Rams Long Snapper Jake McQuaide (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Last Friday, we took a closer look at Rams rookie long snapper Travis Tripucka and his journey to the NFL.  Travis, doing his part to continue the Tripucka legacy, started with a lacrosse scholarship and eventually walked on to win the long snapping job at the University of Massachusetts.  Tripuckacaught the eye of professional scouts and is here at Rams Park trying to make his NFL dream come true.

This week, we continue our player interview series with second-year long snapper Jake McQuaide.  McQuaide took a similar route, walking onto the team at Ohio State.  He tells us about his transition from tight end to his current position, about being a professional in this league and how long snappers are unique football players.

Ohio Football

McQuaide learned the basics of long snapping his first year of playing football in the sixth grade.  It was then that a coach on his junior varsity team, who had previously played the position at Ohio University, literally taught him how to snap a football.

» Continue reading “One-on-One With Rams Long Snapper Jake McQuaide”

Rams rookie long snapper Travis Tripucka having fun at at TASK event (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

*From my most recent post on 101ESPN.com.

My family ventured on our annual East Coast road trip. If you don’t know already, I am a huge foodie. So, our travel route was plotted along the map of “Man vs. Food.”

Gray Brothers Cafeteria, just outside of Indianapolis, was our first stop. Hello, perfectly juicy fried chicken and fresh strawberry pie. Then onto Pittsburgh’s famous Primanti Brothers for sandwiches stuffed with fries and coleslaw – absolutely scrumptious and filling. But our final destination was the Garden State and the island of Manhattan.

New Jersey wasn’t all about my love for food, though. (But can I get an “Amen!” for BonChon Chicken and Jing Fong’s dim sum?) The trip was mostly about my love for my family. Road trips to California will prove to be few and far between, so I wanted to spend some quality time with my parents and sister before their big move to the opposite coast.

OK, I’ll admit we did eat a lot while we were there and did some touristy things. As we all know, nothing says quality family time like frolicking on the infamous Shores of Jersey. So, while the kids were body surfing the waves, I was busy getting my sunburn on. As I was involuntarily crisping in the water, I saw a guy with a mustache that reminded me of a certain Rams rookie who also spends time on the Jersey Shores.

During the last week of OTAs I had a chance to sit down with the Rams’ rookie long snapper, the Fu Manchu mustache-modeling Travis Tripucka. We talked about two of the biggest passions in his life – family and sports.

» Continue reading “Rams’ Tripucka Honors the Family Name with His Work”

09/18/11 Rams Kicker Josh Brown (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

When I read Josh Brown‘s 2012 salary would be $2.7 million the first thought that came to my mind was, “Uh oh.”  Players work their arses off to earn their big salaries only have it used against them later on.  Talk about a double edges sword.  Hardly fair.  I’d have to think Josh Brown saw his release coming at some point though.  Then again, maybe not.

This was a tweet from Thursday, the first day of the 2012 draft.

Exciting day for a lot of guys. Congrats to all of them. Who will my next teammate be?

— Josh Brown (@Kickingitwith3) April 26, 2012

Again, “Uh oh.”

Here is what Coach Fisher said Saturday, April 28, when asked about the Greg Zuerlein pick in the 6th-round.

This means Josh Brown will be released tomorrow.  He’s already been informed of that.  Josh was a great kicker and is tremendous here in the community and has got deep roots here.  I spoke with him immediately after the pick, and he understands.

I think the Rams should have kept him... (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

I….. don’t know about this one, guys.  I don’t agree with this at all.  Many Rams fans would argue that Donnie Jones, despite being a lowly punter, was in fact the MVP of the 2011 season.  I’d probably go even further by saying he was the MVP for the entire Spags era and the forgettable 1-15 nightmare of 2008.

With all the three-and-outs the Rams got themselves into, guess whose foot it was that allowed the defenses some extra cushion on the field?  None other than Mr. Jones’.

In the 2011 season, Donnie Jones (age 31) averaged 44.3 yards per punt for a total of 4,652 yards.  This was only second to the Broncos punter Britton Colquitt who had 4,783 yards.  Jones lead the league for total punt yards in 2010 with 4,276.  He ranked in the top 5 for total yards punted the past four seasons.

» Continue reading “Donnie Jones Signs With Texans”

Rams Huddle 09/01/11 (Courtesy STLouisRams.com)

Good morning!

