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1997 St. Louis Rams

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Record: 5-11-0, Finished 5th in NFC West Division
NFL Season Summary

Scored 299 points (18.7/g), 23rd of 30 in the NFL.
 Allowed 359 points (22.4/g), 19th.
 Differential of -60 points (-3.8/g), 23rd.
 Expected W-L: 6.3-9.7.

 Takeaway/Giveaway Differential +9 (0.6/g), 6th.

Simple Rating System: Total -4.0, Offense: -1.8, Defense: -2.2, SoS: -0.2, versus averages of 0.0.

Coached by Dick Vermeil

 Defensive Coordinator: Bud Carson

Training Camp: Western Illinois University (Macomb, Illinois)

Starters

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),Hide Non-primary Starters
Pos Age Yrs GS Summary of Player Stats Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
 Offensive Starters
QB Tony Banks 24 1 16 252 for 487, 3,254 yards, 14 td, 13 int, & 47 rushes for 186 yards and 1 td St. Louis Rams / 2nd / 42nd pick / 1996
RB Lawrence Phillips 22 1 9 183 rushes for 633 yards, 8 td, & 10 catches for 33 yards and 0 td St. Louis Rams / 1st / 6th pick / 1996
FB Craig Heyward 31 9 12 34 rushes for 84 yards, 1 td, & 8 catches for 77 yards and 0 td New Orleans Saints / 1st / 24th pick / 1988
WR Isaac Bruce 25 3 12 56 catches for 815 yards, 5 td Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1994
PR Eddie Kennison 24 1 9 34 punt returns for a 7.3 average and 0 td St. Louis Rams / 1st / 18th pick / 1996
TE Ernie Conwell 25 1 16 38 catches for 404 yards, 4 td St. Louis Rams / 2nd / 59th pick / 1996
LT Orlando Pace 22 Rook 9 1 fumble recovered St. Louis Rams / 1st / 1st pick / 1997
LG John Gerak 27 4 16 Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 57th pick / 1993
C Mike Gruttadauria 25 1 14
RG Zach Wiegert 25 2 15 4 fumbles recovered St. Louis Rams / 2nd / 38th pick / 1995
RT Wayne Gandy 26 3 16 Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 15th pick / 1994
 Defensive Starters
LDE Kevin Carter 24 2 16 7.5 sacks, 0 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered St. Louis Rams / 1st / 6th pick / 1995
LDT Bill E. Johnson 29 5 16 4.0 sacks, 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 65th pick / 1992
RDT D'Marco Farr 26 3 16 3.0 sacks, 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered
RDE Leslie O'Neal 33 11 14 10.0 sacks, 1 interception, 2 fumbles recovered San Diego Chargers / 1st / 8th pick / 1986
LLB Mike Jones 28 6 15 2.0 sacks, 1 interception, 0 fumbles recovered
MLB Robert Jones 28 5 15 1.0 sacks, 0 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 24th pick / 1992
RLB Roman Phifer 29 6 15 2.0 sacks, 0 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 31st pick / 1991
LCB Todd Lyght 28 6 16 1.0 sacks, 4 interceptions, 2 fumbles recovered Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 5th pick / 1991
RCB Ryan McNeil 27 4 16 0.0 sacks, 9 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Detroit Lions / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1993
SS Toby Wright 27 3 11 0.0 sacks, 0 interceptions, 1 fumble recovered Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 49th pick / 1994
FS Keith Lyle 25 3 16 2.0 sacks, 8 interceptions, 0 fumbles recovered Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 71st pick / 1994
 Special Teams Starters
K Jeff Wilkins 25 3 0 25 of 37 field goals & 32 of 32 extra points
P Mike Horan 38 13 0 53 punts for a 42.9 average, 0 blocked Atlanta Falcons / 9th / 235th pick / 1982
PR Eddie Kennison 24 1 9 34 punt returns for a 7.3 average and 0 td St. Louis Rams / 1st / 18th pick / 1996
KR David Thompson 22 Rook 0 49 kick returns for a 22.7 average and 0 td

