By Jim Thomas
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
Saturday, Jul. 29 2006
As he enters his eighth NFL season,
Torry Holt says nothing has changed about
his approach to training camp. He still dislikes it.
"I've never been a big fan of training camp," Holt said. "And I'm still not a
big fan of training camp."
But the five-time Pro Bowler concedes this year is a little different.
"It's like my rookie year again," Holt said Friday. "I'm just trying to replay
how it was my rookie season. Coach (Scott Linehan) talks about this being a new
era, being a new football team, a new philosophy, a new way of doing things.
"So I'm trying to rewind myself back to seven years, trying to refresh myself
and get ready to go out here and compete every day, and try to make this squad."
Make the squad? "That's the approach I take every single year - to
come out and try to earn myself a spot on this football team," Holt said. "I've
just in some ways always said it's never guaranteed. I know I'm going to be
around here ... but I try to give myself something to fight for.
"I always try to motivate myself in some way. And that's one of the ways, to
say, 'Hey, Torry. You've got to go out and make the team this year if you want
to play football.'"
Well, best of luck with that.
"Thanks," Holt said, laughing.
Let's go out on a limb and predict that Holt will land a spot on the Rams'
final 53-man roster in September.
Holt's approach at age 30 shows that Holt still has a hunger for the game. As
part of the dwindling core of Super Bowl XXXIV and XXXVI veterans on the Rams'
squad, it's also an indication that he's willing to work with the new head
coach.
"It's an ongoing learning experience," Holt said. "Every day we're learning
something new about him, or he's learning something new about us. The one thing
I like about Coach Linehan, which I think is a tremendous compliment to him, is
he's open for advice. He's open to new things. He's always asking us questions."
That approach has led to a relaxed, relatively stress-free approach to football
at Rams Park, something that wasn't always the case under Mike Martz,
especially in the final year or two of Martz's tenure.
"We're all easy," Holt said. "Nobody's uptight. We're all taking it in stride,
and I think we're improving."
The fact that Linehan doesn't act like he has all the answers may help him win
over the veterans on the team.
"He's allowing us as players - the older players - to also be coaches, too,"
Holt said. "Also allowing us to motivate. He's allowing us to break the huddle
down. Guys are able to ask questions right at the point. And he'll stop what
he's doing to answer it. If he doesn't have the answer right then, he'll get
back to you. ... This attitude, this approach, as of now it's working. And
everything's fine."
Everything appears to be fine with Holt's right knee as well. Holt missed two
games last October with what was originally diagnosed as a bruised right knee.
Turns out he had cartilage and ligament damage in the knee, but was able to
avoid offseason surgery.
"I just rest it," Holt said. "I did a lot of, I guess, calisthenics and weight
lifting, and a lot of pool work in the offseason. I've just been fortunate. I
haven't had any discomfort. Any clicking. I constantly got the knee checked.
"I've just got to continue to ice it. It's probably going to be a little sore
as we go through these two-a-days, because of the grind of two-a-days. But for
the most part I feel good. I still have my quickness. I'm still able to run and
get in and out of my breaks."
And he's still hopeful, as always, of nailing down a roster spot.
Linear Mode
