I saw this connection mentioned in passing elsewhere, and didn't even know it existed. So I thought I'd dig a little bit further, and sure enough...
If you look back in Scott Linehan's résumé as a coach, you'll find a five-year stint with the Washington Huskies. In the mid/late 90s, Linehan served as the wide receivers coach (1994-95), offensive coordinator/wide receivers coach (1996-97), and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach (1998). According to his Rams bio page, during this time the Huskies advanced to four bowl games and won the 1995 Pac-10 title.
Who else was at Washington at this time? Current Rams WR
Dane Looker. He was a walk-on at Washington in 1996 after transferring from Western Washington. He was forced to red-shirt for the 1997 season after transferring, but excelled under Linehan in 1998.
From Looker's Husky bio:
Quote:
|
Turned out to be Washington’s top receiver ... ranked third in the Pac-10 with 6.4 receptions per game ... ranked 15th nationally in that category ... honorable mention All-Pac-10 selection ... was Washington’s leading receiver with 64 catches for 662 yards ... tied a school record with 11 catches in season-opening win at Arizona State ... broke the school record with 12 grabs at USC ... that total figured as the fourth best mark in the Pac-10 ... his 11-catch effort vs. the Sun Devils was the fifth best total ... only California's Dameane Douglas had more catches in a game among all other Pac-10 players ... had five or more receptions in six games this season ... had two 100-yard receiving games (Arizona State and Utah State) ... also had 100 yards on eight catches vs. Air Force in Oahu Bowl ... scored two of his five touchdowns in season-opening win at ASU ... was one of three Husky players to record a two-touchdown game during the season ... caught 27-yard score in Apple Cup ... named the winner of the KOMO-TV Back of the Year at annual team banquet.
|
Looking past Looker's college output, Rams fans should already be familiar with the job Looker did in 2003 when called upon as the #3 receiver in Mike Martz's offense. As a reminder, Looker caught 47 passes for 495 yards and 3 touchdowns - a pretty solid job overall.
It's hard to say what Scott Linehan has planned for the Rams receiver corps should both Curtis and McDonald leave. The Rams could very well sign some veteran talent to fill those shoes or could look to the draft to find a prospect to groom for the future or at least contribute in the slot. But when you consider Looker's college production under Linehan, an offensive system that doesn't ask for much from it's #3 receiver, and Looker's past NFL numbers as the #3 man in 2003, I would not rule out the notion of
Dane Looker factoring into the Rams' potential plans at receiver in 2007.