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Write Something NEW About the Rams!
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My memory could be failing! But didn't George Allen Lose all 4 pre season games before Rosenbloom Fired him!?! Or am I mistaken!?
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un
No he didn't he lost to the New England Patriots 14-0 and then to the San Diego Chargers 14-7 and that is when Rosenbloom made the change that was considered just unreal, but there was almost a player revolt.
http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1978/08/14/page/65/article/allen-fell-victim-to-own-tactics
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Thanks Coach! I just didn't remember! I do remember everyone being shocked ( Myself included) when it happen!
Everyone thought it was going to be the Old Allen, and the Fearsome-Foursome Days where going to return!
Zero
Pro Bowler
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Did you know I haven't had one single cosmetic procedure done to my face?
That's right. 100% God given Ugly.
Who'd thunk It?
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Everyone thought it was going to be the Old Allen, and the Fearsome-Foursome Days where going to return!
I was 12 years old at the time and really wanted Walsh felt that when Rosenbloom went with and younger up and comer as Head Coach (Shula & Knox) they were far better hires then the likes of Don McCafferty & Ray Malavasi although both of those Head Coaches led their teams to Super Bowls and McCafferty actually won...Had a feeling about Walsh even back then and was not pleased when hired by the 49ers one year later...Always wished in that case I was wrong.
Tron
Fights for the User
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I never would have guessed...
/20823568_sloth-1433803595221_1280w.jpg)
*photo Zero's mom gave me from when he was 14 years old on Halloween...what an adorable pirate...
Leuzer
Daniel Leu
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Did you know that Dick Vermeil was the first ever special teams coach in NFL history?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIDpKKWRRSY
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mIDpKKWRRSY
LesBaker
Mr. Savant
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Zero
Pro Bowler
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Let me see if I can dig up some of those "au natural" photos uncle jimmyI never would have guessed...
*photo Zero's mom gave me from when he was 14 years old on Halloween...what an adorable pirate...
took of me back then. The bear skin rug made me itchy,but
He said it was OK since we was family and all.
Last edited:
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Ok.ok....I can see that you all are silly with anticipation about what position Claude Crabb played for the Rams...He played.....Defensive Back! Now you can get back to referee resignations, and the "Forehead" for Rams executive...
Sigh*
Sigh*
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Where Are They Now? With Flipper Anderson
Shannon Elliott/External Football Affairs
Willie "Flipper" Anderson played for the Rams from 1988-1994 after playing college football at UCLA. He still holds the NFL record for most receiving yards in a game with 15 catches for 336 yards vs. the New Orleans Saints in 1989. Anderson also caught the winning touchdown in overtime vs. the New York Giants to win a 1990 NFC divisional playoff game.
Q&A Interview with Willie “Flipper” Anderson, WR 1988-1994
Q: What is your current occupation and/or what is your favorite thing to do in free/spare time?
A: Well, currently I work for myself; I am a private contractor and I referee basketball. I am a basketball official. I officiate on all levels from high school to junior college basketball and I do some division three college basketball. It’s fun—I like it. It keeps me in shape and gets me out of the house. Ultimately, it funds my favorite thing to do with all the free time that I have—golfing. I try to get out four or five times a month. Golf and spending time with my family—that’s what I like to do these days.
Q: What is your favorite memory while playing for the Rams organization?
A: Probably just the comradery that I felt with the players and the friendships you build in the locker room with your teammates. There's just no way that you can imitate that life really. The feelings that you have towards those guys by playing with them and for them, you can't just find that in any other walk of life. The comradery that you build with those guys is just something that you can't explain. I miss that a lot.
Q: If you could go back and replay one game during your career, which game would that be and why?
A: The game that I probably remember most was the game that I broke the NFL record for the most yards (336 yards) in a single game against the New Orleans Saints back in 1989. It was just one of those magical nights in New Orleans and everything went right that night. It's incredible that the record is still standing today and it's a night that I'll never forget.
