Wilcher Gets Hint, Takes It Out on Chargers : Rams Start Him on Bench, but He Comes in Later and Makes Three Sacks

How would you like to have been the man who replaced Lawrence Taylor at the University of North Carolina?

Well, Rams’ linebacker Mike Wilcher was the man, and he’s been living it down ever since.

The comparisons were natural, if not fair. Both were converted from defensive end to outside linebacker in the pros, Taylor with the New York Giants and Wilcher with the Rams.

Both are exceptional athletes, with speed to chase down opposing quarterbacks.

Here’s the difference: Taylor is a future Hall of Famer. Wilcher, after more than three years as a starter at right outside linebacker, was benched in favor of Kevin Greene in Saturday night’s 27-6 victory over the San Diego Chargers at Anaheim Stadium.

“He was kind of upset,” cornerback LeRoy Irvin said.

Kind of. Wilcher reacted with rage on the field. He entered the game on the second defensive series and left in the fourth quarter with three quarterback sacks, good for 32 yards in Charger losses.

There was a fire in Wilcher’s play not seen by some since 1985, when he led the team with 12 1/2 sacks. He has recorded only 10 sacks in two years since.

“I told him part of the reason was that he was taking prisoners,” Irvin said. “I told him in this game to go out and take no prisoners. He’s capable of doing this every week. He’s one of the best outside linebackers in the league. We have the luxury of having three of the best outside linebackers, period.”

That would be Greene, Wilcher and Mel Owens. The Rams found it so difficult to keep one of them off the field they invented something called the Eagle defense, which features five linebackers and only two down linemen.

But in the old 3-4 alignment, which the Rams use to open games, Wilcher still started ahead of Greene. Until Saturday.

The Rams’ coaching staff may have touched a competitive chord.

Afterward, Wilcher didn’t make much of the demotion issue.

“They just wanted to rotate him (Greene) in the game and see how he performs,” said Wilcher, a five-year veteran.

And what’s going to happen next week? “I’m not really sure,” Wilcher said. “I felt good after a while. I felt warm and loose out there. I was really having a good time.”

The promotion certainly didn’t hurt Greene, who had a sack and set up a field goal when he intercepted Babe Laufenberg’s pass on the Chargers’ 14-yard line and returned it to the 9.

Safety Johnnie Johnson said it all proves that no veteran’s job is safe on this year’s team.

“Any time you look and your name’s not listed as a starter, it kind of rings a bell,” Johnson said. “Mike’s a heck of a player. He showed it tonight.”

Irvin said he thinks Wilcher absorbed Saturday night’s lesson.

“He understood what it took to get his position back,” Irvin said. “Kevin Greene’s a helluva good player too. But Mike just has to play his game and he’s the best in the business. I’m talking about Lawrence Taylor and all those guys.”

Retired Ram guard Dennis Harrah, one of the quickest in the league with a quip during his 13-year career, was in top form recently after he was forced to resign his volunteer coaching position at his high school alma mater in Charleston, W. Va.

The problem is a state law which prohibits coaches who are not certified teachers or student teachers. So Harrah is out at Stonewall Jackson High School, but not before getting in a few barbs.

“I’ve been kicked out of worse places,” Harrah told United Press International. “This is the first time I’ve ever been sidelined from a desk.”

Administration officials explained that Harrah, not being a teacher, was not covered by liability insurance.

Harrah, who retired at the end of the 1987 season, blamed the situation on the “nerds with the pencils.”

Harrah, named to the Pro Bowl six times with the Rams, graduated from Stonewall Jackson High in 1971.

“If we can keep the nerds with the pencils out of the way, we’ll have a good time,” Harrah said.

Apparently, a parent who was turned down for the coaching position blew the whistle on Harrah.

Ram Notes

Quarterback Jim Everett’s numbers after three exhibition games: 34 of 50 passes completed for 368 yards, 3 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. . . . Ram rookie Gaston Green finished with 38 yards in 10 carries . . . Donald Evans, making his 1988 debut at fullback, didn’t enter the game until late in the fourth quarter and finished with 4 rushes for 15 yards. . . . In the race for No. 2 quarterback, Hugh Millen played the entire second half and completed 4 of 9 passes for 90 yards, 70 of those coming on a scoring pass play to rookie Flipper Anderson. Anderson, who was questionable for Saturday’s game because of a sprained wrist, finished with 3 catches for 119 yards and 2 touchdowns. . . . The Rams outgained the Chargers in total yards, 330 to 186. . . . Rookie safety Anthony Newman, a second-round pick, led the Rams with 5 tackles. . . . Here’s the way the Rams’ 7 quarterback sacks broke down: Mike Wilcher (3, 32 yards), Carl Ekern (1, 9 yards), Michael Stewart (1, 10 yards), Kevin Greene (1, 15 yards) and Doug Bartlett (1, 14 yards). . . . Darren Flutie, Doug’s little brother, is trying to catch on with the Chargers as a wide receiver. He had 3 catches for 43 yards. . . . Former Ram receiver Kevin House had 2 catches for 26 yards. Former Ram running back Barry Redden had 25 yards in 8 carries. . . . Linebacker Norwood Vann, who was released by the Rams over the weekend, was signed by the Raiders.