Alex Barron: Top pick, fast track
By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Saturday, Apr. 30 2005
A little more than a year ago, Rams general manager Charley Armey was watching
film of several University of Miami defenders in preparation for the draft.
On one particular tape, the Hurricanes were playing Florida State. After
watching Seminoles offensive tackle Alex Barron destroy Miami linebackers
Jonathan Vilma and D.J. Williams on play after play, Armey turned to Rams'
scouting assistant Brad Holmes and said, "Is this your cousin?"
Affirmative.
Holmes, in his second year with the Rams, was a pass rusher of some repute a
few years back for North Carolina A&T. Before his junior season in 2000, a
season in which he would register 8 1/2 sacks, Holmes decided to see what
cousin Alex had as a pass blocker.
Barron already had built a football reputation at Wilkinson High in Orangeburg,
S.C. One college recruiting service, Prep Star, had him rated as the third-best
offensive lineman in the country.
Holmes and his cousin went out in Barron's backyard for some one-on-one pass
rush drills.
"I couldn't get around him," Holmes said.
Not many can, which explains why the Rams made Barron their first-round pick,
No. 19 overall, in the NFL draft last week. Coach Mike Martz wasted little time
with Barron.
"We're handing him the starting job at right tackle," Martz said Friday. "It's
his."
Then, in an unusual move, Martz made a request to the media at Rams rookie
minicamp.
"The one thing I'd ask all of you with Alex is to have patience," Martz said.
"Because he's going to have some tough moments. But he is our right tackle.
We're making that commitment to him. We're trying to get him ready as quickly
as we can.
"I know he's going to be scrutinized closely. I know he'll be nervous. This is
a big deal to him. ... Bear in mind, two, three years from now, I think we'll
have a real special player."
Barron was a two-time consensus All-American at Florida State and was among
three finalists for the Outland Trophy last season. But Barron did not expect
after getting drafted to be named a starter in April.
"I was overwhelmed by it," the soft-spoken Barron said Saturday. "I was kind of
shocked a little bit. But they believe I can get the job done, and I'm just
going to try to do my best to help the team."
Barron has many physical attributes that separate him from the pack. But it
begins and ends with his amazing wingspan. From one outstretched arm...
-04-30-2005, 11:25 PM
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