the game. Then, we were coming up on our second pick and they were thinking of drafting a wide receiver or running back. I stood up and said, ‘Hey. Listen. We have got to draft Ray Lewis. He is the best linebacker in the draft. He could play for a long time.’

[Some of the scouts] said he was too little. Anyway, I convinced them, or I think that I convinced them, that Ray Lewis is the man for that time in the draft. Eventually, they went along with it and they drafted him. I think that he was one of the better linebackers to ever play.”

In 2005, Baughan was inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s (PFRA) Hall of Very Good. The Hall of Very Good is the PFRA’s way of honoring players who have had excellent careers, but are not in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Baughan currently lives in Maryland with his wife.

Playing Career:
• Philadelphia Eagles (1960-65)
• Los Angeles Rams (1966-70)
• Washington Redskins (1974)

Coaching Career:
• Georgia Tech – Assistant Head Coach, Linebackers Coach, Defensive Coordinator (1972-73)
• Washington Redskins – Linebackers Coach (1974)
• Baltimore Colts – Defensive Coordinator (1975-79)
• Detroit Lions – Linebackers Coach (1980-82)
• Cornell University – Head Coach (1983-88)
• Minnesota Vikings – Linebackers Coach (1990-91)
• Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Linebackers Coach (1992-95)
• Baltimore Ravens – Linebackers Coach (1996-98)

Awards:
• Named to the Pro Bowl nine times
• Inducted into the Georgia Tech Hall of Fame (1965)
• Inducted into the Georgia Sports Hall of Fame (1980)
• Inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame (1983)
• Inducted into the Gator Bowl Hall of Fame
• Inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame (1988)
• Inducted into the Professional Football Researchers Association’s Hall of Very Good (2005)
• Inducted into the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame (2012)

I always liked these Portraits of Maxie!

He was one of the Best!!

Andy with some of the Greats Too!

That's Maxie on the Far right in this Photo!

 

[Prime Time]

QB: Marc Bulger

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marc_Bulger#St._Louis_Rams

St. Louis Rams
After spending time on the St. Louis Rams practice squad late in the 2000 season, Bulger was re-signed by the Rams on January 12, 2001.

Bulger did not see action in any contests during his first season with the Rams; he was the third quarterback for 16 regular season games and all three postseason contests.

2002 season
In 2002, after the Rams started 0-5, Bulger filled in for an injured Jamie Martin, who had been filling in for the injured Kurt Warner, and finished the season with a 6-0 record in games that he both started and finished, but Bulger was injured early in a game against the Seattle Seahawks and the Rams ended the season at 7-9.

2003 season
Bulger entered the 2003 season as Warner's backup, but was promoted to No. 1 on the depth chart after Warner committed five turnovers and suffered a concussion in an opening week loss to the New York Giants. Bulger then led the Rams to a regular-season record of 12-4, securing the NFC West title and a first-round bye. The Rams went on to lose a heartbreaking double-overtime thriller to the eventual NFC Champion Carolina Panthers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

2004 season
Bulger's performance in 2003 solidified his position as the Rams' starting quarterback. Warner was released in June 2004, and the Rams signed Bulger to a four-year, $19.1 million contract. The Rams went 8-8 in 2004, narrowly losing the division to the heavily favored Seattle Seahawks, but earned a wild-card berth in a mediocre NFC.

The Rams defeated Seattle for a third time in the wild-card round, but lost the following week by a wide margin – 47-17 – at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons in the Divisional Round.

Bulger was selected to the 2004 Pro Bowl and was named MVP of the game.

2005 season
On October 17, against the Indianapolis Colts, Bulger injured his right shoulder. After missing two games, he returned to the field on November, 20 against the Arizona Cardinals where he re-injured his shoulder. He was then placed on IR on December 25, 2005. He finished the 2005 season with 14 Touchdowns, 9 Interceptions and a 94.4 passer rating.

2006 season
On September 10, 2006, in a game against the Denver Broncos, Bulger reached 1,000 completions faster than any quarterback in NFL history. Bulger achieved this in 45 games, two games less than ex-Rams QB Kurt Warner. Drew Bledsoeand Peyton Manning needed 48 games, and it took Dan Marino 49.

