Jalen Ramsey told the media this week that he’s never played for a “storied franchise” before, together with the Los Angeles Rams. I don’t know what Ramsey thinks the brink for “storied” is meant to be, however somebody over there in Pittsburgh ought to give him a historical past lesson. Like the truth that the Rams re-integrated Black gamers into the league in 1946 or that they grew to become the primary skilled sports activities crew to maneuver to the west coast that very same yr.
“I’m excited for every little thing that has to do with this group. This can be a storied franchise. Clearly, I received a Tremendous Bowl, liked my time with the L.A. Rams, however I can’t say I’ve performed for a storied franchise like this but. So that is very thrilling for me. I’m simply embracing all of it, actually,” Ramsey stated.
What precisely is Ramsey’s standards for a “storied franchise” that may imply that the Steelers are one in all them however the Rams will not be? As a result of he thinks plainly manner?
- The Rams were founded in 1936, only three years after the Steelers
- After successful the NFL Championship in 1945 with Corridor of Fame quarterback Bob Waterfield, the Rams moved to Los Angeles the next yr
- No other professional sports team had set their home base on the west coast prior to the Rams
- That very same yr, the Rams signed Kenny Washington and Woody Strode to the roster as part of their agreement for playing in the L.A. Coliseum, ending a 12-year ban of Black gamers within the league; due to the Rams transferring to L.A. and making this settlement, that ban led to 1946
- SI’S Albert Breer called the 1946 Rams team the eighth-most impactful team in NFL history
- The Rams went to 3 straight NFL Championship video games between 1949-1951, successful the final of these with Corridor of Fame quarterback Norm Van Brocklin
- The NFL named Van Brocklin the 25th-best QB of all-time in 2019
- Van Brocklin’s 554 passing yards towards the Yanks in 1951 is nonetheless the single-game file!
- Whereas Van Brocklin revolutionized the passing recreation, receiver Tom Fears (who additionally performed cornerback) revolutionized catching the ball. He set an NFL file on the time with 77 catches in 1949, then he broke it the following yr with 81 catches. That is in 12 video games, thoughts you.
- Teammate Elroy Hirsch, would then have 1,495 yards and 17 touchdowns in 1951, an unimaginable common of 124.6 per recreation. Each are clearly within the Corridor of Fame.
- That Rams crew would attain the NFL Championship recreation as soon as extra time, in 1955, however this time underneath new head coach Sid Gillman. Gillman is called “The Father of the Modern Passing Game”, thought of one of the vital coaches in soccer historical past and that’s as a result of he received his begin within the NFL with the Rams
- In 1962, the Rams drafted Roman Gabriel, the primary Filipino-American quarterback in league historical past and the 1969 MVP.
- Gabriel’s first coach, George Allen, was the 1967 Coach of the Yr and the Corridor of Famer is taken into account one of the vital executives in league historical past.
- Within the Seventies, the Rams went from a crew with a vital historical past to a crew you didn’t wish to mess with on the sphere by assembling arguably the best defensive position that the NFL has ever seen: Jack Youngblood, Merlin Olsen, Deacon Jones, Fred Dryer, Larry Brooks…
- Led by head coach Chuck Knox, then Ray Malavasi, the Rams made the playoffs yearly from 1973 to 1980, and performed in 5 NFC Championship video games
- Sure, the Steelers received 4 Super Bowls on this period and the Rams solely appeared in a single (a loss to Pittsburgh), however their affect on the league at the moment is simple. If not for the Vikings and Cowboys having their very own second, the Rams might have been “the crew of the 70s”.
- Fast: Anyone train Jalen Ramsey about Erick Dickerson!
- The Rams made the playoffs six extra occasions within the 80s, together with two NFC Championship video games
- Led by 2022 Corridor of Fame inductee Dick Vermeil and quarterbacked by 2017 Corridor of Fame inductee Kurt Warner, the 1999 St. Louis Rams are arguably one of the best crew of all-time but additionally one of the best STORY of all-time. “The Best Present on Turf” is a reputation that stands above each different crew nickname within the NFL historical past…
- 2021 Corridor of Fame inductee Isaac Bruce and 2016 inductee Orlando Tempo and 2011 inductee Marshall Faulk, plus probably the most well-known Corridor of Fame snub, Torry Holt.
- By successful the 2021 Tremendous Bowl, the Rams became the first and only team in the NFL to win a championship in three different cities
- SoFi Stadium is cited by many as a top-3 NFL stadium, if not probably the most spectacular venue of any variety in your complete world as we speak
- Sean McVay has set all types of information and more than likely solidified his place within the Corridor of Fame earlier than he has even turned 40…the “story” of head coaches within the fashionable NFL is that coaches who’ve labored for McVay make up a good portion of the league, whereas offensive coordinators for a variety of different groups are properly on their manner
- Aaron Donald is one of the best all-around soccer participant of the twenty first century, other than possibly Tom Brady, however he’s solely even a consideration due to the constant successful and the Tremendous Bowls which is a crew effort; Donald was one of the best defensive participant even when the Rams have been horrible
- The Steelers have had two quarterbacks value a rattling of their complete historical past. The Rams have three Corridor of Famers, plus Stafford and Gabriel, only for starters.
- If you happen to ranked profession dashing leaders from the Rams and Steelers collectively, the Rams would have six of the top-8
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a fantastic run, there’s no denying that. They’ve received six Tremendous Bowls, though 4 of these occurred within the Seventies. Going again to 1980, the Rams and Steelers have each received two Tremendous Bowls. That’s the identical variety of Tremendous Bowls over the previous 45 years. Additionally they have the identical variety of appearances: 4 within the final 45 years.
The Steelers have had nice gamers. The Rams have additionally had nice gamers.
However this isn’t an argument of which crew is healthier, it’s the query that if you happen to had to decide on just a few franchises to be “storied”, there’s room for multiple. And the Rams, for all that they’ve achieved within the final 90 years, are so clearly a kind of groups that solely somebody with a really primary data of soccer historical past wouldn’t know that.
If that particular person has a microphone pointed at them as we speak, please train him.
