Rams News

Missouri boy' Wistrom
pays visit to the Rams

04/02/98

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

It's a long way from Webb City, Mo., to the National Football League. But defensive end Grant Wistrom has almost completed the journey.
Wistrom capped his stellar college career last fall, earning a share of the national championship as a Nebraska Cornhusker. He was an All-American, was named Big 12 defensive player of the year, and won the Lombardi Award, which goes to college football's best lineman.
Now, he's only two weeks away from possible top-10 status in the draft.
``I never thought I'd be doing something like this when I was kid,'' Wistrom said. ``But I'm very excited about what's happening in my future, and I can't wait to see what happens on April 18.''
That's the first day of the draft. Wistrom is a sure first-rounder and could go high in the round.
``I think I'm definitely one of the top two or three or four or five defensive linemen available,'' Wistrom said. ``Hopefully, some team thinks so. There might be guys out there with more athletic ability, but as far as finding a guy that's going to play harder than I am, I think you're going to be really hard-pressed to do that.''
As an ``effort'' guy, and a smart player -- he was an academic All-American at Nebraska -- Wistrom is a Dick Vermeil-type of player.
``I really like Coach Vermeil,'' Wistrom said. ``He reminds me a lot of Coach (Tom) Osborne in the way that he cares for his players, and as far as being very respected within the profession. It'd be a pleasure for me to be able to play for a man like him.''
Wistrom, who visited Rams Park on Thursday, could get the chance. Vermeil recently called defensive end the team's top priority -- and Wistrom is considered among the top three prospects at that position along with Florida State's Andre Wadsworth and North Carolina's Greg Ellis.
``I'm a Missouri boy,'' Wistrom said. ``My parents could still make all the games. I have a lot of family in the Columbia area. It'd be great to come play in St. Louis.''
Wistrom also has predraft visits planned to Atlanta, Dallas and Miami. Whoever gets Wistrom will be getting more of him.
After playing his college career at 255 pounds, Wistrom weighed in at 273 in February at the NFL Scouting Combine. He purposely added the weight because he doesn't want to be regarded as a 'tweener -- too small to play end in the NFL but not fast enough to play linebacker.
``Nobody wants to have any knocks against them,'' Wistrom said. ``If somebody thinks I'm too small, I want to do anything I can to disprove that.''
Wistrom, who is just under 6 feet 5, thinks he'll still have the same quickness. At his recent campus workout in Lincoln, Wistrom weight 270 and was timed between 4.61 seconds and 4.70 in the 40-yard dash.
``My times were better than they'd ever been,'' he said. ``If anything, the weight will make me a little bit more effective. I'll have a little bit more behind me when I get there.''
Wistrom is one of several draft prospects visiting Rams Park this week and next. Vanderbilt linebacker Jamie Duncan was in Wednesday. Syracuse safety Tebucky Jones was in Thursday. Penn State running back Curtis Enis and Texas A&M offensive guard Steve McKinney visited earlier in the week.

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