Rams News

July 22, 1998

Grant Wistrom's holdout lasted less than 24 hours.

Wistrom arrived at the St. Louis Rams' training camp in Macomb on Sunday morning -- just a few hours late for the club's first rookie practice.

Wistrom was securely in the Rams' fold 28 days earlier than offensive tackle Orlando Pace was last year. Pace, the No. 1 overall pick in 1997 draft, missed all of training camp and didn't sign until Aug. 16.

"It's sure nice to have it done so much earlier," Rams coach Dick Vermeil said. "I mean, this is the last time we have to talk about it. Now we can talk about Grant Wistrom as a football player, not as a first-round pick."

Wistrom, the No. 6 overall pick in the 1998 draft, signed a six-year, $12.75 million contract with a $6 million signing bonus. It was the second-largest signing bonus in franchise history behind the $6.3 million that Pace received last season.

Wistrom also didn't look like a multimillionaire at the press conference announcing his signing. He wore a T-shirt, shorts and thongs.

"About the only thing I've done is bought my dad a car and I'm going to pay off my mom's credit cards, which will be a pretty good chunk of change," Wistrom said.

Wistrom purchased a Lincoln Navigator sport utility vehicle for his father two months ago.

Wistrom took some ribbing from an unidentified Rams teammate who handed him a trash can and told him, "You'll need this to hold your money in."

Even Vermeil teased, "He can take the coaches out to the best place in Macomb."

Wistrom, a native of Webb City, Mo., said the money won't change him.

"It will be nice to see a check with all those zeroes on it, but to be honest, I don't think it's going to affect me that much," Wistrom said. "I don't feel any different and I probably never will."

The Rams drafted Wistrom with designs on him replacing Leslie O'Neal, who was released this winter, as the club's starting right defensive end.

However, Wistrom is admittedly a long way from being a starter right now.

"It's a whole new ballgame," Wistrom said of playing in the NFL. "It's no cliché to say it is so much faster, but it is so true. When I came off the ball in college and the guy would get his hands inside of mine and get a good punch on my chest, I was still nine times out of 10 able to make the play. Now when a guy comes off the ball and gets his hands on you, it's over with."

Wistrom is listed behind third-year player Jay Williams on the Rams' depth chart at right defensive end. Williams will probably open the season as the starter.

"(Jay Williams) has never been given credit for how good of a football player he is," Vermeil said. "Plus, Jay Williams is not the kind of guy who surrenders. Last year, we gave him the award at the end of the season from the coaches for being the most consistent, intense service player for the offense. He doesn't know anything other than giving his best on every snap on the practice field. It will be great for both of them to compete."

Wistrom reported to camp at 270 pounds. He has added 20 pounds since his college season ended. He would like to gain more weight, but that could be difficult during training camp.

"At Nebraska, we had fairly difficult two-a-days by college standards, and just by eating right and having meals there for me all the time, I actually gained weight through training camp," Wistrom said. "I don't know if that will hold true here or not."

CAMP CALENDAR: Veterans report July 23. First full-squad practice July 24. Three days of joint practice sessions are scheduled with the Indianapolis Colts July 30 through Aug. 1 in Champaign, Ill. The Rams will scrimmage the Colts Aug. 1. Training camp ends Aug. 19.

The Rams officially opened training camp with 32 rookies and selected veterans.

Because veterans don't report until Thursday, the Rams were so short of bodies during 11-on-11 drills that secondary coach Steve Brown and a couple of wide receivers had to play defensive back.

The Rams had only three defensive backs in camp -- rookies Omarr Morgan and Kadar Hamilton and veteran safety Toby Wright, who is limited to only one practice a day as he continues his comeback from reconstructive knee surgery.

Vermeil said he has no timetable for Wright's full return, but he wants him back on the field before the end of the preseason.

"I'd like to have him really ready to step in and play by the third preseason game," Vermeil said.

--Rookie offensive lineman Glenn Rountree actually got excited over the scenery during the three-hour drive past corn and soybean fields to training camp.

"Most people slept, but my eyes were glued to the window," said Rountree, who rode a team bus to Macomb.

Rountree, a sixth-round draft pick, has graduated from Clemson with a degree in Agronomy. He hopes to have a farm of his own some day.

"I've spent a lifetime dreaming about it, and that's what I hope the NFL can get me," Rountree said. "Nowadays, unless you inherit a beaucoup of money, you're not going to be able to buy a farm straight out of college. Or, if you do, you're rolling the dice."

Rountree's parents own a 500-acre farm in Suffolk, Va.

Rountree, who was selected All-America first team by Successful Farming magazine, sees a strong corn and soybean crop for Illinois this year.

"It looks like they are going to have a good bumper crop, even by Midwestern standards," Rountree said. "If you put that corn back home in Virginia, you'd have farmers partying all night long. The best corn in the world is grown right here in the corn belt."

QUOTE TO NOTE: "Who is he? A running back?" -- Rams coach Dick Vermeil, asking who was Van Halen. The rock group came up during the press conference with Grant Wistrom, who was rumored to have attended a rock concert in celebration of signing his contract. Wistrom actually celebrated the contract by having dinner and a beer at T.G.I. Fridays.

Cornerback Omarr Morgan, a rookie out of Brigham Young, was the first player to leave training camp.

"His mother was diagnosed with breast cancer two months ago and he has been very, very concerned about her," Vermeil said. "He has just felt not very good about not being home. He just made up his mind that he couldn't stay here with that on his conscience."

The Rams brought in cornerback Roger Jones to take Morgan's roster spot, but Jones failed his physical. Jones, 29, who has started 22 games in his seven-year NFL career, finished the 1997 season on the injured reserve list with the Tennessee Oilers due to a back injury.

BATTLE OF THE WEEK: Steve Bono vs. Will Furrer for backup QB. Bono has starting experience, but Furrer is well-versed in Jerry Rhome's offensive system. Furrer was promised a fair shot at the backup job when he re-signed this winter, but Bono probably still is the front-runner.

OTHER KEY BATTLES: Jay Williams vs. Grant Wistrom for starting defensive end. Williams will probably be the starter on opening day, but expect Wistrom to displace him by midseason. The Rams could even platoon the two, using Williams on running downs and Wistrom on passing downs.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: RB Robert Holcombe, who impressed the Rams' coaching staff with his blocking ability. As Illinois' feature back, Holcombe was seldom asked to block in college. "I know how aggressive he was as a runner, but that doesn't always carry over as a blocker," Vermeil said of Holcombe. "This morning, he demonstrated that it can carry over as a blocker."

ROOKIE REPORT: LB Leonard Little showed the kind of intensity in early practices that earned him the label "Meanest Man in College Football" before the draft. Little put a couple of pad-popping hits on his teammates during pass-coverage drills.

INJURY REPORT: S Toby Wright has been allowed to participate in one of the Rams' two practices each day. He runs well, but sometimes he favors his surgically repaired knee walking back to the huddle.

LB Charlie Clemons has a strained groin muscle. He is day-to-day.

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