2007 season
On July 28, 2007, Bulger signed a six-year, $62.5 million contract extension with the Rams, making him the highest-paid player in Rams history. The contract included $27 million in guaranteed money and put him in a group of six quarterbacks making $10 million a year or more. Bulger had one year remaining on a four-year, $19.1 million contract, which would have paid him $4 million in 2007.

In the 2007 NFL season, Bulger was plagued with injuries through the entire season as was the entire team. Injuries on the offensive line took effect as he threw more interceptions than touchdowns for the first time in his career. He was considered one of the biggest disappointments of the 2007 season, in which the Rams slumped to 3-13.

2008 season
On September 23, 2008, after starting 0–3, Bulger lost his starting role to Trent Green. However, seven days later, new head coach Jim Haslett named Marc Bulger the starting quarterback for the rest of the season. On November 9, 2008 vs the Jets, Haslett replaced Bulger with Green after halftime after the Jets took a 40–0 lead in the first half, cued by 4 first half Rams turnovers.

A week later he was put back in as starting quarterback. His performances improved slightly as the year went on, but he still turned in another lackluster season with more interceptions than touchdowns and continuously declining completion percentages.

2009 season
Bulger was placed on season-ending injured reserve on December 26, 2009.

Bulger asked for, and was granted, his release by the Rams on April 5, 2010, his 33rd birthday.

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/foot...cle_4b75eef0-c726-5532-9b1a-b300010f208b.html

Down on the farm: Bulger's life after football takes unexpected twist
By Jim Thomas/2016

AP Photo/James A. Finley

Like many former St. Louis Rams, quarterback Marc Bulger has maintained ties with the area. Just not in a way anyone would expect.

Bulger, a two-time Pro Bowler who spent nearly a decade with the Rams, married a Sikeston girl — the former Mavis Armbruster.

“She went to school at UMSL, she’s an optometrist,” Bulger said. “She was in St. Louis when I was here.”

The Bulgers’ full-time residence is Sarasota, Fla. But their second home?

It’s Southeast Missouri, in the Bootheel, where Bulger is something of a gentleman farmer.

“I have a decent amount of land down there and it kind of takes care of itself,” Bulger said. “I’m not much of a farmer, but I do like to go out — I’ve learned a lot over the last eight years about farming. It’s an interesting business.”

They grow soybeans and corn, mainly. Bulger says he’d never have guessed that life after football would include agriculture.

He’s a city guy, after all, raised in Pittsburgh. During his last few seasons in St. Louis, he lived in an 11,500-square-foot mansion on 6½ acres in the Huntleigh area of St. Louis County, one of the most prestigious addresses in the United States.

Now, when he heads to Missouri with his wife and two daughters, the accommodations are, uh, more spartan.

“We have a double-wide in a small little town (Bloomfield, about 160 miles south of St. Louis),” Bulger said. “We’ve got a bunch of ponds.”

And they’ve been known to attend the local rodeo.

He still makes it to St. Louis several times a year, and his Marc Bulger Foundation— which specializes in projects involving the military, police and firefighters — maintains an area presence.

As recently as May, the foundation donated $2,500 to help purchase a Labrador retriever dog for the St. Charles County Police Department’s cyber crime unit.

In 2009, Bulger was a major contributor in a renovation of the USO center at Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

‘A GREAT 10 YEARS’
The ’09 season was Bulger’s last of a star-crossed run in St. Louis that included 95 starts and two Pro Bowls. He was drafted by New Orleans in 2000, spent part of that season on Atlanta’s practice squad and closed his career backing up Joe Flacco in Baltimore in 2010.

But every NFL regular-season pass Bulger threw came for the Rams, from 2002-2009.

“I’m disappointed I got hurt my last year,” Bulger said. “I think I could’ve been the all-time leading passer with just a few hundred more yards for the whole organization. But it was a great 10 years. I’ll be a Ram forever.”

(Bulger spent part of the 2000 season on the Rams’ practice squad and backed up Kurt Warner and Jamie Martin in 2001 without playing in a regular-season game.)