Q: What, if any was your “pre-game” ritual back in the day?
A: Growing up a religious person, I didn’t have any good luck stuff or any rituals like that. I really didn’t have any pregame rituals, nothing out of the ordinary that any other guys didn't do. I would make sure that I was warmed up and that I looked good; you know we had to look good to play good, so I made sure my uniform looked good! I wasn’t a superstitious person.
If I dropped the ball, I never took it back to the huddle with me because I was on to the next play and moving on to what's next. I really wasn’t a superstitious or bad luck type of guy.
Q: Who, in your opinion, was the best player you ever played with?
A: My whole time with the Rams, the seven out of the ten years that I played in the NFL, my locker was right next to the great Hall of Famer, Jackie Ray Slater. Being a wide receiver, I got to see him do a lot of work when I was looking down to the line of scrimmage.
I saw him take on a lot of defensive ends and he did a very good job against them most of the time. He has taught me a lot. In the locker room, he was next to me and I was next to a wall so he was my only locker roommate, so it's got to be Jackie Slater.
Q: If you could go back and give the rookie Flipper Anderson a piece of advice, what would it be?
A: One of the biggest thing I would do and tell the kids nowadays is to not to take your job for granted. I was probably given a lot of raw talent, probably a lot of those kids have the same talent if not better and I always did just enough to get by.
I think I had a pretty decent career, but I think if I would have done just a little extra, like lifting weights, running more, extra film work, hanging around after practice, not trying to get out and go out to a club or something—I think I could have taken my game to the next level. I always did “just enough” and I think if I had just done the extra little bit, I probably could have been an extra little bit more remembered in the NFL.
Q: What was the name of your first pet, what kind of animal was it, and what happened to it?
A: My first pet that I bought when I bought once I was in the NFL was a Chow-Chow dog named Jesse. I did a little research on what kind of dogs they were and I really liked the way that they looked because they were unique in their look and fashion and I knew they were playful in families and protective with kids.
I was in that part of my life with a new family and starting to have some kids and so we chose a Chow-Chow and we had him until he passed away of old age. He lived a good life!
Q: If you could see a concert of any performer, dead or alive, who would it be?
A: It's got to be Michael Jackson. He's the greatest performer, in my mind, that there ever was. I never got the chance to see him even though I was in Los Angeles for about 20 years and I was truly a big fan and was sad to see him go the way that he did. I was wishing for his comeback and I'm sad I didn't get to see him in person.
Q: Who do you admire most and why?
A: Anyone who knows me closely knows that my grandparents were very instrumental in the way that I was raised and who I am today. My mother was very young when she had me—she was 15. She was still at the house though.
When I was two years old, my mom decided to go back to school and on to college, so my grandparents took me in and raised me from the age of two, along with seven boys of their own. So, I just became the younger child in the group. They took me in and the neighborhood did too.
When I look back on it, in a three bedroom house we probably had about eight to ten of us in there, four or five to a room. The stuff they did was incredible to keep us hungry guys fed and I never knew what they did in order to make that happen, but I really admire them for that.
Q: Favorite visiting city when you were playing and why?
A: I grew up in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area and I ended up going to school at UCLA, so whenever I had a chance to go back to Philadelphia, it was a great time. We'd go back and play the Eagles; I'd get to see my family, got to eat some home cooked food. They could come see me play since most of them didn’t get the chance to come out to Los Angeles.
I got to bring some of my teammates over to my house to see how I was raised, see my old high school, try some of my grandmother’s food and enjoy some of the good times I had when I was in Philly. It's got to be Philadelphia for me. Maybe not for a lot of other players, but that was probably my most fun place to visit.
Q: Looking back on your career, what would you say was your biggest success or what were you most proud of?
A: Probably that I could stay in a league that's hard to stay in—like they say in the NFL: Not For Long. So, to be able to play in a league that’s so competitive and so physical for 10 years. I wasn’t a big guy myself; I weighed about 170lbs, whereas all those big dudes were out there and I was proud of that.
