Ram Camp : John Robinson Will Observe 50th Birthday by Observing a Scrimmage

John Robinson turns 50 today. How will he celebrate?

“Scrimmage the Cowboys,” he said.

He wasn’t completely kidding. Ths year, the Ram coach has worked harder at coaching and seems to be enjoying it more than ever.

“I do find this enjoyable,” he said. “I enjoy life more. I think it takes you a long time to learn to enjoy the people you’re associated with.”

Ricky Martin needed no introduction to Dieter Brock. Martin, officially a 26-year-old rookie wide receiver, played parts of two seasons with the new Ram quarterback at Winnipeg in the Canadian Football League.

“I’d been with the Steelers with Terry Bradshaw and Cliff Stoudt, who had very strong arms,” Martin said. “When I went to Canada I didn’t know anything about Winnipeg or Dieter Brock.

“I was surprised how strong his arm was and how well he could throw the ball downfield 40 yards . . . put the ball right on the money for you. It really wasn’t any change from Terry to Dieter.”

Martin played with another former CFL quarterback, Warren Moon of the Houston Oilers, at Hamilton High School in Los Angeles, then played college ball at New Mexico. He was at Winnipeg late in the 1982 season and early in ’83.

“The one thing I admire about Dieter is the way he hung in the pocket--stood there, stood there--until you got open,” Martin said. “Then he’d get the ball to you.

“Tell all the fans he’s for real. They’re gonna be surprised.”

Dennis Harrah is getting married.

“But not to Jennilee,” he said.

Harrah’s romance with actress Jennilee Harrison ended several months ago. Instead, his bride will be Teresa Conley, and the date is next March 9, Harrah’s birthday.

The 32-year-old bachelor guard dropped into training camp early just to check out his room and get a free lunch, he said.

Harrah took Conley back to West Virginia to meet his family in the off-season.

“This is the third one I brought back there and the only one who liked it,” he said.

Harrah spent 3 1/2 months back home and bought a house in the West Virginia hills, far removed from Legends, his popular Long Beach saloon.

“It’s on 1 1/2 acres of land, with 500 yards of riverfront,” Harrah said. “It cost $11,500 and it’s about 50 miles from my home (in Charleston).”

Harrah is sporting a short, conservative haircut now.

“I heard it’s going to be a serious camp,” he said.

The agent for second-round draft choice Chuck Scott said that the Rams have offered Scott “probably the third-worst deal in the round.”

But the feeling around training camp is that Scott is about to come to terms.

Scott is a wide receiver from Vanderbilt who was the 22nd player selected in the second round. According to agent Vern Sharbaugh’s information, 19 of the 28 second-round choices have signed, including Scott Bergold, an offensive tackle from Wisconsin who was drafted immediately after Scott and signed this week for four years and $885,000 with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Sharbaugh said the Rams have offered Scott considerably less.

“We’re not trying to be greedy,” he said. “We’re trying to get him a little bit more than an offensive tackle. A skilled (position) kid should be paid more than a non-skilled kid. It’s been proven throughout the round.”

Other figures paid late second-rounders on four-year deals, according to Sharbaugh, are $900,000 to Central Michigan defensive back Jim Bowman by New England, $1.2 million to Iowa running back Owen Gill by Seattle, and $905,000 to Houston defensive end Simon Fletcher by Denver. They were taken 24th through 26th, respectively.

Scott and the Rams’ first-round pick, defensive back Jerry Gray of Texas, remain unsigned nearly two weeks after rookies were due to report.

Ram Notes The Ram rookies and young reserves will scrimmage their Dallas Cowboy counterparts today at Cal State Fullerton at noon. Admission is free. No first-line veterans will participate in the contact portion, and Cowboy quarterbacks Danny White and Gary Hogeboom won’t even be there. The top Cowboy quarterback will be Steve Pelluer. Dallas veterans are due to report today. Coach Tom Landry has a rookie project going with free agent Mel Lattany, a world-class sprinter from Georgia. Lattany caught a 53-yard pass from free-agent quarterback Dana Thyhson of Central Florida in a scrimmage with the Raiders, but otherwise, Lattany’s feet have looked better than his hands. . . . Ram Coach John Robinson said his rookie punter, third-round pick Dale Hatcher from Clemson, will get his first chance to kick against pro competition. . . . Robinson said the value of these scrimmages is that “it’s fun to see who responds best to playing. You hope when you scrimmage against somebody else there’s a little more adrenaline going. There’s a look in their eye.” . . . For anybody wondering why tight end Tony Hunter wears gloves when he plays, even in 90-degree weather, he explains: “My hands sweat a lot. They’d be too slippery to grip the ball if I didn’t wear gloves.” . . . Hunter and rookie receiver Michael Young from UCLA were impressive in an extensive passing drill near the end of Wednesday’s afternoon practice. “Mike Young looked very good, and Tony Hunter can play,” Robinson said. . . . The attrition rate picked up. Defensive end John Meyer had knee surgery Tuesday, wide receiver Danny Bradley will be out for several days with a bruised calf, tackle Mike Shiner has a stretched calf muscle and tight end Damone Johnson had an arthogram on his right knee.