Roster

ProBowl(*), 1st-team All-Pro(+),
No. Age Pos G GS Wt Ht College/Univ BirthDate Yrs AV Drafted (tm/rnd/yr)
20 Taje Allen 24 db 14 1 185 5-10 Texas 11/6/1973 Rook 1 St. Louis Rams / 5th / 158th pick / 1997
12 Tony Banks 24 QB 16 16 230 6-4 Michigan St. 4/5/1973 1 10 St. Louis Rams / 2nd / 42nd pick / 1996
10 Will Brice 23 6 0 227 6-4 Virginia 10/24/1974 Rook 0
61 Bern Brostek 31 c 1 1 300 6-3 Washington 9/11/1966 7 0 Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 23rd pick / 1990
80 Isaac Bruce 25 WR 12 12 188 6-0 Memphis 11/10/1972 3 6 Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1994
93 Kevin Carter 24 LDE 16 16 290 6-5 Florida 9/21/1973 2 9 St. Louis Rams / 1st / 6th pick / 1995
56 Charlie Clemons 25 5 0 250 6-2 Georgia 7/4/1972 Rook 0
84 Ernie Conwell 25 TE 16 16 255 6-2 Washington 8/17/1972 1 5 St. Louis Rams / 2nd / 59th pick / 1996
81 Keith Crawford 27 wr 15 2 188 6-2 Howard Payne 11/21/1970 4 2
53 Nate Dingle 26 9 0 252 6-2 Cincinnati 7/23/1971 2 1
54 Troy Dumas 25 2 0 242 6-3 Nebraska 9/30/1972 1 0 Kansas City Chiefs / 3rd / 97th pick / 1995
65 Ernest Dye 26 13 0 330 6-6 South Carolina 7/15/1971 4 1 Phoenix Cardinals / 1st / 18th pick / 1993
75 D'Marco Farr 26 RDT 16 16 276 6-1 Washington 6/9/1971 3 8
82 Malcolm Floyd 25 4 0 194 6-0 Fresno St. 12/19/1972 3 0 Houston Oilers / 3rd / 101st pick / 1994
70 Wayne Gandy 26 RT 16 16 308 6-4 Auburn 2/10/1971 3 7 Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 15th pick / 1994
66 John Gerak 27 LG 16 16 290 6-3 Penn St. 1/6/1970 4 6 Minnesota Vikings / 3rd / 57th pick / 1993
60 Mike Gruttadauria 25 C 14 14 280 6-3 Central Florida 12/6/1972 1 5
57 Britt Hager 31 13 0 231 6-1 Texas 2/20/1966 8 1 Philadelphia Eagles / 3rd / 81st pick / 1989
34 Craig Heyward 31 FB 16 12 260 5-11 Pittsburgh 9/26/1966 9 1 New Orleans Saints / 1st / 24th pick / 1988
2 Mike Horan 38 P 10 0 192 5-11 Long Beach St. 2/1/1959 13 0 Atlanta Falcons / 9th / 235th pick / 1982
89 Mitch Jacoby 24 te 14 2 260 6-4 Northern Illinois 12/8/1973 Rook 1
22 Billy Jenkins 23 db 16 2 205 5-10 Howard 7/8/1974 Rook 2
79 Bill E. Johnson 29 LDT 16 16 305 6-4 Michigan St. 12/9/1968 5 8 Cleveland Browns / 3rd / 65th pick / 1992
52 Mike Jones 28 LLB 16 15 240 6-1 Missouri 4/15/1969 6 8
55 Robert Jones 28 MLB 16 15 244 6-3 East Carolina 9/27/1969 5 7 Dallas Cowboys / 1st / 24th pick / 1992
59 Muadianvita Kazadi 24 12 0 240 6-2 Tulsa 12/20/1973 Rook 1 St. Louis Rams / 6th / 179th pick / 1997
88 Eddie Kennison 24 PR 14 9 201 6-1 LSU 1/20/1973 1 3 St. Louis Rams / 1st / 18th pick / 1996
86 Aaron Laing 26 te 15 4 260 6-3 Lamar,New Mexico St. 7/19/1971 3 1 San Diego Chargers / 5th / 137th pick / 1994
31 Amp Lee 26 rb 16 1 200 5-11 Florida St. 10/1/1971 5 7 San Francisco 49ers / 2nd / 45th pick / 1992
