The Barron has arrived ! ARTICLE

[Tony Soprano]

Rookie Barron leaves Titans a calling card
By Bernie Miklasz
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Sunday, Sep. 25 2005

Shoved into the huddle to make his NFL debut, called upon to save quarterback
Marc Bulger's hide, rookie offensive tackle Alex Barron had no choice but to
keep it simple.

Big Smooth wasn't going to sweat the technique. Barron possessed no detailed
scouting reports on his opponents, and was still operating without a clue.
After all, the Rams' No. 1 draft choice spent his first two NFL Sundays wearing
street clothes, not quite ready to play, not quite sure of where he was, or how
he got there. This football version of the TV series "Lost" happens to a lot of
overwhelmed NFL rookies.

But late in the third quarter of the Rams' 31-27 win over Tennessee, Barron got
his initiation. Moments after hopelessly overmatched right tackle Blaine
Saipaia got trampled (again) for a sack, resulting in a fumble recovery and a
game-tying touchdown, raging head coach Mike Martz hollered for the rookie.

Martz told Barron he was up - in for Saipaia.

Barron's reaction was priceless:

"For real, Coach?"

Martz smiled as he recalled the kid's bulging eyes.

Suddenly as big as balloons.

"You should have seen the look on his face," Martz said.

Thus dispatched, Big Smooth reacted naturally. He's a 6-7, 320-pound freak of
athleticism, with the wingspan of a 757, the feet of a ballroom dancer and the
disposition of a crocodile.

This situation did not call for sophistication.

Or detente.

Barron's approach went something like this:

See the bad man trying to get to Bulger? Knock him down. And gore him.

See the bad men trying to tackle Marshall Faulk? Shove them out of the way. And
gore them.

See the loose football after a Bulger fumble? Fall on it. And gore anyone who
comes near you.

Just keep smacking Titans all over the Edward Jones Dome. On his second NFL
play, Barron pancaked Titans defensive end Kyle Vanden Bosch, who up to that
point was threatening to end Bulger's career. Vanden Bosch was to Saipaia what
Terrell Owens is to dignity.

And then No. 70 showed up.

The Titans saw the rookie, saw the fresh meat, and thought they'd mess with his
inexperienced head. "A couple of guys, I don't know who, they were saying, 'Oh,
we got a new guy in here, oh yeah, we're going to do this, and do that.' I was
just trying to stay focused," Barron said.

Barron certainly seemed to be locked in mentally and physically on that second
play, when he turned Vanden Bosch into a can of carpet cleaner.

"I saw it," tight end Roland Williams said. "Barron lifted the guy up and
slammed him right on his face. That got everybody's attention. You know, Barron
is a quiet kid. He doesn't say much. But what he did on the field today was
loud. Very loud."

Equipped with a new bodyguard, and finally comfortable in the pocket, Bulger
calmly completed five passes for 70 yards on Barron's first series. The Titans
didn't get a paw on Bulger, and the Rams zoomed downfield to go up 31-24.

"Thank goodness Alex came to the rescue," Martz said.

Big Smooth was like one of those unstoppable creatures in a sci-fi movie;
Barron's game plan was to pick up smaller men and heave them out of his way. If
he wanted to, Barron could have reached up with his right arm to tear down the
Jumbotron. He could have walked outside the stadium to Broadway to pick up
taxis and buses with his bare hands.

Barron was Orlando Pace - only meaner.

"He is just like Big O," Martz said. "He is just as talented, goodness
gracious, he is."

And alert. Late in the game, Bulger fumbled on a scramble. Titans cornerback
Andre Woolfolk had the inside track to the ball. But into the picture came Big
Smooth and his 320 pounds of flying elbows. Barron swatted Woolfolk away,
seemingly annoyed that some gnat would attempt to grab a football that clearly
belonged to the Rams.

"Only thing I was thinking was, I best try to get over there before anybody on
the Tennessee team did," Barron said. "I saw the ball and got there before he
did."

That's Barron's version.

Here's Woolfolk's: "I tried jumping on the football, and he bounced me right
off of it."

With Barron making the save, the Rams were able to punt and force the Titans to
begin their last drive from the 20-yard line. The Rams' defense held on to seal
the rather adventurous 31-27 win.

Martz announced that Barron would start at right tackle next week against the
Giants (and Michael Strahan) at the Meadowlands. Martz emphasizes that Barron
still has much to learn after missing 21 practices and many more film sessions
during his contract holdout. We will undoubtedly see some rookie moments from
the big fellow, especially when opponents game-plan him.

But what a debut.

Alex Barron has arrived.

And you could tell by the trail of Tennessee players scattered all over the
Dome floor.
______________________________________________

[Nick]

Barron certainly seemed to be locked in mentally and physically on that second
play, when he turned Vanden Bosch into a can of carpet cleaner.

"I saw it," tight end Roland Williams said. "Barron lifted the guy up and
slammed him right on his face. That got everybody's attention. You know, Barron
is a quiet kid. He doesn't say much. But what he did on the field today was
loud. Very loud."

I hope those that were critical of Barron's laid-back attitude or lack of mean-streak read this section of the article very carefully.

[ZigZagRam]

Big Smooth? Gotta love that.


Barron seeing the field today and being very successful in doing so has made today even better than a normal Rams win.

Looks like we finally have the answer.

[Yodude]

I hope those that were critical of Barron's laid-back attitude or lack of mean-streak read this section of the article very carefully.

Phew!.....Thank God I've never criticised him, I guess I'm off the hook then.

I was worried there for a minute because I was kind of lackadaisical in my approach to reading this article.
:tongue:

[Nick]

Phew!.....Thank God I've never criticised him, I guess I'm off the hook then.

I was worried there for a minute because I was kind of lackadaisical in my approach to reading this article.
:tongue:

No, you have clearance to continue your lackadaisical approach. Carry on.

[HUbison]

I wonder if Bulger took Barron out for a side of beef or something after the game?

And as much as I hate to give props to Bernie...

Vanden Bosch was to Saipaia what
Terrell Owens is to dignity.

...that's just funny.

[jkramsfan]

This Guy Is The Real Deal, He Will Be Tested This Week And Martz Needs To Give Him Some Help, But He Will Learn So Much Quicker On The Field Than Watching On The Sidelines Like Some Of You Said He Should.

[AugustaRamFan]

So - Here is the question. Why was Martz so down on AB? Given the size and depth of the MM Dog House, you never would have thought that AB would see the light onthe deth chart. MM must have thought AB could do a decent job, or at least a better job than Saipai (sp?). Hmmmm...When did he change his mind??

First round pick to
Camp Holdout to
the MM Dog House to
Street clothes for two games to
Semi-savior at RT, to
Strahan...

I am not ready to call for a Pro Bowl yet, but I like that way it's looking.

Martz is eating his words.... maybe he likes the taste...

[viper]

After all of the sacks that were given up in the 1st two games, Martz must have accepted the fact that Barron was going to have to go in sooner than later. Otherwise, Bulger would continue to be hurried and most likely injured.

[tim]

Vanden Bosch was to Saipaia what
Terrell Owens is to dignity.

LOL

Bernie said something amusing, for once.