Youngblood Faces His Moment of Truth : Back Injury Could End Ram Veteran’s Career
In 15 years, Jack Youngblood has never been so nervous over reporting to the Rams. He’ll join them at Rams Park today to start the second phase of his comeback from a back injury.
“I’m very apprehensive about it,” Youngblood said. “Very.”
Actually, the Rams will be joining Youngblood. While the team was in training camp at Cal State Fullerton, Coach John Robinson gave the veteran defensive end permission to work out on his own at Rams Park.
For the past month, the 35-year-old Youngblood has been fearfully approaching the inevitable moment of truth when he’ll know if he can play a 15th season, which he has said would be his last. Now, with the season opener against the Denver Broncos just 13 days away, Youngblood will start finding his answer.
Appearances suggest he’ll be fine. He can run at full speed and do all the normal weight lifting. His weight is 240, the same as it was in his All-Pro prime. Maybe he has fooled the doctors who told him he needed surgery to fix a herniated disk.
“It feels good,” he said. “Of course, I’m not pushing on (Ram offensive tackle) Jackie Slater, but it feels good and it feels quick. But it’s hard to judge when you’re out there by yourself.”
Defensive line coach Marv Goux said: “We’ll put him through all the paces and see how he handles them. We can’t wait any longer. We’ve got to make some decisions.”
The roster must be reduced by nine players to 50 by Tuesday. A week after that, it must be down to the final limit of 45, which is four fewer than last season. Youngblood said that may be a factor in his future.
“Can they really afford a 15-year specialist?” he asked.
Youngblood indicated he would retire rather than play again on a three-man line. Until Robinson arrived in 1983 and joined the trend to the 3-4 defense away from the 4-3, Youngblood was able to freewheel around blockers he couldn’t outmuscle.
“I’m not gonna get in there and face Bill Bain and Jackie and Irv Pankey one on one, right in front of their face,” he said. “But I could play out there on the outside of ‘em all day long . . . get on the outside and run.
“I’m gonna do what I do best, and that’s rush the passer. Get me away from the 3-4, which has impaired me the last two years, and I’ll play like I used to play.”
That’s why he has trimmed down to 240.
“When I came back to play the 3-4 last year, I ate everything that got in my way,” he said. “I started last year at 265 and felt good. I was big and strong and was still moving fairly well. But as the season wore on I came down to 250.”
Youngblood believes wrestling oversized tackles in the 3-4 contributed to his back injury.
“That’s gonna be the first thing on the Workmen’s Comp file,” he said, laughing. “ ‘The 3-4 is the reason my back blew out.’ I’m kidding, but it’s certainly more trying than any other defense we play.
“That injury just didn’t happen on one play. It was time and time again. Everybody playing that position is subject to that because of the technique you have to use to make things happen.”
Either way, Youngblood does not intend to rush himself.
“I’m not gonna go out there and destroy what I’ve got at first,” he said. “It takes some timing. Training on your own--running and lifting and agility stuff--is one thing, but there’s some timing that has to come in rushing the passer and that type of thing.”
Youngblood, as usual, led the Rams with 9 1/2 quarterback sacks last season, but the team had only 43. A concentrated program to develop a pass rush has produced 20 in three exhibition games this summer.
“It’s interesting,” Youngblood said. “They’re emphasizing more of the 4-3 and the nickel defense. The game situations have allowed them to play that more. It’s given the down rushmen more of an opportunity.”
But he doesn’t know if he’ll ever sack another quarterback.
“That’s a decision that I want to make, and that I will make,” he said. “There’s some integrity and self-respect that I owe myself and my career, and I owe that to John (Robinson) and (owner) Georgia (Frontiere). I don’t want to be a mediocre football player. I will not do that.
“If I’m just an average defensive end, I’d rather put ‘em on the shelf and try to contribute in another way to this football team. I don’t have anything to prove anymore.”