Rams Sign Local Pair, Templeton and Emery, 12 Other Free Agents

The Rams signed 14 free agents Friday, including former local star running backs Mark Templeton and Rod Emery.

Templeton, formerly of Santa Ana Foothill High School and Cal State Long Beach, was the Southern Section 3-A player of the year in 1981. Templeton, 6 feet 1 inch and 205 pounds, set an NCAA Division I receiving record at Long Beach with 262 receptions.

Emery, 5-9 and 175, played at Fountain Valley High School and University of Nevada Las Vegas.

Also signing with the Rams were linebackers Kyle Borland, 6-3 and 232, Wisconsin; Cliff Hannemann, 6-2 and 230, Fresno State, and Jim Laughton, 6-5 and 230, San Diego State; receivers Kwante Hampton, 6-1 and 178, Long Beach; Steve Marks, 5-10 and 175, UC Santa Barbara, and Keith Tinsley, 5-9 and 180, Pittsburgh; punter Barry Bowman, 6-0 and 185, Louisiana Tech; quarterback Kevin Brown, 6-2 and 208, California; tackle Lloyd Brown, 6-8 and 305, St. Mary’s; defensive tackle Jim Byrne, 6-3 and 280, Wisconsin; defensive back Tom Haynes, 6-1 and 200, USC; kicker Jim Power, 6-0 and 180, USC.