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Pounding out a message

Judgment day comes for Rams' Heyward with weight limit

MACOMB, Illinois (AP) -- Craig "Ironhead" Heyward was due to show up at the St. Louis Rams' training camp Thursday along with the rest of the veterans, and the big question was whether he would be bringing excess baggage.

Coach Dick Vermeil threw down the gauntlet last week, saying the perennially overweight fullback won't be allowed to practice until he hits his target weight of 260 pounds. Heyward was closer to 280 pounds at the team's final minicamp last month.

"I'm pulling for him to meet the standards of the program, but we aren't bending them," Vermeil said. "He's a good guy and a good person, he just likes to eat."

Vermeil insists he's not angry with Heyward, but that the time has come for zero tolerance. Last year the Rams let Heyward try to work himself into shape and it never really happened.

"If he has the willpower to meet the standards, he has the ability," Vermeil said. "He can be a good influence away from the dinner table."

Vermeil said he hadn't considered whether Heyward would be fined if he can't practice.

"I don't need any of his money, all I need is his playing ability," he said.

No. 1 pick Grant Wistrom has the opposite problem: He has trouble keeping weight on.

Wistrom reported at 270 pounds, 15 more than he played at his senior season at Nebraska, and hopes to play at that weight all year. But most players melt away in training camp with temperatures frequently above 100.

"At Nebraska we had fairly difficult two-a-days by college standards," Wistrom said. "Just by eating right and having meals there for me all the time I actually gained weight in training camp.

"I don't know if that'll hold true here or not, but my body is not the type that I'm going to lose a lot of weight."

Tape job
Just what the Rams players needed, more tape to watch.

Forget about videotaping the practice sessions, assistant coach Jerry Rhome videotaped quarterback meetings on Wednesday, just in case Tony Banks or Steve Bono ever wanted a refresher course.

"So they can have the meeting as many times as they want to," Vermeil said.

Enough said
Once a head coach, always a head coach it seems.

Mike White, the former Oakland Raiders coach, is the assistant head coach and quarterbacks coach under Vermeil. When asked a simple question about Banks' progress, he embarked on what ended up as a five-minute-long filibuster.

The answer was so involved, he felt compelled to summarize his key points.

"I know that's a long answer to a short question," he said. "The specifics are he's working hard, he's concentrating on his job, and I'm beginning to see results."

In the money
Banks, who's making about $300,000 in the final year of his contract, can't help but look ahead to what may be a huge future payday. He watched with special interest when Rob Johnson, who has one NFL start, got a five-year, $25 million deal from the Buffalo Bills.

"I can take one of my games," Banks said. "I've had one or two good games I can take one of them and somebody can give me $25 million. Sign me up."

Plenty of seats available
The early training camp practices, featuring mostly rookies in triple-digit temperatures, drew sparse attendance from the locals.
One who couldn't stay away was Western Illinois football coach Randy Ball, who'll be drilling his players on the same fields the Rams are using next months.

"I do have some responsibilities other than watching these guys practice," Ball said. "But it's awfully difficult to not come out and watch them."

Ball has incorporated many of the Rams' practice techniques in his own workouts for the Leathernecks, who were 11-2 last year. One accessory he can't hope to match is the microphone pack worn by special teams coach Frank Gansz.

"We don't have the money for that," Ball said. "We just yell like hell."

No distractions
Most of the Rams rookies made the trip to Macomb by bus. They don't seem to miss the lack of wheels, plus Vermeil is keeping them too busy to do much exploring in the city.

"It's better for us to come up here and leave our vehicles at home," said fourth-round pick Roland Williams, a tight end. "We need to stay focused."  

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