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โ€œFrom last season alone, I should've been drafted in the first three rounds. SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-American. I knew I was going to get picked somewhere. Every team that passed me, I was thinking how Iโ€™m going to sack their quarterback.โ€

 

First off, the team that picked you passed on you quite a few times in the early rounds. So you can go ahead and sack your own QB.

 

Which leads to my second point. I'm not at all comfortable with Sam saying he's thinking of ways to sack a QB. That term isn't going to work anymore. Not that there's anything wrong with that.

Last edited by ChilliJon

โ€œFrom last season alone, I should've been drafted in the first three rounds. SEC Defensive Player of the Year, All-American. I knew I was going to get picked somewhere. Every team that passed me, I was thinking how Iโ€™m going tosack their quarterback.โ€

 

I read that article (Or a similar one).  I was turned off by how he insinuated that he fell in the draft because of his sexuality.  I'm glad he didn't end up in Green Bay.  Not because he's gay, but because of the media BS that follows.  The truth is that this dude is an average football player that may or may not even make the final roster.  Yet, if he doesn't make it, you can bet your ass it will be directly related to his sexuality.  

Rams really put themselves in a spot here. If Sam's not good enough to make the roster, and the Rams cut him, they're going to get criticism from people that normally don't follow football all that closely. "He was defensive player of the year in his conference, how could he not make the team?"...I can hear that one already.

 

It would have been better if a top tier prospect came out before the draft. Then we'd have a real litmus test on our hands. Sam is a marginal NFL prospect at this point, unfortunately.

Last edited by Fond Du Arrigo

With the Rams, they have a pretty decent LB corps from what I have read and in a couple games I saw last season. Their DL is very good.

 

Would it shock me if he got cut? Not at all.

 

As for the "awards", most teams really couldn't care less how many sports writers trophies he has. It's all about what they are seeing on film. IMO he will have to be an ace ST's player to make the 53.

Tom Burke:
quote:
As a senior in 1998, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and received the Bill Willis Trophy. He holds the Badgers' team record for most sacks in a season with 22.


Burke was a 3rd round pick (not a top 10 as his resume above would suggest), and washed out of the NFL in 4 seasons. College success as pass rusher means n-o-t-h-i-n-g. His measurables skilled him. He has a chance to prove that those measurables are meaningless.
Last edited by Music City
Originally Posted by Fond Du Arrigo:

       
Rams really put themselves in a spot here. If Sam's not good enough to make the roster, and the Rams cut him, they're going to get criticism from people that normally don't follow football all that closely. "He was defensive player of the year in his conference, how could he not make the team?"...I can hear that one already.


       


Reminds me of Jesse Jackson praising Ron Wolf for hiring the Ray Rhodes staff...first African American head coach, OC, and DC.

It had nothing to do with skin color.

A year later Wolf fired the entire staff and Jackson flipped out. Again, it had nothing to do with skin color.

Last edited by bdplant

If the article was titled Michael Sam: 'I'm proud of where I am now' I wonder if there'd be the same response.  The picture they chose for the article makes it appear like he's emphasizing that he should have been picked higher as well.   

 

Given that I googled and a link named "Michael Sam Conference Call"  on the Rams site popped up. They pulled it.  That seems about the worst way the Rams could handle it.  Found the transcript from a different site though...

 

(On what his offseason has been like)
โ€œWell you just answered my question. Itโ€™s been all about football. Iโ€™ve been getting in shape and preparing for this moment for a very long time and Iโ€™m excited. Iโ€™m ready and Iโ€™m so determined to be great.โ€

 

(On if he has heard from any Rams players)
โ€œI have. Current teammates have texted me. I really donโ€™t know who they are, but they just said, โ€˜Welcome to the team,โ€™ so I donโ€™t know their numbers yet. But, the vets have been texting me and St. Louis fans have been tweeting me and Iโ€™m just very excited. Iโ€™m a former (Missouri) Tiger. Iโ€™m glad to stay in Missouri and Iโ€™m ready to get to work.โ€

 

(On joining some other former Missouri players on the Rams)
โ€œWeโ€™re ready. Weโ€™re ready to work. Missouri is one of the best in the nation as a Division I program. We Tigers, weโ€™ve got to keep on proving to the nation that Mizzou Tigers know how to play football. The 2013 co-Defensive Player of the Year is ready to (expletive) show the world that he is also ready to work.โ€