To see the way that they do today, I sometimes have to pat myself on the back and think, "I cannot believe that I survived in that league." It's crucial out there. I could have said my legacy is my NFL record or playoff games here or there, but just playing in that league for as long as I did, that’s a huge accomplishment.
Q: Which three former Rams teammates would you like to have dinner with tonight?
A: It would be Henry Ellard. He taught me a lot of the ropes when I came into the league and how to be an NFL wide receiver. Like I said, my locker was next to Jackie Ray Slater. We talked all day, every day about life as an NFL player and for it not to be taken for granted.
One of my best friends that was there, Pat Carter, was a tight end who was there throughout my career when I was with the Rams and was just a really good friend to me on and off the field. We did a lot together, spent a lot of time at each other’s houses. Those are probably my three guys—Henry Ellard, Jackie Slater and Pat Carter.
Q: Is there a motto in which you live your life by?
A: I would say: hard work. Hard work always pays off in the long run. I live by that and I keep my kids attune to that. There are no short cuts in life. There are no short cuts in the game. If you want to succeed, you have to do the hard work. Start from the bottom and you can work your way up. Do the work. Do the work and it will pay off for you.
Q: If you could say something to the guys on the current Rams team right now what would you say to the team?
A: I would say take care of your money and work hard. Don't take your position for granted. I can’t say that enough. Don’t take this life for granted. It's a privileged life you have as a professional athlete and to get there it probably took hard work, so continue to work hard and it'll pay off in the long run.
Shannon Elliott/External Football Affairs
Willie "Flipper" Anderson played for the Rams from 1988-1994 after playing college football at UCLA. He still holds the NFL record for most receiving yards in a game with 15 catches for 336 yards vs. the New Orleans Saints in 1989. Anderson also caught the winning touchdown in overtime vs. the New York Giants to win a 1990 NFC divisional playoff game.
Q&A Interview with Willie “Flipper” Anderson, WR 1988-1994
Q: What is your current occupation and/or what is your favorite thing to do in free/spare time?
A: Well, currently I work for myself; I am a private contractor and I referee basketball. I am a basketball official. I officiate on all levels from high school to junior college basketball and I do some division three college basketball. It’s fun—I like it. It keeps me in shape and gets me out of the house. Ultimately, it funds my favorite thing to do with all the free time that I have—golfing. I try to get out four or five times a month. Golf and spending time with my family—that’s what I like to do these days.
Q: What is your favorite memory while playing for the Rams organization?
A: Probably just the comradery that I felt with the players and the friendships you build in the locker room with your teammates. There's just no way that you can imitate that life really. The feelings that you have towards those guys by playing with them and for them, you can't just find that in any other walk of life. The comradery that you build with those guys is just something that you can't explain. I miss that a lot.
Q: If you could go back and replay one game during your career, which game would that be and why?
A: The game that I probably remember most was the game that I broke the NFL record for the most yards (336 yards) in a single game against the New Orleans Saints back in 1989. It was just one of those magical nights in New Orleans and everything went right that night. It's incredible that the record is still standing today and it's a night that I'll never forget.
Q: What, if any was your “pre-game” ritual back in the day?
A: Growing up a religious person, I didn’t have any good luck stuff or any rituals like that. I really didn’t have any pregame rituals, nothing out of the ordinary that any other guys didn't do. I would make sure that I was warmed up and that I looked good; you know we had to look good to play good, so I made sure my uniform looked good! I wasn’t a superstitious person.
If I dropped the ball, I never took it back to the huddle with me because I was on to the next play and moving on to what's next. I really wasn’t a superstitious or bad luck type of guy.
Q: Who, in your opinion, was the best player you ever played with?
A: My whole time with the Rams, the seven out of the ten years that I played in the NFL, my locker was right next to the great Hall of Famer, Jackie Ray Slater. Being a wide receiver, I got to see him do a lot of work when I was looking down to the line of scrimmage.