I usually don’t say TGIF but it seems appropriate today.  What a weird and long week it’s been and am glad that the weekend is finally here.  That and the fact my son returns from camp this afternoon.  Maybe that’s the real reason why Friday seemed so far away in my mind.  Guess I’m not ready to let go just yet.  I’m sure he was just fine and had a blast.  It’s always harder for those who are left behind so to speak.

What is everyone planning to do this weekend other than watch the Rams take on the Ravens?

Do you know what enhances pre-game experience as well as after the last snap?  Following your favorite Rams players on Twitter.  You’d be surprised at all that goes on in the minds of the players leading up to the battle and afterwards.

It’s been a very long time since done a Rams Follow Friday so here’s an extensive list of all the current Rams players I could drum up for you guys.

Of course in no particular order:

@CraigDahl43                             @brit_miller_td                     @Austin_Pettis                    @RobertLeeQuinn

@JakeMcQuaide                         @jrLaurinaitis                        @JNellyyy                             @D_Alexander84

@JoshHull56                               @Male_Hines7                       @GregSalas1                         @CL9ONE

@sj39                                            @MarkClayton89                   @Bgibson04                         @DomCurry_15

@Hooman86                                @QMikell27                            @MikeSimsWalker             @Rodger_Saffold

Here are a few others you should definitely be following from the Rams organization:

@STLouisRams                            @kdemoff                                @stlrampage

Please let me know if I’ve missed someone in the comment box below and I’ll add him to the list.

Isn’t watching football in your own home better than at the Dome? You get to sit in your nicely broken in recliner, have instant access to the kitchen (which has much cheaper food and beer) and you don’t have long lines for the restroom.

It’s all too easy to be the comfort seeking couch potato fan.

But really, nothing can replace the actual game experience. The little nuances are lost and can’t be felt nor seen on TV.

For instance, between series and during time outs the Rams have little games, announcements, video clips, etc. One video segment caught my eye last Saturday during the game against the Titans.

It’s called “My Ride” and it highlights a Rams player’s pride and joy – their beloved car.

That night, LS Chris Massey’s ride took front and center.

Perhaps you’re old enough to remember Bo and Luke Duke? What about the 01 on the side of their “getaway” car and the the song it played when they hit the horn, “Dixie to Arms?”

Chris Massey talks about this and the various in’s and out’s of his General Lee. Then he and his wife peel out and leave the Rams Park parking lot and presumably off into the Earth City sunset.

What made it more interesting was the fact I wasn’t sitting too far from Mrs. Massey in the stands. She was so proud of her husband and clapped with great joy.

Little did they know their video clip would foretell what was about to happen. Just one day after he celebrated his 32nd birthday the 10-year veteran was given his walking papers.

Coach Spags during his press conference:

Chris Massey you may know now was released. All I can say is he is a quality person and a great character guy. We will miss him. I enjoyed the two years with him. I would be very surprised if he’s not working in this league somewhere.

We just felt at this time if we were going to make the decision to go with LS Jake McQuaide that it was best to do it now to get the kicker, punter and long snapper all on the same page.

Chris was great about it, disappointed but very professional. I appreciate everything he has done and I wish him a lot of luck going forward.

Chris Massey was drafted in the seventh-round back in 2002 out of Marshall and was the longest tenured Rams player on the team. With his departure, Steven Jackson now holds that distinction with 8 years under his belt.

The Rams replaced Massey with the undrafted free agent, Jake McQuaide, from Ohio State. He knew it wasn’t personal. The NFL is after all, in the end, a business.

Expect more such news to come out of Rams Park within the next couple of weeks as the current 90-man roster has to be pared down to 75 by August 30 and then to the final 53-man list by September 3.

Here’s a snapshot of Chris Massey’s General Lee as I wish him and his family well for the future.

Chris Massey

P.S. Do you know how much of a business this is? I just went to the team’s web site to get some bio info on Chris Massey and his player profile has already been deleted. Wow, that didn’t take very long.

What amounts to possibly the worst timing ever, I was unable to really join in the festivities that was Twitter last night at 5:00pm CT – right when free agency officially kicks off.  So this morning, I’m playing catch up on all that happened in the last 48 hours.  Come join me!

1) Rams sign their first big free agent acquisition former Eagles Pro Bowl safety, Quintin Mikell.

2) Rams also pick up former Packer/Dolphin CB, Al Harris.

3) Official press release from the Rams about all the recent signings.  No numbers though.