 

(On if he is ready to play right now)
โ€œLet me tell you something, if we were playing the Vikings right now I would probably have three sacks the first game (laughs).โ€

 

(On what his whole pre-draft process has been like and what the positive reactions have meant to him)
โ€œSince February, since my big announcement, there has been this whole speculation of the first openly gay football player. But, you know what? Itโ€™s not about that. Itโ€™s about playing football. Can Michael Sam play football? And yes, I can. The St. Louis Rams know I can and Iโ€™m going to give everything Iโ€™ve got to the St. Louis Rams to help the Rams win a championship.โ€

 

(On the Rams bringing on the first African-American professional football player in Kenny Washington and now drafting the first openly gay player and what he thinks that says about the organization)
โ€œThe Rams know what the hell theyโ€™re doing.โ€

 

(On if he is confident that his season is going to be all about football)
โ€œI am so confident, and it is all about football. Itโ€™s about winning games and winning championships. The St. Louis Rams want to win championships. I think they drafted two great players today, (Ccool smiley E.J. Gaines and myself. I think weโ€™re determined to win a Super Bowl next year.โ€

 

(On the other non-Mizzou players being good as well)
โ€œWeโ€™re all about one team. One goal is to win the championship. I just wanted to give my other Mizzou players a little shout out.โ€

 

(On if continuing his career in Missouri provides extra support)
โ€œIโ€™m telling you, weโ€™re going to rock it. Next season and all the seasons to come, weโ€™re going to be rocking in St. Louis.โ€

 

(On if he thinks both he and Gaines will come in with a chip on their shoulder because they were drafted in lower rounds)
โ€œYeah, thereโ€™s a chip on our shoulder. Weโ€™re pissed off for greatness. You arenโ€™t going to get nothing but the best from us. Weโ€™re going to win games in St. Louis. You better believe it and you heard it first from Michael Sam.โ€

 

(On if he has heard from Gaines)
โ€œI have not. Iโ€™m telling you, my phone has been blowing up. It actually died and I had to put it on a charger. I havenโ€™t reached out to E.J., but he knows what weโ€™ve got to do. I donโ€™t have to explain it or text E.J., he knows whatโ€™s to be expected next season.โ€

 

(On if any of the Rams defensive linemen told him about what he would be walking into with regards to football and the position groupโ€™s personalities)
โ€œItโ€™s all about football. Nothing else. Nothing personal. Itโ€™s all about football and being prepared to work and Iโ€™m ready to work.โ€

 

(On his familiarity with the Ramsโ€™ defensive line group)
โ€œI know the D-Line coach is excited, heโ€™s a former marine, and heโ€™s ready. Heโ€™s one of the best. I think my defensive coordinator was a former marine and he knew how to coach me. I think next season the St. Louis Rams defensive line is probably going to be the best on the team.โ€

 

(On Rams GM Les Snead saying that his role initially will be designated pass rusher and his thoughts on that)
โ€œI am a pass rusher. I sack quarterbacks โ€“ thatโ€™s my main job. I want to get better with the D-Line coach and the defensive coordinator. Thatโ€™s my job. Weโ€™ll probably have the most quarterback sacks in the NFL next season.โ€

 

(On if he is ready for the media attention to be over so he can focus on football)
โ€œYou know what? I knew what I was coming into. If I didnโ€™t, I meanโ€ฆI can answer your questions right now. Iโ€™m not afraid to answer questions. Hey, are there going to be idiots out there who say some stupid stuff? Yeah. Iโ€™m not worried about that. Iโ€™m worrying about the guy next to me, the guy in front of me. I have to prove myself. Iโ€™ve got to make sure the โ€˜vetsโ€™ know that Iโ€™m a team player and I love this game. I want to show the coaches that Iโ€™m a team player and Iโ€™m a hardworking guy, and that what I do on the field will determine how great Michael Sam will be.โ€

 

(On if it was Head Coach Jeff Fisher that called him to deliver the news)
โ€œYes sir. To be honest with you, the only thing I heard from Coach Fisher was, โ€˜Michael Sam this is Coach Fisher of the St. Louis Rams,โ€™ and that was it. I have no idea after that what he said.โ€