I saw him take on a lot of defensive ends and he did a very good job against them most of the time. He has taught me a lot. In the locker room, he was next to me and I was next to a wall so he was my only locker roommate, so it's got to be Jackie Slater.
Q: If you could go back and give the rookie Flipper Anderson a piece of advice, what would it be?
A: One of the biggest thing I would do and tell the kids nowadays is to not to take your job for granted. I was probably given a lot of raw talent, probably a lot of those kids have the same talent if not better and I always did just enough to get by.
I think I had a pretty decent career, but I think if I would have done just a little extra, like lifting weights, running more, extra film work, hanging around after practice, not trying to get out and go out to a club or something—I think I could have taken my game to the next level. I always did “just enough” and I think if I had just done the extra little bit, I probably could have been an extra little bit more remembered in the NFL.
Q: What was the name of your first pet, what kind of animal was it, and what happened to it?
A: My first pet that I bought when I bought once I was in the NFL was a Chow-Chow dog named Jesse. I did a little research on what kind of dogs they were and I really liked the way that they looked because they were unique in their look and fashion and I knew they were playful in families and protective with kids.
I was in that part of my life with a new family and starting to have some kids and so we chose a Chow-Chow and we had him until he passed away of old age. He lived a good life!
Q: If you could see a concert of any performer, dead or alive, who would it be?
A: It's got to be Michael Jackson. He's the greatest performer, in my mind, that there ever was. I never got the chance to see him even though I was in Los Angeles for about 20 years and I was truly a big fan and was sad to see him go the way that he did. I was wishing for his comeback and I'm sad I didn't get to see him in person.
Q: Who do you admire most and why?
A: Anyone who knows me closely knows that my grandparents were very instrumental in the way that I was raised and who I am today. My mother was very young when she had me—she was 15. She was still at the house though.
When I was two years old, my mom decided to go back to school and on to college, so my grandparents took me in and raised me from the age of two, along with seven boys of their own. So, I just became the younger child in the group. They took me in and the neighborhood did too.
When I look back on it, in a three bedroom house we probably had about eight to ten of us in there, four or five to a room. The stuff they did was incredible to keep us hungry guys fed and I never knew what they did in order to make that happen, but I really admire them for that.
Q: Favorite visiting city when you were playing and why?
A: I grew up in the New Jersey/Philadelphia area and I ended up going to school at UCLA, so whenever I had a chance to go back to Philadelphia, it was a great time. We'd go back and play the Eagles; I'd get to see my family, got to eat some home cooked food. They could come see me play since most of them didn’t get the chance to come out to Los Angeles.
I got to bring some of my teammates over to my house to see how I was raised, see my old high school, try some of my grandmother’s food and enjoy some of the good times I had when I was in Philly. It's got to be Philadelphia for me. Maybe not for a lot of other players, but that was probably my most fun place to visit.
Q: Looking back on your career, what would you say was your biggest success or what were you most proud of?
A: Probably that I could stay in a league that's hard to stay in—like they say in the NFL: Not For Long. So, to be able to play in a league that’s so competitive and so physical for 10 years. I wasn’t a big guy myself; I weighed about 170lbs, whereas all those big dudes were out there and I was proud of that.
To see the way that they do today, I sometimes have to pat myself on the back and think, "I cannot believe that I survived in that league." It's crucial out there. I could have said my legacy is my NFL record or playoff games here or there, but just playing in that league for as long as I did, that’s a huge accomplishment.
Q: Which three former Rams teammates would you like to have dinner with tonight?
A: It would be Henry Ellard. He taught me a lot of the ropes when I came into the league and how to be an NFL wide receiver. Like I said, my locker was next to Jackie Ray Slater. We talked all day, every day about life as an NFL player and for it not to be taken for granted.
