By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
07/27/2004
MACOMB, Ill. - Armed with air mattresses, extra pillows and assorted creature comforts, Rams players arrived for training camp Tuesday with a mixture of dread and delight.
Dread for the regimen of two-a-days that begins anew this morning on the practice fields of Western Illinois University. Delight in the renewal of friendships and the anticipation of the season that lies ahead.
"Camp is camp," linebacker Robert Thomas said. "It's the toughest thing you go through during the football season. You'd rather be at home, rather be in your own bed. But it brings us together as a team, through something that you've got to fight through together."
"It's time," said Arlen Harris, who will try to make the switch from tailback to fullback this season. "Sitting at home, you can only work out so much. So I was ready to go."
Harris spent part of his summer in the tropics of Aruba. Thomas went boating on Lake of the Ozarks. Defensive lineman Tyoka Jackson hopped into the family truck with his wife, daughter and niece, and headed for Christmas, Indiana.
"It's an area where it's Christmas every day of the year," Jackson said. "We stayed at the Santa Claus Inn."
But as of Tuesday night, the residence for 80 Rams players is the Thompson Hall dormitory, known for its frigid air conditioning and lumpy mattresses.
"Probably the worst thing about staying up here is the beds that we have to sleep in," long snapper
Chris Massey said. "Too short, too narrow, not too comfy."
Massey made the drive from St. Louis with 67.
"They closed some exit I usually take on 67, so that made us go nine extra miles," Gordon said. "We took out that map. But we figured it out."
Safety Adam Archuleta made a fashion statement as he lugged his things into Thompson - he was sporting a blue and white headband.
"I just felt like rockin' a headband today," Archuleta said, somewhat defensively.
The Rams open practice this morning with all seven draft picks signed and on the field. Only franchise player
Orlando Pace, in the midst of another contract stalemate, will be missing in action.
"We've got an Orlando watch out - out there on the highway," coach Mike Martz joked. "When 'Big O' gets here, we'll love him to death. I understand what he's going through. I really do. It's hard for coaches. But it is what it is. We're not going to change it. Why worry about it?"
Center Dave Wohlabaugh, still feeling the effects of offseason hip surgery, will be the player most limited in practice.
"I think we have to be very careful with him," Martz said. "We will piecemeal him in, probably in afternoon practices with some light work. And then as the weeks go by, we'll try to improve what he can do in terms of participation."
Right tackle Kyle Turley underwent offseason back surgery.
"Kyle's fine," Martz said. "Kyle's injury, that's been resolved for quite some time. He looks like he's in terrific shape. He's been working out hard."
Meanwhile, running back Marshall Faulk and safety Aeneas Williams will be limited to one practice a day - the afternoon session - as was the case at the last training camp.
Faulk, who declined to talk to reporters Tuesday, is coming off offseason knee surgery. Williams has an ongoing turf toe problem.
"Really, Aeneas can do probably anything," Martz said. "But we're not going to ask him to do that. Marshall could probably do a lot, but we're not going to do that."
Defensive
Leonard Little won't be limited on the field, but will be limited off the field in terms of interviews. Martz has mandated that Little be made available to the media only once a week in camp, and that he be asked football questions only. Little is facing felony charges for drunken driving.
"I just think it's fair to Leonard that way," Martz said. "Otherwise, he'd just get hounded on some things. We've just got to make sure that everyone understands the guidelines."
Martz also has tweaked the daily practice schedule. Morning sessions have been moved up almost an hour - starting at 8:10 a.m. Afternoon workouts have been pushed backed slightly - starting at 4 p.m.
The idea is to give the players more time between workouts to recover. Martz also has eliminated the special teams sessions held every third day in lieu of a regular workout. The team will use that time for weight training and conditioning.
Apparently, new special teams coach Mike Stock is highly efficient and doesn't need the extra time.
"It's hard to explain," Martz said. "Just the structure of it, he's going to get everything covered. He said, 'I don't need this (extra time). Use this as meeting time or whatever.' "
Then, in a not-so-subtle swipe at former special teams coach Bobby April, Martz added, "What a breath of fresh air."
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Today's schedule
The Rams' itinerary in Macomb, Ill.
Practices are planned for 8:10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
Times are subject to change.
For up-to-date information, call 1-866-726-7226.
Practices are free and open to the public.
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