He ranks first in franchise history in career completions (1,969) and second in career passing yards (22,814), passer rating (84.4) and completion percentage (62.1). After great early success replacing Warner, Bulger’s final Rams seasons were marked by injuries, losses, a revolving door in the front office and coaching staff and a rapidly deteriorating talent base.

“Every six months, I’m in a whole new way of thinking, a whole new system,” Bulger recalled. “New defensive coaches, new offensive coaches.

“I think consistency in the NFL is way underrated. You look at the Patriots, you look at the Steelers, Green Bay. When you can see consistency in the whole organization, you might have a couple down years, but over time that’s gonna win (vs.) the carousel.”

When he quarterbacked the Rams in playoff games against Seattle and Atlanta to close the 2004 season, the last thing he expected was an 11-season (and counting) playoff drought.

“I never would’ve guessed that in a million years,” he said. “The ownership switching and coaching carousel, we had a lot of players in and out. Georgia (Frontiere, the owner) passing made for a difficult situation for everyone. We had a great core set up; it’s disappointing. But I still had a lot of great memories in the short time we were successful.”

PHYSICAL POUNDING
Bulger suffered a broken thumb and a lower-back injury in a 47-17 divisional round playoff beatdown at Atlanta to end that ’04 season. The physical pounding intensified over Bulger’s remaining seasons with the Rams.

“My final year (in St. Louis), the reason I stopped was because my leg was broken,” Bulger said. “I played three games with a broken leg, I didn’t even know it.

“I threw my shoulder out a bunch. Fortunately, I haven’t had many surgeries. The only ones I had were mostly bone injuries when I was in the NFL. So knock on wood. We’ll see in maybe 10 years with the concussions. But I was pretty fortunate on the injury front.”

Bulger, now 39, is to be among the former Rams in town this weekend for the “Legends of the Dome” game. The 2 p.m. kickoff Saturday at what’s now called the Dome at America’s Center is the brainchild of wide receiver Isaac Bruce as a way to thank Rams fans for their support over the years. Tickets are available at $15 and $20, with proceeds benefiting the Isaac Bruce Foundation — which remains very active in St. Louis.

“It’s a great idea by Isaac and for the fans to get to the dome one more time,” Bulger said. “Everyone getting back together, that’s what I’m looking forward to. It’ll be a little bittersweet, but I’m glad it’s gonna happen.”

And with no blitzing and only a three-man rush allowed in the flag football contest, Bulger doesn’t have to worry about getting pounded. He was one of the most sacked quarterbacks in the NFL during his time in St. Louis; his 254 sacks rank second in club history.

“I can bring my kids — they don’t have to watch Daddy get beat up,” Bulger joked.

 

[Prime Time]

S: O.J. Atogwe

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oshiomogho_Atogwe

St. Louis Rams
Atogwe was selected by the St. Louis Rams in the third round (66th overall) of the 2005 NFL Draft. On July 28, 2005, Atogwe signed a three-year $1.6 million contract with the Rams.

In his rookie year he played in 12 games, finishing the year with 11 tackles, one sack, an interception, and a fumble recovery. The following season, he finished the campaign with 72 tackles and three interceptions and forced five fumbles. In the 2007 season, Atogwe had a team and NFC-high 8 interceptions along with 75 tackles and one touchdown and forced two fumbles.

On April 22, 2008, the Rams tendered Atogwe a one-year deal for $2.017 million which he signed to remain with the club. In the 2008 season he recorded five interceptions to lead the Rams once again. He also recorded 83 tackles and forced six fumbles.

On February 19, 2009, the Rams used their franchise tag on Atogwe. The tag was the non-exclusive franchise which allowed other teams to negotiate with Atogwe, but if any signed him that team had to give the Rams two first-round picks as compensation. As part of the designation Atogwe received a one-year tender of $6.342 million. On July 15, 2009 the Rams signed Atogwe to a one-year, $6.342 million contract. On December 9, Atogwe was placed on injured reserve due to a dislocated right shoulder.

In June 2010 he signed a five-year contract worth $32 million with the Rams. The Rams released Atogwe on February 18, 2011.