One of my best friends that was there, Pat Carter, was a tight end who was there throughout my career when I was with the Rams and was just a really good friend to me on and off the field. We did a lot together, spent a lot of time at each other’s houses. Those are probably my three guys—Henry Ellard, Jackie Slater and Pat Carter.
Q: Is there a motto in which you live your life by?
A: I would say: hard work. Hard work always pays off in the long run. I live by that and I keep my kids attune to that. There are no short cuts in life. There are no short cuts in the game. If you want to succeed, you have to do the hard work. Start from the bottom and you can work your way up. Do the work. Do the work and it will pay off for you.
Q: If you could say something to the guys on the current Rams team right now what would you say to the team?
A: I would say take care of your money and work hard. Don't take your position for granted. I can’t say that enough. Don’t take this life for granted. It's a privileged life you have as a professional athlete and to get there it probably took hard work, so continue to work hard and it'll pay off in the long run.
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Where Are They Now? with Nolan Cromwell
Shannon Elliott/External Football Affairs
Nolan Cromwell played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1977-87. During his career he recorded 37 interceptions, which is the second-highest total in franchise history. The Rams drafted Cromwell in the second round (31st overall) in the 1977 NFL Draft.
Q: What is your current occupation and how do you fill your time now that you’re done playing football?
A: Well I am retired from coaching, which I had a great time doing. Then I enjoy fishing. I fish in a lot of little small tournaments, and I enjoy spending time with my wife, Mary, and doing things that as a coach you miss out on all those years.
Q: What is your favorite memory while playing for the Rams organization?
A: Probably the players that I played with. I played with a lot of great players. The game meant a lot to them – it wasn’t just the money – and they really played their hearts out. It was all about the team concept more than any individual type of awards. So the players that I played with are what I remember the most.
Q: If you could go back and replay one game during your career, which game would that be?
A: Oh, I would have to replay Super Bowl XIV. I had an opportunity to make a play in that game that I think at any time I could make that play – I could make an interception on that opposite hit play and possibly make a difference in the outcome.
Q: What, if any, was your pregame ritual back in the day?
A: I usually tried to get around and say “Good luck” to everybody on the team. I would go around locker to locker and shake everybody’s hands and wish them good luck and I think that was kind of my deal, that made me feel good and ready to play.
Q: Who do you admire most?
A: The one guy that jumps out of my mind that I always think about is Mike Holmgren. I coached for him for 15 years and he treated everybody with great respect and he demanded your best and watching him deal and put a team together, I thought he was really one of the best that I’ve been around.
Q: Favorite visiting city when you were playing?
A: I would probably say, New Orleans.
Q: Which three former Ram teammates would you like to have dinner with tonight?
A: Well, every time you mention the Rams I think of the guys I played with. It would be the guys that I always went hunting and fishing with. It’d be Jim Youngblood, Larry Brooks, Jack Youngblood, Carl Ekern, Bob Brudzinski. That was kind of the group that we spent time hunting and fishing together on our days off and I think it kept our sanity.
Shannon Elliott/External Football Affairs
Nolan Cromwell played for the Los Angeles Rams from 1977-87. During his career he recorded 37 interceptions, which is the second-highest total in franchise history. The Rams drafted Cromwell in the second round (31st overall) in the 1977 NFL Draft.
Q: What is your current occupation and how do you fill your time now that you’re done playing football?
A: Well I am retired from coaching, which I had a great time doing. Then I enjoy fishing. I fish in a lot of little small tournaments, and I enjoy spending time with my wife, Mary, and doing things that as a coach you miss out on all those years.
Q: What is your favorite memory while playing for the Rams organization?
A: Probably the players that I played with. I played with a lot of great players. The game meant a lot to them – it wasn’t just the money – and they really played their hearts out. It was all about the team concept more than any individual type of awards. So the players that I played with are what I remember the most.
Q: If you could go back and replay one game during your career, which game would that be?
A: Oh, I would have to replay Super Bowl XIV. I had an opportunity to make a play in that game that I think at any time I could make that play – I could make an interception on that opposite hit play and possibly make a difference in the outcome.
