Rams News

Kennison works to return to 1996 form
08/03 08:53 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch

MACOMB, Ill. -- There is no single reason, convenient excuse, or indisputable fact to explain Eddie Kennison's sophomore slump. There are, however, enough theories to keep Oliver Stone busy:
> The Offseason Vacation Theory: ``I don't think he spent as much time working on the things he needed to work on, like getting off the `press' coverage -- like maybe I didn't spend enough time working on some things.'' -- Quarterback Tony Banks.
> The Lack of A Veteran Mentor Theory: ``Eddie was needing what I needed my first year -- the Flipper Anderson type, the Jessie Hester type.'' -- Wide receiver Isaac Bruce.
> The Nagging Injury/Got to Make Up For Bruce's Absence Theory: ``Eddie got hurt, he was banged up a little bit, and all of a sudden Isaac's not out there. He probably thinks, `I've got to do it for the whole group because we've lost Isaac.' I think that probably put more pressure on him.'' -- Wide receivers coach Dick Coury.
So exactly how does a player go from 924 receiving yards, a gaudy 14.6-yard average on punt returns and 11 touchdowns as a rookie . . . to 404 yards, a 7.3 average, and zero TDs the following season?
``I don't know what it was,'' Kennison said. ``But that's the past. I don't want to live in the past. I won't do it.''
During the offseason, Kennison talked to his father and his agent, John Hamilton, about the lost season of 1997. He worked to get his confidence up. And then he went to work.
``I worked my behind off during the offseason to get physically strong,'' Kennison said.
No beach time for Kennison this summer. That wasn't the case one year ago, when he wasn't in St. Louis long enough to collect a $50,000 offseason conditioning bonus in his contract.
``You'd love to be in California or in Florida somewhere on the beach,'' Kennison said. ``But those things won't help you excel in the National Football League -- unless you're running in the sand.''
So he was a Rams Park regular this offseason, running on a treadmill. Pumping iron. Catching passes from Banks.
``I did everything the strength coaches asked me to do,'' Kennison said. ``I was there every day, training every day, doing a little extra here and there. I'm going to try to stay injury-free on the field.''
Hamstring and shoulder injuries hampered Kennison early last season, but he kept playing. In October, a groin injury sidelined him for games against Seattle and Kansas City.
``I think the injuries held him back a little bit because he's a speed guy,'' Banks said. ``So if his hamstring's bothering him, that's going to affect him more than most guys.''
So no one was more eager for training camp to start than Kennison. He realizes this August will be a proving ground to show he still has it, that he can recapture his game-breaking form of 1996. If he struggles, he may not be starting, because he's getting pushed by free agent pickup Ricky Proehl.
``He's more than pushing Eddie, he's pushing and pulling,'' Vermeil said.
But at the age of 25, Kennison seems to have figured out that it takes more than sheer talent to succeed week in and week out in the NFL. It takes talent and work.
``I've noticed the difference from one offseason to another,'' Coury said. ``In attitude, mentally and physically -- I think it's 100 percent better. That'll help.''
Kennison feels he reported to camp a bit stronger and faster, too. But it won't mean a thing if he can't hang on to the football. He had trouble with drops at times last season. In Saturday's scrimmage with Indianapolis, a catchable pass bounced off his shoulder pads and resulted in an interception.
``Eddie needs a lot of work on his hands,'' Vermeil said. ``We know he has soft hands and can catch the ball.''
Vermeil knows this is the case because Kennison frequently makes the difficult catch, but occasionally muffs the easy one. ``So there's a hand-eye coordination thing that causes him to drop it,'' Vermeil said. ``We've got to keep working on it.''
Kennison is. He stayed out on the field after Monday morning's practice, taking extra tosses from Kurt Warner.

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