Currently he is working for TSN as a pro football analyst.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TY_2OHMecVE

 

[Prime Time]

QB: Pat Haden

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pat_Haden

Haden made the Los Angeles Rams' roster in 1976 as the third quarterback, behind James Harris and Ron Jaworski. When both Harris and Jaworski were injured, Haden was pressed into duty in the second game of the season. Running a low-risk offense to cover his limitations, he responded by playing mostly mistake-free football, letting running backs Lawrence McCutcheon and John Cappelletti shoulder the offensive load and passing only occasionally.

Harris returned to the lineup as starting quarterback and Haden went back to a backup role. In a Monday night game against the Cincinnati Bengals, Harris played poorly in a 20-12 loss, and Rams head coach Chuck Knox was ordered by team owner Carroll Rosenbloom to bench Harris in favor of Haden. This is documented in Knox's autobiography Hard Knox: The Life of an NFL Coach and William Rhoden's Third and a Mile: The Trials and Triumph of the Black Quarterback.

At the time of the quarterback change, Harris was the top-rated passer of the National Football Conference. The NFL records show that Harris finished as the NFC's top-rated passer of 1976. Despite the change, the Rams went on to win the NFC Western Division title and a 14–12 upset of the defending NFC champion Dallas Cowboys in the opening round of the NFC playoffs, but the Rams fell to the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship Game as the Vikings defense exposed Haden's limitations (9-22 for 161 yards, 2 interceptions, 3 sacks).

The Rams wanted experience and a stronger arm at the quarterback position for the 1977 season. Harris and Jaworski were traded, and the Rams acquired veteran QB Joe Namath from the New York Jets. Namath started the first four games, but it was evident his knees couldn't take it anymore, so the Rams went back to Haden.

The Rams took eight victories in the last 10 games, won the NFC West and made the playoffs again. Their first-round opponent was the Vikings at home in the rain, but the Rams lost 14–7 in the Mud Bowl. Haden's small hands impaired his ability to grip the wet muddy ball, leading to a dismal passing performance (14-32 for 130 yards, 3 interceptions).

Haden was rewarded with the starting position from day one in 1978. The Rams started fast, winning their first eight games, but tailed off to 12-4, and won their third straight NFC West Division title. Haden threw a pair of touchdown passes and led the Rams to a 34-10 victory against the Vikings in the first round of the playoffs.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARIn_ZOD3gE

The defending champion Dallas Cowboys walloped the Rams 28-0 in the 1978 NFC Championship Game on their way to Super Bowl XIII. Haden was voted the Washington D.C. Touchdown Club NFC Player of the Year of the 1978 season.

Haden began the 1979 season as the starter, but a broken finger midway through the season sidelined him in favor of Vince Ferragamo, who led the Rams to Super Bowl XIV.

Because of Rams' coach Ray Malavasi's policy of giving an injured starter his job back, Haden began the 1980 season as the starter with Ferragamo as the backup. Haden was injured in the Rams season opener against the Detroit Lions. Ferragamo took over as the starter and didn't relinquish the job (despite Haden returning mid-season), passing for a then Rams-record 30 touchdown passes.

Ferragamo, however, bolted the Rams for the Canadian Football League. Haden went into the 1981 season as starter, but was injured midway through the season. After the season, while recovering from knee surgery and contemplating retirement, he got a call from CBS about a broadcast job and decided to take it.

In 1987, he joined Riordan, Lewis & Haden, a private equity firm based in Los Angeles that focuses on making investments in growing, profitable businesses with $20 – 200 million in revenue. He has served as a director of a number of RLH portfolio companies including TetraTech, Systems Management Specialists, Data Processing Resources Corporation (formerly NASDAQ: DPRC), The Apothecary Shops, and Adohr Farms. Haden remained a partner at RLH until assuming the position of Athletic Director for the University of Southern California.

Haden replaced Mike Garrett as the USC Trojans athletic director on Aug. 3, 2010. On September 8, 2014, he and USC football coach Steve Sarkisian were reprimanded by Pac-12 Conference commissioner Larry Scott for attempting "to influence the officiating, and ultimately the outcome of a contest" during the September 6 game with Stanford. Haden was fined $25,000. On Oct. 11, 2015, Haden placed Sarkisian on leave after a series of incidents culminating in the coach missing a practice during the season. The next day, Haden announced that Sarkisian had been fired.