Q: What, if any, was your pregame ritual back in the day?
A: I usually tried to get around and say “Good luck” to everybody on the team. I would go around locker to locker and shake everybody’s hands and wish them good luck and I think that was kind of my deal, that made me feel good and ready to play.
Q: Who do you admire most?
A: The one guy that jumps out of my mind that I always think about is Mike Holmgren. I coached for him for 15 years and he treated everybody with great respect and he demanded your best and watching him deal and put a team together, I thought he was really one of the best that I’ve been around.
Q: Favorite visiting city when you were playing?
A: I would probably say, New Orleans.
Q: Which three former Ram teammates would you like to have dinner with tonight?
A: Well, every time you mention the Rams I think of the guys I played with. It would be the guys that I always went hunting and fishing with. It’d be Jim Youngblood, Larry Brooks, Jack Youngblood, Carl Ekern, Bob Brudzinski. That was kind of the group that we spent time hunting and fishing together on our days off and I think it kept our sanity.
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http://www.philadelphiaeagles.com/n...-Gabriel/01e1898d-4fdc-4bec-b307-ebe9b6c90402
Where Are They Now? QB Roman Gabriel
Granted, they weren’t exactly shooting off flare guns, but the Eagles definitely needed to be rescued following the 1972 season.
Managing to find the end zone just 12 times, Philadelphia finished the year with a 2-12 record. Poor results had become commonplace considering that over the previous four seasons, the team won only 15 out of 56 games.
The owner, Leonard Tose, hired Mike McCormack as the new head coach and headed west looking for someone to help McCormack turn things around. That someone would be the Los Angeles Rams’ 11-year veteran quarterback Roman Gabriel.
“Leonard Tose and Mike McCormack, in January of that year, 1973, traveled out to California to meet (Rams owner Carroll) Rosenbloom and made a deal to get me,” Gabriel said. “Then Rosenbloom changed the deal. I had a conversation with Mr. Tose, ‘We want you here, but right now, we're trying to negotiate. Even though they want to get rid of you, they're trying to get too many people.’
“So finally, in June of that year, I had a call from (Rams general manager) Don Klosterman, ‘Well, we’re sending you to Philadelphia.’ I said, ‘That's great! Because that way, my friends that live in North Carolina will be able to come see me play. You're not sending me anywhere I don't want to go.’
“Especially after I met Leonard Tose and Mike McCormack, who were first-class people. It was pretty good, actually like coming home.”
While Gabriel was “coming home,” wide receiver Harold Jackson and running back Tony Baker were leaving the nest. They went to Los Angeles as part of the trade along with the Eagles’ first-round draft choice in 1974, and first- and third-round selections in 1975.
What did McCormack, a first-year NFL head coach, expect from the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback?
“Mike said that with my experience and leadership, he felt with a young football team that I'd feel like Moses,” laughed Gabriel. “He said, ‘With this young football team, we need your leadership and work ethic because I'm aware of your work ethic.’ I said, ‘That's fine, because I don't have to do anything different than what I've been doing with the Rams. I'll come in and have some fun and enjoy and lead by example.’”
Which is what he did. Even though the Eagles struggled to a 5-8-1 record, Gabriel led the league in pass attempts (460), completions (270), yards (3,219) and touchdown passes (23). Earning a fourth trip to the Pro Bowl, he was selected as the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Gabriel remained Philadelphia’s starter the following two seasons under McCormack. However, when McCormack was replaced by first-time NFL head coach Dick Vermeil in 1976, the veteran’s role with the team changed.
“I was having trouble with my knee and I had to have it completely re-done,” said Gabriel, who knew Vermeil from his time as a Rams assistant coach. “Dick said, ‘We're going to go with Mike Boryla. Why don't you just go home and retire.’ I said, ‘Well, Dick, I'd like to coach.’ He said, ‘I don't hire people to coach for me that have played for me.’ So I went back to California and started working on my knee.