41 Todd Lyght 28 LCB 16 16 190 6-0 Notre Dame 2/9/1969 6 7 Los Angeles Rams / 1st / 5th pick / 1991
35 Keith Lyle 25 FS 16 16 210 6-2 Virginia 4/17/1972 3 8 Los Angeles Rams / 3rd / 71st pick / 1994
23 Gerald McBurrows 24 db 8 3 208 5-11 Kansas 10/7/1973 2 1 St. Louis Rams / 7th / 214th pick / 1995
24 Dexter McCleon 24 db 16 1 195 5-10 Clemson 10/9/1973 Rook 2 St. Louis Rams / 2nd / 40th pick / 1997
47 Ryan McNeil 27 RCB 16 16 210 6-2 Miami (FL) 10/4/1970 4 9 Detroit Lions / 2nd / 33rd pick / 1993
73 Fred Miller 24 lt 15 7 320 6-7 Baylor 2/6/1973 1 3 St. Louis Rams / 5th / 141st pick / 1996
44 Jerald Moore 23 rb 9 5 225 5-9 Oklahoma 11/20/1974 1 3 St. Louis Rams / 3rd / 83rd pick / 1996
29 Ronald Moore 27 rb 7 2 220 5-10 Pittsburg St. 1/26/1970 4 1 Phoenix Cardinals / 4th / 87th pick / 1993
91 Leslie O'Neal 33 RDE 15 14 275 6-4 Oklahoma St. 5/7/1964 11 9 San Diego Chargers / 1st / 8th pick / 1986
76 Orlando Pace 22 LT 13 9 325 6-7 Ohio St. 11/4/1975 Rook 4 St. Louis Rams / 1st / 1st pick / 1997
58 Roman Phifer 29 RLB 16 15 248 6-2 UCLA 3/5/1968 6 7 Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 31st pick / 1991
21 Lawrence Phillips 22 RB 10 9 212 6-0 Nebraska 5/12/1975 1 4 St. Louis Rams / 1st / 6th pick / 1996
92 Bryan Robinson 23 11 0 305 6-4 Fresno St. 6/22/1974 Rook 1
94 Jeff Robinson 27 16 0 264 6-4 Idaho 2/20/1970 4 1 Denver Broncos / 4th / 98th pick / 1993
82 Jermaine Ross 26 4 0 192 6-0 Purdue 4/27/1971 3 0
42 Joe Rowe 24 2 0 195 6-0 Virginia 12/8/1973 Rook 0
11 Mark Rypien 35 5 0 231 6-4 Washington St. 10/2/1962 9 1 Washington Redskins / 6th / 146th pick / 1986
37 Mike Scurlock 25 5 0 200 5-10 Arizona 2/26/1972 2 0 St. Louis Rams / 5th / 140th pick / 1995
83 Torrance Small 27 wr 13 7 209 6-3 Alcorn St. 9/4/1970 5 4 New Orleans Saints / 5th / 138th pick / 1992
62 Vernice Smith 32 g 10 2 300 6-3 Florida A&M 10/24/1965 7 1
51 Lorenzo Styles 23 3 0 245 6-1 Ohio St. 1/31/1974 2 0 Atlanta Falcons / 3rd / 77th pick / 1995
87 J.T. Thomas 26 4 0 180 5-10 Arizona St. 7/11/1971 2 0 St. Louis Rams / 7th / 240th pick / 1995
28 David Thompson 22 KR 11 0 196 5-8 Oklahoma St. 1/13/1975 Rook 0
50 Ryan Tucker 22 7 0 325 6-6 TCU 6/12/1975 Rook 0 St. Louis Rams / 4th / 112th pick / 1997
38 Marquis Walker 25 11 0 175 5-10 SE Missouri St. 7/6/1972 1 1
53 Brett Wallerstedt 27 2 0 240 6-1 Arizona St. 11/24/1970 4 0 Phoenix Cardinals / 6th / 143rd pick / 1993
72 Zach Wiegert 25 RG 15 15 309 6-5 Nebraska 8/16/1972 2 5 St. Louis Rams / 2nd / 38th pick / 1995
14 Jeff Wilkins 25 K 16 0 205 6-2 Youngstown St. 4/19/1972 3 0
96 Jay Williams 26 de 16 2 275 6-3 Wake Forest 10/13/1971 2 2
32 Toby Wright 27 SS 11 11 212 5-11 Nebraska 11/19/1970 3 4 Los Angeles Rams / 2nd / 49th pick / 1994
90 Jeff Zgonina 27 15 0 285 6-2 Purdue 5/24/1970 4 2 Pittsburgh Steelers / 7th / 185th pick / 1993
Team Total 26.1 16 241.7 6-1.7 3.1