Rams News

Heyward lashes out at Vermeil
08/20 11:29 PM

By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch Staff

Craig ``Ironhead'' Heyward didn't just break his silence Thursday, he crushed it.
In the process, the AWOL fullback didn't just burn any bridges with the Rams, he nuked them.
In a stinging criticism of coach Dick Vermeil, Heyward said Vermeil:
> Shouldn't have made fun of his weight problems.
> Can't relate to veteran players.
> Works his players way too hard in practice during the regular season and training camp.
And one other thing: Heyward wants to be released.
``I do not want to play or work for that man again,'' Heyward said Thursday in a telephone interview from his home in Atlanta. ``Let's just part ways. You go your way and I'll go mine. Let me go, please. Put emphasis on the word please.''
After fuming privately for months, Heyward finally admitted publicly that he was angered by Vermeil's comments about his weight. Specifically, Vermeil said Heyward ``should consider himself retired'' if he failed to report to training camp at the team's prescribed weight of 260 pounds, and that Heyward should ``cut the teeth off his fork'' to control his eating habits.
``He needs to just shut his mouth,'' Heyward said of Vermeil. ``Being that he was in the media for so long, he uses the media to motivate players. Every time he says something, it just propels me to work out even harder.
``I want to thank him for putting some fire in me. You should see me now. I feel great.''
Despite those strong hints that he is in shape to play football, Heyward would not disclose his weight. (He was said to be close to 300 pounds at the team's June minicamp.)
Heyward did predict that some club would sign him ``within two or three days'' of his Rams release, adding that, ``whatever team I go to, (Vermeil) will be sorry.''
Heyward playfully said he is working on a book about his trials and tribulations with the Rams, and had three working titles in mind:
``Get Off Your (Rear End).''
``Who You Calling Fat?''
``Ironhead No More.''
Once Heyward failed to show for his scheduled weigh-in July 24, the Rams placed him on their reserve-did not report list. That designation means that Hewyard doesn't count against their roster limit, and the team doesn't have to pay him. In effect, Heyward is in limbo.
The Rams have notified Heyward they are fining him $5,000 a day for each missed day of work. As of Friday, Heyward's fine total was at $135,000 -- and counting.
When asked if the team would consider releasing Heyward, Vermeil said, ``I haven't given it any thought. I really haven't.''
Heyward, who has been working out at the Falcons' complex near Atlanta, could force the Rams' hand by reporting for work. Then the team would have no choice but to cut him or keep him on the roster (and start paying him). When asked if he would report, Heyward replied, ``Mum's the word, baby.''
Beyond the weight issue, Heyward was particularly critical of Vermeil's practice schedule.
``Last year, the way things were going the only time we got a break was on game day,'' Heyward said. ``The chances of a player getting hurt were much greater in practice than in a game.''
Echoing comments made at the end of last season by the since-released Leslie O'Neal, Heyward said the Rams practice so hard that they play the equivalent of two or three games a week.
Such a regimen is murder on veteran players, according to Heyward. ``It won't kill them, but it will end their careers earlier,'' he said. ``Guys are either tough or they're not tough coming out of college. You can't make them tougher on the practice field.
``I definitely feel sorry for the older guys that have been on the team for a long time, because they are dying for a winning team. But you've left a winning team on the practice field.
``For an older guy . . . you need to work on technique, you need to work on skills, you need the classroom time. You don't need the physical pounding.''
Heyward said he watched the Rams' 41-27 loss to San Diego on television last weekend.
``I know these guys,'' Heyward said of his teammates. ``You could just tell that the guys were tired. I could see they were disgusted.''
When told that Heyward said that practices were too hard, and said that several Rams players felt the same way but were afraid to say anything, Vermeil replied: ``That's good. That's probably why he shouldn't come back. At 289 pounds, practices are really tough.''
Vermeil added that he considered Heyward ``a retired football player. We've talked to a couple teams about him. They're not interested. Cincinnati. San Diego -- they weren't interested.''

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