“And then with about six weeks to go in the season, I get a call from John Idzik, who was our offensive coordinator. John says, ‘How’s your knee?’ I said, ‘John, it will never be 100 percent, but it's good enough that I can play and still throw.’ Because I've always stayed in shape, he said, ‘We'll be in St. Louis the following week. Why don't you fly in and bring a suitcase just in case.’
“So I come in on the Saturday before the game and they had me running and throwing. Of course, I couldn't run great, but then I never could run great anyway. So I played and started the last four games.”
Gabriel retired following the 1977 season, his 16th in the NFL, and would go on to work in a different sport – baseball.
“I was the president of the Gastonia Rangers and the Charlotte Knights,” Gabriel said. “Charlotte was AA and then when I retired from there they became AAA. And Gastonia was A ball. They used to be the Texas Rangers’ farm team.
And do you know who was playing in Gastonia? (Ivan) ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez, the great catcher who became a big star. And in Charlotte, we had Curt Schilling, Jim Thome and Greg Olson. We had some pretty good kids.”
Now semi-retired, Gabriel is associated with a third sports – golf.
“I represent a friend of mine (Mac Adams Golf Sales) in Little River, South Carolina, who sells items like golf shirts, T-shirts, shorts and stuff like that,” said Gabriel. “And I also represent a company out of my hometown of Wilmington (North Carolina) called Tournament Promotions.
I’ve been with both of these companies about 15 years. It’s for companies that do auctions to make money for charities. And also people who do charitable golf tournaments. I’m more involved in setting up the structure and helping them get people to participate.”
One of three that he’ll be involved with is the “Friends of Gabe Golf Tournament” in Little River on July 10-12. It will raise money for veterans.
Away from the links, Gabriel follows the Eagles and his girlfriend’s hometown Steelers, and appreciates it when he’s asked to take part in card shows and other autograph signing events.
“It still blows me away,” Gabriel said with a laugh. “I’ve been to Philadelphia a couple times and some people come in with a scrapbook from when I played with the Eagles. And the fact that these people still follow me ...
“Here’s one for you. Two young kids, back when I was doing baseball, in Baseball Weekly, there was an article where this dad had named his sons after me. Roman Slaybaugh and Gabriel Slaybaugh. Roman was No. 18, the quarterback, and Gabriel was No. 81, the receiver.
They both graduated from the University of Indiana and played football there several years ago. Guys should get out amongst the fans because a lot of these were kids when I was getting older.”
Where Are They Now? QB Roman Gabriel
Granted, they weren’t exactly shooting off flare guns, but the Eagles definitely needed to be rescued following the 1972 season.
Managing to find the end zone just 12 times, Philadelphia finished the year with a 2-12 record. Poor results had become commonplace considering that over the previous four seasons, the team won only 15 out of 56 games.
The owner, Leonard Tose, hired Mike McCormack as the new head coach and headed west looking for someone to help McCormack turn things around. That someone would be the Los Angeles Rams’ 11-year veteran quarterback Roman Gabriel.
“Leonard Tose and Mike McCormack, in January of that year, 1973, traveled out to California to meet (Rams owner Carroll) Rosenbloom and made a deal to get me,” Gabriel said. “Then Rosenbloom changed the deal. I had a conversation with Mr. Tose, ‘We want you here, but right now, we're trying to negotiate. Even though they want to get rid of you, they're trying to get too many people.’
“So finally, in June of that year, I had a call from (Rams general manager) Don Klosterman, ‘Well, we’re sending you to Philadelphia.’ I said, ‘That's great! Because that way, my friends that live in North Carolina will be able to come see me play. You're not sending me anywhere I don't want to go.’
“Especially after I met Leonard Tose and Mike McCormack, who were first-class people. It was pretty good, actually like coming home.”
