Rams Expect Bettis to Provide Thunder

ANAHEIM —  The Rams may have coveted the flash of breakaway threat Garrison Hearst in Sunday’s NFL draft, but it’s also evident they were happy to settle for the thunder of blue-collar bruiser Jerome Bettis. The Rams considered trading up in the draft order, but decided the best course was to stay at No. 10 and select Bettis, a 6-foot, 247-pound fullback from Notre Dame.

Bettis may not be the cause of as many sleepless nights for NFL defensive coordinators as Hearst, who was taken by Phoenix with the No. 3 pick, but he figures to contribute mightily to the Ram offense.

“He’s a football player who can carry the ball a lot of times,” Ram Coach Chuck Knox said. “He’s a punishing runner, but he also has the explosiveness to come out of the hole and break a big run.

“We talked to a lot of people about him. We did research that went all the way back to when he was in high school. He’s a quality person who will really help our football team.”

Bettis, not surprisingly, is thrilled to be playing for the Rams and a coach whose nickname--”Ground Chuck”--is testimony to his love of a grind-it-out running game.

“It’s perfect,” Bettis said. “People usually call me ‘The Bulldozer’ and stuff like that, but I could become known as ‘Ground Jerome.’ ”

Bettis’ ability to carry two or three would-be tacklers for a ride was not the only reason the Rams picked him, though. According to John Becker, director of player personnel, Bettis’ versatility was really the key.

“What I like most about him is his completeness as a back,” Becker said. “If you’re assessing him as a runner, a blocker and a receiver, you’ve really got a guy who can do all three.

“He’s a pounding-type runner, but he’s more than a plugger. He’s broken a lot of long runs. I believe he was the best blocker in the draft, both in running and passing situations. And I saw almost every game he played as a junior and senior and rarely saw him drop a pass.”

Becker admits Bettis is considered more of a fullback because he lacks the elusiveness of a tailback. But he’s convinced Bettis could easily become a featured back in a one-back offense, which the Rams use occasionally.

“There’s absolutely no doubt about him being able to line up in a one-back system,” he said. “He’s got great running skills. And he was so good as a blocker that when Notre Dame was throwing, they felt comfortable enough to slide the line away from him and match him up with a down lineman, which is something you rarely see.”

No one is more excited about the Rams’ first pick than quarterback Jim Everett, who is looking forward to the protection Bettis should provide on passing plays.

“We’re in a day in age of the Pat Swilling-type linebacker that can really bring it from the outside,” Everett said. “Having a back who can pick those guys up is a huge advantage and something we haven’t had in quite a while.”

Most of Bettis’ highlights feature a path littered with defenders or ‘The Bulldozer’ moving a mountain of men. There aren’t a lot of 70-yard sprints down the sideline. His goal in college was never to be tackled by one player.

“I’m not changing my goals just because I’m going from the college to the professional level,” he said. “In fact, I think I’m going to push those goals a little higher.”

In three seasons at Notre Dame, Bettis ended up 14th on the Irish all-time rushing list with 1,912 yards and fifth in career touchdowns with 33. An ankle injury last year limited his productivity in the second half of the season and also played a role in his decision to give up his final year of eligibility and turn professional.

“The major factor was my family,” he said. “I wanted to be in this position to give something back to them and I think the best way to do that was to leave early and avoid the chance of further injury.”

The Rams signed last year’s No. 1 selection, defensive tackle Sean Gilbert, to a five-year $7.5-million contract on the same day they drafted him. But Jay Zygmunt, Ram senior vice president, isn’t expecting negotiations to go as quickly this time.

“With the salary cap and everything that has to be considered,” he said, “it’s not very likely we can get it done that quickly again.”

Bettis, who will arrive in Anaheim this morning, would like to have a contract in hand as soon as possible, but he’s done enough fretting the past few days to last him awhile. He went to bed last night expecting that he would be chosen by the Rams, but was prepared for the unexpected.

“For all intents and purposes, I thought I would end up with the Rams,” he said, “but I tried to maintain a frame of mind that it wasn’t set and I would be happy with whoever picked me.

“I think that made it easier for me to cope with the stress. But I’m glad it was the Rams. I think it’s a perfect match.”

Offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese says a bruising back such as Bettis can be the perfect complement to the Rams’ finesse passing game.

“You’ve got to love a big back who can go,” he said. “He catches the ball well and he’s a devastating blocker who can hold his own against those big pass-rushing linebackers because he’s just as big as they are.

“Anytime you have a runner like Jerome, teams really have to respect the run, and that’s what everyone is striving for, a balance of run and pass.”