 

(On him getting emotional when he got the call)
โ€œWaiting three days, I think youโ€™d be little emotional yourself.โ€

 

(On his draft expectations)
โ€œIn all honesty, from last season alone, I should have been a highโ€ฆfirst three rounds. SEC Defensive Player of the Year, unanimous All-American โ€“ I should have gone in the top three rounds easily. But you know, it is what it is. Iโ€™m happy to be a St. Louis Ram. Everything else is history. Iโ€™m ready to be a part of this program. Iโ€™m ready to show my quality to the team. Go Rams.โ€

 

(On if it would have been disappointing not to get drafted)
โ€œI would have been even more pissed off. Whatever team I would have ended up with, we would have done great then. But, you know what? The St. Louis Rams saw my potential and Iโ€™m going to give everything Iโ€™ve got to them.โ€

 

(On what other teams he was talking to and who he thought was serious about selecting him in the event that the Rams did not)
โ€œIt doesnโ€™t matter who was talking to me, they didnโ€™t have the (expletive) that St. Louis had. Iโ€™m telling you, no one had the (expletive) that St. Louis has and Iโ€™m proud to give everything Iโ€™ve got to St. Louis. So many people are proud of the St. Louis (Rams) organization for being the one to make history.โ€

 

(On if he thinks his announcement worked against him)
โ€œWho knows? Only the people who sit in the war room know. They saw Michael Samโ€™s name and they scratched it off the board, you know, that was their loss. But St. Louis kept me on that board until the end. The picked me in the late seventh round and I feel like Iโ€™m (Houston DE Jadeveon) Clowney being the first draft pick in the draft, so Iโ€™m proud of where I am now.โ€ rams-news.com (not the official site)

and at the end of the day it is football...

 

Sam is wrong if he thinks being SEC Defensive Player of the Year or an All-American should make him a high draft pick. Those are media awards, and NFL teams couldnโ€™t care less what sportswriters think. For proof of that, Sam needs to look no further than his fellow Associated Press All-American defensive end, Jackson Jeffcoat: Despite a great college career and a Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year award, Jeffcoat went undrafted.
NFL teams werenโ€™t discriminating against Jeffcoat when they passed on him, they were simply calculating that he lacks the size and strength to be a great defensive lineman, while simultaneously lacking the speed and burst to be a great linebacker. In that respect, Jeffcoat and Sam are similar players and similar NFL prospects. -Michael David Smith at profootballtalk.com

 

Anyone remembering Terrel Manning's confidence?  

Kuechly won defensive rookie of the year honors. In Carolina, Kuechly was the league's runaway leader in tackles (164).

 

Manning nods his head, his voice hardens to a "yeah, yeah" whisper.


"I still think that I'm better," Manning said. "I'm sorry. He was put in a position to be able to go out and make those plays. Eventually, I think my time will come. ... I have vets in front of me. He went to a defense that was looking for help. As a first-round pick, you're supposed to play." jsonline



Originally Posted by Music City:
Tom Burke:
quote:
As a senior in 1998, he was recognized as a consensus first-team All-American, Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, first-team All-Big Ten, and received the Bill Willis Trophy. He holds the Badgers' team record for most sacks in a season with 22.


Burke was a 3rd round pick (not a top 10 as his resume above would suggest), and washed out of the NFL in 4 seasons. College success as pass rusher means n-o-t-h-i-n-g. His measurables skilled him. He has a chance to prove that those measurables are meaningless.

So, are you implying there is no chance his sexual orientation caused him to fall?

Originally Posted by bdplant:
Originally Posted by Fond Du Arrigo:

       
Rams really put themselves in a spot here. If Sam's not good enough to make the roster, and the Rams cut him, they're going to get criticism from people that normally don't follow football all that closely. "He was defensive player of the year in his conference, how could he not make the team?"...I can hear that one already.


       


Reminds me of Jesse Jackson praising Ron Wolf for hiring the Ray Rhodes staff...first African American head coach, OC, and DC.

It had nothing to do with skin color.

A year later Wolf fired the entire staff and Jackson flipped out. Again, it had nothing to do with skin color.

**** Jesse Jackson. No one cares what he thinks.

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