Rams News

FSU's Wadsworth won't be overlooked this time

04/17/98

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff
Sometime before noon today, Andre Wadsworth will become a multimillionaire. The Arizona Cardinals, with the third overall pick in the NFL draft, are expected to select the defensive end from Florida State.
``He's the best defensive lineman to come into the National Football League in the 1990s,'' said Green Bay general manager Ron Wolf.
Wolf thinks so highly of Wadsworth that he thought about trading the Packers' entire 1998 draft -- all eight picks -- for Wadsworth. ``But I knew (the Cardinals) wouldn't do it,'' Wolf said.
Where would Wadsworth be today had he taken the recruiting letter from that college in Long Island more seriously in 1993?
``A school called Stony Brook in New York -- that was about the only one that contacted me,'' Wadsworth said. ``They wrote a big letter, and the coach left his number. I was flattered. They were the only school that considered me.''
But Wadsworth added, ``I really didn't want to go there.''
Wadsworth attended tiny Florida Christian High in the Miami area. None of the Florida schools recruited him, so he went to Florida State as a walk-on.
``We could have used him,'' Stony Brook coach Sam Kornhauser now jokes.
Kornhauser has been head coach the past 14 seasons at Stony Brook, which went 4-6 last year, its first losing season since 1990. Stony Brook moved up from NCAA Division III to Division II in 1994, and is scheduled to go Division I-AA in 1999.
Kornhauser doesn't remember recruiting Wadsworth. He sends out a couple hundred letters a year to recruits, and must have gotten Wadsworth's name from a friend or a scouting service. So there was no reason to follow his career at Florida State.
``I didn't know that was the guy making it so big,'' Kornhauser said.

Rhome's honor
At first, Jerry Rhome thought it was just another FedEx letter from an agent, trying to push a player on the Rams before the draft.
``I sort of set it aside and didn't even look at it all day long,'' said Rhome, the Rams offensive coordinator.
When he finally opened it, Rhome discovered he had been elected to the College Football Hall of Fame. A Dallas native, Rhome, 56, played at Southern Methodist and Tulsa. It was at Tulsa in 1963-64 that Rhome set 17 NCAA passing records and finished second in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1964.
The Hall of Fame is located in South Bend, Ind. Last month, Rhome and quarterbacks coach Mike White went to Notre Dame to work out quarterback Ron Powlus.
``We drove by this big sign that said: `College Hall of Fame, 1 Mile,' '' Rhome said.
``Mike says, `You want to go over there?'
``I said, `Not until I get in it.' ''
Now, Rhome's in.
``It's certainly a thrill,'' he said. ``It kind of makes everything worthwhile. You look back at things that happen, and you say, `Did we do all that?' And when somebody finally recognizes it, it's nice.''

Ram-blings
> The Rams have hired Avis Roper, 27, as public relations assistant, filling a vacancy created when Tony Wyllie left to become director of media relations for the Tennessee Oilers. Roper was a public relations intern with the Carolina Panthers.
> Steve Brown has been promoted to secondary coach of the Rams, not just cornerbacks coach as reported in the Post-Dispatch earlier this week. Brown, 38, offensive assistant John Ramsdell and strength and conditioning coach Chris Clausen are the only remaining members from Rich Brooks' original St. Louis Rams staff.
> Vermeil said the Rams had no interest in Oakland defensive tackle Chester McGlockton and Kansas City defensive end Dan Williams, two franchise players whose contracts were not guaranteed earlier this week, thus making it easier for them to switch teams. McGlockton signed an offer sheet with Kansas City on Thursday night.
> In case you missed it, unrestricted free agent Torrance Small, who became expendable in St. Louis when the Rams signed Ricky Proehl, has signed with Indianapolis.

Around the league
> San Francisco's trade with Denver for offensive tackle Jamie Brown lessens the urgency, but the 49ers still are expected to take an offensive tackle in the first round if the right one is there at No. 28 overall.
> Former Rams defensive coordinator Willie Shaw, who now holds the same job with Oakland, helped talk cornerback Eric Allen into joining the Raiders. Allen originally resisted a trade from New Orleans because he didn't think the Raiders were a Super Bowl contender.
> Green Bay has inserted a clause in Mike Holmgren's contract that will allow him to pursue a coach/general manager's job following the '98 season. But Wolf said the team would require draft-pick compensation if another team hires Holmgren before his contract expires after the '99 season.
> Minnesota quarterback Brad Johnson still has not regained full strength in this throwing hand, nearly four months after surgery to correct a herniated disc in his neck.

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