While Gabriel was “coming home,” wide receiver Harold Jackson and running back Tony Baker were leaving the nest. They went to Los Angeles as part of the trade along with the Eagles’ first-round draft choice in 1974, and first- and third-round selections in 1975.
What did McCormack, a first-year NFL head coach, expect from the three-time Pro Bowl quarterback?
“Mike said that with my experience and leadership, he felt with a young football team that I'd feel like Moses,” laughed Gabriel. “He said, ‘With this young football team, we need your leadership and work ethic because I'm aware of your work ethic.’ I said, ‘That's fine, because I don't have to do anything different than what I've been doing with the Rams. I'll come in and have some fun and enjoy and lead by example.’”
Which is what he did. Even though the Eagles struggled to a 5-8-1 record, Gabriel led the league in pass attempts (460), completions (270), yards (3,219) and touchdown passes (23). Earning a fourth trip to the Pro Bowl, he was selected as the NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
Gabriel remained Philadelphia’s starter the following two seasons under McCormack. However, when McCormack was replaced by first-time NFL head coach Dick Vermeil in 1976, the veteran’s role with the team changed.
“I was having trouble with my knee and I had to have it completely re-done,” said Gabriel, who knew Vermeil from his time as a Rams assistant coach. “Dick said, ‘We're going to go with Mike Boryla. Why don't you just go home and retire.’ I said, ‘Well, Dick, I'd like to coach.’ He said, ‘I don't hire people to coach for me that have played for me.’ So I went back to California and started working on my knee.
“And then with about six weeks to go in the season, I get a call from John Idzik, who was our offensive coordinator. John says, ‘How’s your knee?’ I said, ‘John, it will never be 100 percent, but it's good enough that I can play and still throw.’ Because I've always stayed in shape, he said, ‘We'll be in St. Louis the following week. Why don't you fly in and bring a suitcase just in case.’
“So I come in on the Saturday before the game and they had me running and throwing. Of course, I couldn't run great, but then I never could run great anyway. So I played and started the last four games.”
Gabriel retired following the 1977 season, his 16th in the NFL, and would go on to work in a different sport – baseball.
“I was the president of the Gastonia Rangers and the Charlotte Knights,” Gabriel said. “Charlotte was AA and then when I retired from there they became AAA. And Gastonia was A ball. They used to be the Texas Rangers’ farm team.
And do you know who was playing in Gastonia? (Ivan) ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez, the great catcher who became a big star. And in Charlotte, we had Curt Schilling, Jim Thome and Greg Olson. We had some pretty good kids.”
Now semi-retired, Gabriel is associated with a third sports – golf.
“I represent a friend of mine (Mac Adams Golf Sales) in Little River, South Carolina, who sells items like golf shirts, T-shirts, shorts and stuff like that,” said Gabriel. “And I also represent a company out of my hometown of Wilmington (North Carolina) called Tournament Promotions.
I’ve been with both of these companies about 15 years. It’s for companies that do auctions to make money for charities. And also people who do charitable golf tournaments. I’m more involved in setting up the structure and helping them get people to participate.”
One of three that he’ll be involved with is the “Friends of Gabe Golf Tournament” in Little River on July 10-12. It will raise money for veterans.
Away from the links, Gabriel follows the Eagles and his girlfriend’s hometown Steelers, and appreciates it when he’s asked to take part in card shows and other autograph signing events.
“It still blows me away,” Gabriel said with a laugh. “I’ve been to Philadelphia a couple times and some people come in with a scrapbook from when I played with the Eagles. And the fact that these people still follow me ...
“Here’s one for you. Two young kids, back when I was doing baseball, in Baseball Weekly, there was an article where this dad had named his sons after me. Roman Slaybaugh and Gabriel Slaybaugh. Roman was No. 18, the quarterback, and Gabriel was No. 81, the receiver.
They both graduated from the University of Indiana and played football there several years ago. Guys should get out amongst the fans because a lot of these were kids when I was getting older.”
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Or QB !! I thought it was Rod Perry ?