On February 5, 2016, Haden announced that he would be stepping down as USC's athletic director effective June 30.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fhf-8FYCDfE


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_37MQ64fTo

 

[Prime Time]

WR: Henry Ellard

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Ellard

Ellard was drafted in the second round (32nd overall) of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. In the NFL, Ellard was known for using his height and jumping ability to get to high passes, his leadership, and his superior skills as a route runner. Respected commentators like Deion Sanders and John Madden have stated he is one of the best ever.

In his eleven seasons with Los Angeles he went to three Pro Bowls, first selected as a punt returner in 1984, then as a wide receiver in 1988 and 1989. At the time of his retirement, Ellard held Rams' team records for career receptions (593), receiving yards (9,761), 100-yard games (26), punt return average (11.3), and total offense (11,663).


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ELLQK6CQQ64

Upon joining the Redskins, Ellard set off on a blistering pace for the 1994 season, ending it with 1,397 yards, 102 behind league-leader Jerry Rice. He had three consecutive 1,000 yard seasons, giving him seven for his career (his 799 yards in the strike-shortened 1987 season was on pace for an eighth). His final 1,000 yard season came in 1996 and required a 155-yard performance against the Dallas Cowboys second-ranked defense to push him to 1,014 yards for the season.

As his production declined, Ellard became expendable, and found himself as a member of the Patriots in 1998. He retired after the 1998 season with 814 receptions for 13,777 yards, which placed him third on the all-time list, and 65 touchdowns. He also gained 1,527 yards returning punts, 364 yard returning kickoffs, 50 rushing yards, and 4 punts returned for a touchdown. Overall, he gained 15,718 total yards.

Career Total: 814 receptions/13,777 yards/16.9 yds per catch/65 td's

After his retirement, Ellard became an assistant coach at Southern California Christian High School, then became an assistant track-and-field coach at Villa Park High School. In 2000, he was a coach at Fresno State before taking the receivers coaching job for the St. Louis Rams in 2001.

On January 25, 2009 Ellard came to the New York Jets as the wide receivers coach. He was named the wide receivers coach for the New Orleans Saints on March 14, 2012, and spent three seasons with the club before leaving after the 2014 season. He now is the head football coach at San Antonio Christian High School.

 

[DaveFan'51]

How great would it be to have a #1 like Ellard again! He was a really good receiver Coach for the Rams too, I wouldn't mind having hi back in that capacity either!

 

[Prime Time]

CB: Jerry Gray

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jerry_Gray

Gray was the Rams' first-round choice in the 1985 NFL Draft and played seven years in Los Angeles before finishing his career with the Oilers in 1992 and the Buccaneers in 1993. He had 28 career interceptions, including six for the Oilers in 1992.

Gray was selected to the Pro Bowl four times attending the game from 1986 through 1989. In his final appearance he earned Pro Bowl MVP honors after recording 7 tackles and a 51-yard interception return for a touchdown.

After retiring as a player, Gray turned to coaching. His coaching career began in 1995 as a defensive backs coach for the SMU Mustangs football team. He then worked for the Tennessee Oilers as a Defensive Quality Control coach from 1997 to 1998 before being promoted to defensive backs coach in 1999 when the team name was changed from "Oilers" to "Titans".

In 2001, he was hired by former Titans defensive coordinator Gregg Williams to run the Buffalo Bills defense the same year Williams left Tennessee to become the Buffalo Head Coach. He served as the defensive coordinator for the Buffalo Bills from 2001 to 2005, where he oversaw one of the top defenses in the NFL until his final season. The Bills ranked 2nd in total defense in both 2003 and 2004.

After the 2005 season he was hired by the Washington Redskins to serve as their defensive backs coach

On January 18, 2010, Gray was hired as the new defensive backs coach for the Seattle Seahawks. On January 17, 2011, Gray agreed to return to his alma mater Texas as the assistant head coach and defensive backs coach. On February 12, 2011, however, Gray rejoined the Titans as their defensive coordinator.

On January 22, 2014, Gray was hired as the new defensive backs coach for the Minnesota Vikings.

Gray started the Jerry Gray Foundation in 2002 and it continues to actively supports youth in Lubbock, providing scholarships in partnership with Texas Tech.