Rams News

Rams will start Hill at running back

Thursday, September 10, 1998

By Jim Thomas
Of The Post-Dispatch

* He gets the call over Moore, who fumbled three times in a loss last weekend.



It's Greg Hill's turn at running back.

He got his first inkling he would start against Minnesota while leafing through the Rams' game plan Wednesday morning. As he looked at the play sets, formations and personnel groupings the team plans to use, Hill kept seeing No. 27, No. 27, No. 27.

That's Hill's jersey number. Then, running backs coach Wilbert Montgomery told him he would be the guy Sunday. Finally, Vermeil gave Hill his official blessing.

According to Hill, Vermeil told him: "You've got the opportunity right now. We're very much behind you. We're going to give you the ball. We hope you want it as much as we're going to give it you."

That was music to Hill's ears.

"I sure welcome the challenge," Hill said. "I worked for it. But I hated that it came under the situation that it came under."

Namely, Jerald Moore's three fumbles last Sunday against New Orleans.

Vermeil said media and fan criticism had no affect on his decision to start Hill over Moore. Many observers were incredulous last week - not that Moore was the starter, but that Hill and rookie Robert Holcombe weren't even in uniform for the game.

"I know Jerald Moore's a good football player," Vermeil said. "But you're not a good football player if you fumble the ball. His fumble-per-carry ratio since he was the starter is too high."

(Moore started the last five games of the '97 season after the release of Lawrence Phillips.)

"I feel sorry for him," Vermeil said. "He just needs a break right now. There was a lot of pressure on him in the ballgame. I really think every offensive player on the team expected him to have a (good) game."

Moore is popular among his teammates, and the offensive line enjoys blocking for him because he follows his blocks and hits the hole hard. On Monday, long before he learned he was starting, Hill tried to console Moore.

"I told him a situation like this can go two ways," Hill said. "Either you can mentally fight those demons and put it behind you. Or you'll keep fumbling the rest of the year. Don't worry about the news media, people, or anything. It's between you and yourself and God. Sit down and pray."

And when it comes to fumbling three times in a game, Hill told Moore he has been there.

"I told him I did that my freshman year in college when we played in the Cotton Bowl against Florida State," said Hill, who played for Texas A&M. "I fumbled three times. I remember after the game, I went and told the press, `I'll never have a game like this again.'

"Sometimes you win. Sometimes you lose. But everybody has a bad day at work. You've just got to look at it as a bad day at work."

Hill didn't even get a chance to work against the Saints. He was put on the inactive list and watched from the stands with his wife Malinda and daughter Jordan.

When he learned he wasn't playing, Hill said, "Of course, I was upset at first. I had a very good opportunity to go ahead and blow up. . . . But I think that would've been the easy way out. I think my teammates needed to see what type of leader I am. What type of person I am."

Hill said he certainly had no hard feelings toward Moore.

"We're a family as far as running backs," Hill said. "Of course, everybody wants to be the starter. Nobody wants to back anybody else up. Everybody wants to get 30 carries a game. But there is a respect amongst us all - that whoever the guy is then you support him."

And so it was Wednesday.

"Jerald was telling me, `Make sure you remember this. Make sure you remember
that,' " Hill said. "It's an understanding that we all want to win, and that
not one individual will win the game, or go out there and do better than the
other. Because if we go out there and win, then there's enough glory to go
around for all."

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