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By Jim Thomas
Of the Post-Dispatch
Sunday, Nov. 28 2004
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Brian Howard figured something was up Wednesday when he was
told to go out with the Rams' starting defense at morning walk-through. Still,
he was taking nothing for granted. One bad practice and he could be back with
the second unit.
"Yeah, it can change real quick," Howard said.
But it didn't. Howard, an undrafted rookie defensive tackle from Idaho, will
make his first NFL start tonight against Green Bay. Howard actually found out
later on Wednesday that he would start.
"A lot of things go through your head when you hear that - being a young guy,
and undrafted," Howard said. "Obviously it's exciting.
He called his mother and some friends with the news as soon as he could. But as
the week progressed, he tried not to give it much thought.
"If you think about it too much, it might kind of get to you," he said.
Given the occasion, Howard might have to battle his nerves as much as one of
the league's top offensive lines tonight.
"Maybe," he said. "Just because of everything that's going on, being on 'Monday
Night Football,' being my first start, Green Bay Packers at (Lambeau Field).
Just the whole scenario is pretty sweet."
Howard is undersized at 6 feet 4, 278 pounds, but he does have some quickness
and plays with a lot of energy. Howard has played mainly on special teams and
didn't even dress against New England on Nov. 7. But he had four stops last
week against Buffalo, including one tackle for loss.
He will replace Damione Lewis, who hasn't made much happen the past couple of
games, in the starting lineup.
Edwards is ready for his debut
When the Rams claimed Antuan Edwards off waivers from Miami on Nov. 11, he came
to St. Louis with a groin injury. After being inactive against Seattle and
Buffalo, Edwards is now healthy and will make his Rams debut tonight against
his former team, the Green Bay Packers.
Edwards, a free safety, will play in the dime package and on special teams. He
was a first-round draft choice by Green Bay in 1999 out of Clemson and spent
his first five seasons with the Packers.
"It's going to be exciting to go back and see some old friends of mine,"
Edwards said. "Get a chance for the first time in my career to play against one
of the greatest quarterbacks of all time."
That would be Brett Favre. Edwards played 53 games as a Packer at cornerback
and safety, including 18 starts. He signed with Miami as an unrestricted free
agent last offseason and started eight games for the Dolphins before his
release.
Edwards said the Packers never expressed much interest in retaining him after
the '03 season, but he left Green Bay with no hard feelings.
"There's no bad blood there," Edwards said. "If I had the opportunity to go
back, I would go back.... My whole thing up there was I got hurt a lot."
Edwards missed part of the 2000 season and most of the '01 campaign with a knee
injury, and he finished the '03 season on injured reserve with a hamstring
injury.
Heated pads will warm Rams, Packers
The temperature is expected to be below freezing at some point during tonight's
game. But the latest in shoulder-pad technology will help keep the Rams and
Packers warm. Both teams will have plastic tubing attached to their shoulder
pads, tubing that can be filled with hot air on the sidelines to warm the upper
body.
"As you sit down, there's a heating unit that you hook into the tubing - you
plug it right in, and it blows in hot air," said Rams equipment manager Todd
Hewitt.
The tubing system has been used in NFL games to keep players cool during
warm-weather games, with cold air blown into the tubing. But tonight marks the
first NFL game it will be used to keep players warm.
Of the Post-Dispatch
Sunday, Nov. 28 2004
GREEN BAY, Wis. - Brian Howard figured something was up Wednesday when he was
told to go out with the Rams' starting defense at morning walk-through. Still,
he was taking nothing for granted. One bad practice and he could be back with
the second unit.
"Yeah, it can change real quick," Howard said.
But it didn't. Howard, an undrafted rookie defensive tackle from Idaho, will
make his first NFL start tonight against Green Bay. Howard actually found out
later on Wednesday that he would start.
"A lot of things go through your head when you hear that - being a young guy,
and undrafted," Howard said. "Obviously it's exciting.
He called his mother and some friends with the news as soon as he could. But as
the week progressed, he tried not to give it much thought.
"If you think about it too much, it might kind of get to you," he said.
Given the occasion, Howard might have to battle his nerves as much as one of
the league's top offensive lines tonight.
"Maybe," he said. "Just because of everything that's going on, being on 'Monday
Night Football,' being my first start, Green Bay Packers at (Lambeau Field).
Just the whole scenario is pretty sweet."
Howard is undersized at 6 feet 4, 278 pounds, but he does have some quickness
and plays with a lot of energy. Howard has played mainly on special teams and
didn't even dress against New England on Nov. 7. But he had four stops last
week against Buffalo, including one tackle for loss.
He will replace Damione Lewis, who hasn't made much happen the past couple of
games, in the starting lineup.
Edwards is ready for his debut
When the Rams claimed Antuan Edwards off waivers from Miami on Nov. 11, he came
to St. Louis with a groin injury. After being inactive against Seattle and
Buffalo, Edwards is now healthy and will make his Rams debut tonight against
his former team, the Green Bay Packers.
Edwards, a free safety, will play in the dime package and on special teams. He
was a first-round draft choice by Green Bay in 1999 out of Clemson and spent
his first five seasons with the Packers.
"It's going to be exciting to go back and see some old friends of mine,"
Edwards said. "Get a chance for the first time in my career to play against one
of the greatest quarterbacks of all time."
That would be Brett Favre. Edwards played 53 games as a Packer at cornerback
and safety, including 18 starts. He signed with Miami as an unrestricted free
agent last offseason and started eight games for the Dolphins before his
release.
Edwards said the Packers never expressed much interest in retaining him after
the '03 season, but he left Green Bay with no hard feelings.
"There's no bad blood there," Edwards said. "If I had the opportunity to go
back, I would go back.... My whole thing up there was I got hurt a lot."
Edwards missed part of the 2000 season and most of the '01 campaign with a knee
injury, and he finished the '03 season on injured reserve with a hamstring
injury.
Heated pads will warm Rams, Packers
The temperature is expected to be below freezing at some point during tonight's
game. But the latest in shoulder-pad technology will help keep the Rams and
Packers warm. Both teams will have plastic tubing attached to their shoulder
pads, tubing that can be filled with hot air on the sidelines to warm the upper
body.
"As you sit down, there's a heating unit that you hook into the tubing - you
plug it right in, and it blows in hot air," said Rams equipment manager Todd
Hewitt.
The tubing system has been used in NFL games to keep players cool during
warm-weather games, with cold air blown into the tubing. But tonight marks the
first NFL game it will be used to keep players warm.
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