Duckworth to Replace an Ailing Brown

The question around Rams Park--”What’s wrong with Ron Brown?”--was answered Friday: pancreatitis.

The second-year wide receiver was admitted to Anaheim Memorial Hospital and declared out of Monday night’s game at Seattle after the ailment was diagnosed.

Bobby Duckworth, acquired from the San Diego Chargers three weeks ago, will start in his place. Henry Ellard is the Rams’ other starting wide receiver.

The only other available wide receiver on the roster is rookie Michael Young, a sixth-round draft choice from UCLA. Chuck Scott, a second-round pick from Vanderbilt, is ineligible to come off the injured reserve list for two more games.

Brown, who won an Olympic gold medal on the U.S. 400-meter relay team last year then caught 23 passes in his rookie season, had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in July. He was expected to return to form within three weeks but lacked his sprinter’s speed and hadn’t caught a pass in the first two games.

Coach John Robinson said last week that Brown appeared “sluggish.”

Trainer Jim Anderson said Brown complained last week of an upset stomach and nausea.

“We thought it was the beginning stages of the flu,” Anderson said.

Robinson said, “The knee injury set him back, and as he tried to fight his way back into shape, it got to the point that no matter how hard he tried, he didn’t have any energy. He just lost ground. We began to suspect something. When you’re sick, you don’t play so good.”

As to how long Brown would be out, Robinson said, “I have no idea. I don’t even know what the thing is. We need to get him back to the kind of bounce we’re used to seeing. He’s an upbeat kind of guy.”

More tests were being given to determine the cause of Brown’s ailment, which is an inflammation of the pancreas.