Sunday, November 18, 2007
By Brett Grassmuck
Staff Writer
SAN FRANCISCO – The Rams opened the game against the ***** with the ball and marched down the field into ***** territory. The Rams faced a second and nine from the San Francisco 18 when quarterback Marc Bulger hit wide receiver Isaac Bruce on a deep out at the San Francisco three for what would be one of the games most significant plays.
Not only did that completion set up the game’s only touchdown, it allowed Bruce to pass his position coach, Henry Ellard, for sixth place on the NFL’s all time receiving yards list.
“The other thing that was significant for our team was Isaac Bruce passed Henry Ellard for sixth all time in receiving yards in the NFL which is another significant day for the franchise,” Rams coach Scott Linehan said. “We are real proud.”
Bruce finished the day with five catches for 54 yards, bringing his career receiving yards total to 13,817, but he only needed 15 yards to pass Ellard (13,777) heading into the contest.
“It’s big,” Bruce said. “That’s my coach. He taught me a lot. He’ll be getting that football.”
Bruce is playing in his 14th NFL season and is still a big part of the Rams offense every time he steps on the field. Bruce may not have the blistering speed he did when he entered the league, he can still run routes as well as any receiver in the game, which is something Ellard helped him refine.
“He showed me how to do it instead of just telling me,” Bruce said. “That’s the biggest attribute that he brought as far as his coaching regime. For as long as he’s been my coach, he’s taught me how to do it, showed me how to do it.”
Bruce attributes having a former player, and former Los Angeles Ram, as his position coach to a lot of the success he’s had on the field.
“It helps tremendously,” Bruce said. “Anytime you have a guy that is doing what I’m doing at a very high level, it makes it a lot easier.”
With 54 yards from scrimmage against the *****, Bruce (13,967) also surpassed former Minnesota Vikings great Cris Carter (13,940) for 20th place on the NFL’s all-time scrimmage yards list.
“He’s special,” Ellard said. “The longevity and the way he takes care of his body. His work habits. He takes a lot of pride in what he does. You couldn’t ask for a better professional when it comes to a football player. He does it all.”
Bruce surpassed 1,000 yards for the ninth time during the 2006 season, and through 10 games in 2007, Bruce has caught 32 passes for 441 yards and one touchdown. He is sixth on the NFL’s all-time receiving yards list, seventh on the NFL’s all time receptions list, 17th on the NFL’s all time touchdown reception list and 20th on the NFL’s all time scrimmage yards list.
Bruce is one of only nine receivers to have accumulated 13,000 receiving yards and is the Rams all-time leader in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns.
“I just found out after the game,” Bulger said of Bruce passing Ellard’s receiving yards mark. “Every week you play with Isaac, the last four years, it seems like he’s breaking records, and I’ve been a part of a lot of them. It’s definitely an honor to be a part of it, the problem is you find out after the game, so I don’t get to enjoy the moment too much.”
Ellard was also known as a great route runner during his 16-year playing career. He spent 11 of those years wearing number 80 for the Los Angeles Rams, which is another reason why it was special for the wide receivers coach to have the current No. 80 surpass him.
“One 80 to another 80 is the way I look at it,” Ellard said. “He’s the only one left over from the L.A. Rams. I’m just happy for him.”
In Ellard’s 11 seasons with the Rams, he set franchise records for receptions (593) and receiving yards (9,761) and was second in touchdowns with 48. He played five seasons with the Washington Redskins and New England Patriots before it was all said and done, and entering the 2006 season, his 13,777 receiving yards put him in sixth place in receiving yards and his 814 receptions put him in 13th place in receptions in NFL history.
“Records are meant to be broken, and what makes it so sweet is me getting the opportunity to coach (Bruce) when he broke the record,” Ellard said.
Ellard began coaching the Rams wide receivers in 2001 and helped shape one of the best receiving tandems in the NFL in Bruce and fellow wide receiver Torry Holt during the height of the Rams “Greatest Show on Turf” offense.
