Rams Notebook : Del Rio, an Ex-Trojan Who Robinson Forgot, Grabs Rams’ Attention

Saints’ linebacker Jack Del Rio, formerly of USC, recovered two fumbles--one of which he ran in for a 22-yard touchdown--against the team he once thought he might play for. Del Rio said the Rams were a logical candidate to draft him out of USC, particularly with Coach John Robinson’s penchant for former Trojans.

“To be perfectly honest, when the second round rolled around and their pick came, I thought I was going there,” Del Rio said. “Coach Robinson knows I can play.”

The Rams used that second-round pick to take Chuck Scott, a wide receiver from Vanderbilt who’s now on the team’s injured-reserve list. Del Rio ended up as a third-round selection of the Saints.

Rams guard Dennis Harrah said the loss was not a case of taking the Saints lightly. “We all knew they could be hot as a pistol,” he said. “Nobody pulled any surprises on us. Nobody.”

Rams cornerback Gary Green, on Bobby Hebert’s 43-yard touchdown pass to Eric Lartin, who reached behind Green to make an acrobatic catch near the goal line: “Now I know what it is I don’t like about this dome . . . the lighting. The ball went up in the lights and I couldn’t see it. I would have fought him for the ball if I had. But he did make a good catch.”

Earl Campbell, Saints running back and a longtime favorite of Bum Phillips, has critics who say he has lost a few steps and is not the Earl Campbell of old.

After rushing for 74 yards and catching 2 passes for 45 yards against the Rams, Campbell was asked if he’s been unfairly criticized.

“I’ve taken so many bad raps over the years, it really doesn’t matter,” he said.

Rams linebacker Mel Owens on Campbell: “He’s good. He’s always been good. And he still has it. Believe me.”

Jeff Kemp, who relieved Dieter Brock at quarterback to start the fourth quarter Sunday, acknowledged that the Rams had good practices last week.

“But the game is played on Sunday,” he said. “They (the Saints) physically dominated us, and that’s supposed to be our forte.”

Kemp doesn’t expect to permanently replace Brock.

“He (Coach John Robinson) hasn’t said anything to me, but I know he has confidence in Dieter,” Kemp said. “He wasn’t having his best game, but those were tough conditions for anybody to play under.”

Brock was sacked six times, Kemp three.

Rams punter Dale Hatcher was enthused about coming to the Superdome and getting another chance to hit the television gondola hanging over the field. He and the Raiders’ Ray Guy are among the few to do it.

“I did it in warmups in ’81 when we came here to play Tulane,” said Hatcher, a Clemson graduate. “I’m gonna try to do it again.”

No such luck. When Hatcher walked in Sunday, he found that the gondola isn’t there anymore. Instead, the Superdome has installed two Diamond Vision screens at both ends of the stadium.

But Hatcher did punt five times for a 50-yard average, his longest covering 60 yards.

Among the Rams warming up before the game was linebacker George Andrews, who has been on injured reserve all season after knee surgery for the second straight year. There is no plan for Andrews to return this season, but he makes the trips to keep in touch. Andrews ran some sprints back and forth across the field.

The Rams’ total net offense of 164 yards (105 rushing, 59 passing) was their lowest of the season--lower even than their 177 at Atlanta two weeks earlier.