RAMS SIGN SEVEN DRAFT PICKS, FOUR RESTRICTED FREE AGENTS, TWO EXCLUSIVE RIGHTS FREE AGENTS

ST. LOUIS – The St. Louis Rams have signed seven of the team’s eight draft picks as well as four of their restricted free agents and two of their exclusive rights free agents.

TE Lance Kendricks (2^nd round), WR Austin Pettis (3^rd round), WR Greg Salas (4^th round), S Jermale Hines (5^th round), and CB Mikail Baker, LB Jabara Williams and S Jonathan Nelson (7^th round) have all signed their rookie contracts. First-round pick DE Robert Quinn is the only member of the team’s 2011 draft class who is not under contract.

In addition to the rookies, four of the team’s restricted free agents have signed their tenders. That group includes LB David Vobora, G Jon Greco, T Renardo Foster and LB Chris Chamberlain. Exclusive rights free agents WR Danny Amendola and DE C.J. Ah You signed their tenders as well.

Each of the players who signed Friday will be on the field Saturday when the Rams hold their first practice of 2011 training camp. Head Coach Steve Spagnuolo’s team takes the field for the first time at 1:50 p.m. The practice is open to the public.

Travon Bellamy CB Illinois

Bryant Browning OG Ohio State

John Dempsey S Villanova

Dionte Dinkins CB Fort Valley State

Tyler Donahue OT Bowling Green

Pete Fleps LB SMU

Randall Hunt OT Illinois

Karri Kuuttila OL Lock Haven

Jake McQuaide LS Ohio State

Schuylar Oordt TE Northern Iowa

Taylor Potts QB Texas Tech

Chris Smith CB Northern Illinois

Arthur Thomas DT Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Beau Warren C Virginia Tech

Teryl White DT N. Carolina Central

Eddie Wide RB Utah

5) The Rams pick up former Jacksonville Jaguars WR Mike Sims-Walker.  Nice write up from @Ramsherd on the matter.

Like Ramsherd said I couldn’t really see MSW as a great target in JAX with the emergence of Mike Thomas and more importantly TE Mercedes Lewis.  But with a QB like Sam Bradford, an OC like McDaniels, and no clear cut WR1 on the Rams, MSW’s ceiling just got raised.

The biggest question surrounding MSW is, can he stay healthy.

6) Remember the speculations on who Sam Bradford’s playbook tutor was?  Well a SI story broke yesterday that it wasn’t Ben McDaniels as many had thought – me included.

Did anyone see Charlie Weis coming?  I certainly didn’t.  That’s almost like getting coached by Bill Belichick.  Okay, not really…

7) Here’s recap of Friday’s happenings at Rams Park from Fox2.

8) And this great summary of the Rams transactions from Turf Show Times including signings of OG Harvey Dahl and OLB Zach Diles.  Also, the release of OG Jacob Bell.

9) And this JUST IN: former Rams LB Larry Grant is going to the 49ers.

LB Larry Grant

Larry Grant's Farewell Tweet

10) NO word on WR Mark Clayton yet.  Still waiting for news.

11) Rams first open practice is set to start today at 1:50pm at the Russell Athletic Training Center.  Hope to see some of you there!

The Russell Training Center is located at One Rams Way, Earth City, MO 63045. Here’s how to get there:

From Interstate 44:

Take I-44 to HWY I-270 North. Merge onto I-70 West. Exit Earth City Expressway North exit- 231B. Make a right on to Rider Trail. The facility is on your left. Park in the designated parking area.

From Interstate 55:

Take I-55 to I-44 West. Take I-44 to HWY I-270 North. Merge onto I-70 West. Exit Earth City Expressway North exit- 231B. Make a right on to Rider Trail. The facility is on your left. Park in the designated parking area.

From Interstate 270

Merge onto I-70 West. Exit Earth City Expressway North exit- 231B. Make a right on to Rider Trail. The facility is on your left. Park in the designated parking area.

From Illinois

Take I-70 West, Exit Earth City Expressway North exit- 231B. Make a right on to Rider Trail. The facility is on your left. Park in the designated parking area.

From I-64 (HWY 40):

Take I-64 to HWY I-270 North. Merge onto I-70 West. Exit Earth City Expressway North exit- 231B. Make a right on to Rider Trail. The facility is on your left. Park in the designated parking area.

From Lambert St. Louis International Airport

Take I-70 West, Exit Earth City Expressway North exit- 231B. Make a right on to Rider Trail. The facility is on your left. Park in the designated parking area.