Flipper Finds Practice Makes Sense : Rams: With his mind now firmly fixed on his job, wide receiver Anderson realizes that practice really is a prelude to success.
Last year in practice, rookie Flipper Anderson’s mind would sometimes, well, wander. Is it any wonder?
It wasn’t coincidence that some of his pass routes seemed to zig-zag across the field in the shape of dollar signs.
Anderson says he couldn’t get over the fact that he was a rich young Ram. Who could concentrate on a pass pattern when showrooms were still open?
“I was going from having no money to having money,” Anderson said of his transition from a UCLA senior to the National Football League. “You’re at practice thinking about what you’re going to do after practice.”
What was important?
Clubs, dances, parties, cars, clothes. Football. In that order, maybe.
“Just having fun,” Anderson said.
Anyway, what’s so hard about catching a ball? He’d been doing it all his life.
By the second game of the 1988 season, Anderson had his first NFL reception, a 21-yarder against Detroit on Sept. 11. Six weeks later, he caught his second pass.
In offensive coordinator Ernie Zampese’s simple rules of pass etiquette, he who works hardest in practice gets rewarded in games. Some weeks, Anderson opened his playbook on Wednesday and wondered if he was still on the team. Where was No. 83?
Zampese might have suggested Nordstrom.
Anderson was just a kid then. He’s 24 now, and it shows. Through five weeks, Anderson already has matched last season’s total of 11 receptions. In the Rams’ eyes, he’s a different player, becoming overnight a complete receiver and big-time weapon.
He’s more than just Henry Ellard’s shadow, in other words. Anderson is averaging 30.9 yards per catch, incredible when you consider no one in either conference is even close. Mervyn Fernandez of the Raiders comes closest with an average of 23.3 yards per catch.
Anderson’s secret? Practice, practice, practice.
“It’s a helluva difference how I’m playing and competing in practice compared to last year,” he said. “That’s the key to where I’m at right now.”
Last year’s reception drought taught Anderson a few lessons about the football world according to Ernie Zampese.
“If you don’t do your thing in practices, he’s not the type of coach to go, ‘Well, he’s a gamer,’ ” Anderson said. “You can’t just show him you can do it in a game. You’ve got to show him you can do it in practice, so they have the confidence to put you in a game.”
It’s amazing how fast maturity kicks in between ages 23 and 24.
“I take practice more serious than I did last year,” Anderson said. “That’s where it is. Practice is the hard part. The games are fun. Last year, I was just happy to be here and getting paid for doing this. It was fun. I didn’t look at it as the business that it is.”
And this year, Anderson has meant serious business. He’s so good now, Aaron Cox will have a tough time getting his starting spot back. Cox, remember, was the second starter last season as a rookie and finished the season with 28 receptions. But he pulled a hamstring early in training camp and Anderson, with his 4.42 40-yard speed, raced right by his friend Cox, who is now returning to form.
In fact, Anderson and Cox have all but switched roles. Cox is now the No. 3 receiver and has only one catch through five games.
“It hasn’t affected our relationship at all,” Anderson said. “Unfortunately, he got hurt. I got the opportunity to come in and do some things, to show what I can do, and I’ve done everything the coaches have asked of me. As far as our relationship goes, Aaron and I are best of friends. It’s kind of a role reversal from what it was last year. People ask me, ‘How come Aaron’s not playing?’ People don’t realize he’s playing a lot, but he hasn’t caught the ball that many times.”
The third receiver in the Rams’ offense takes what he can get, which isn’t much. Last season, Ellard and the two tight ends, Damone Johnson and Pete Holohan, combined for 187 receptions.
Anderson also gives much of the credit for his improvement to Ellard, every young receiver’s role model.
“He’s the best route runner I’ve seen,” Anderson said. “He gets out of his breaks quicker than anyone I’ve ever seen. I wish I had his ankles.”
Ankles?
“He just stops on a dime out of his breaks,” Anderson said. “I would blow my ankles out if I tried the things he did. I don’t know how he does it.”
Anderson learned from Ellard that being fast and being good aren’t necessarily related.
“I don’t think Henry’s one of the fastest guys,” Anderson said.
Could you beat him in a foot race?
“Oh yeah,” he said, chuckling, “I think so. It would probably be close, but I think I could beat him in a race. But he’s quick. There’s a difference between quick and fast. He runs his routes real quick. He’s quicker than I am.”
Anderson couldn’t have asked for a better receiving partner. All the attention Ellard receives from defenses leaves more running room for him.
“You pretty much know Henry’s going to get double covered, so most of the time I’m going to see single coverage,” Anderson said. “That makes me even hungrier. If a guy’s covering me (with) single-coverage, I think I can win at least 80% of the time. That makes it fun.”
It’s gotten to the point where Anderson doesn’t make a big deal about his 30-yard per catch ratio.
” It’s not as hard as it seems in this offense,” he said. “Henry’s the control-type receiver and I’m the deep guy. Most of the balls that go deep are going to come to me.”
Ram Notes
Statistically, the Rams are the league’s second-worst team against the pass, but sometimes numbers are deceiving. Or so says Buffalo quarterback Frank Reich, making his first NFL start against the Rams Monday night. “The only reason the Rams are ranked where they are in passing is because they’re 5-0, and they’re ahead of everyone,” he said. “And everyone has to throw to beat them.” . . . Jim Everett is the NFL’s second-leading passer with a 104.3 rating, trailing only Joe Montana’s 108.6. . . . Receiver Henry Ellard has caught at least one pass in his past 40 games. Ellard leads the NFL with 636 yards. . . . The Rams were never interested in obtaining tailback Herschel Walker, traded from Dallas to Minnesota this week. John Robinson has long admired Walker’s skills, but says the days of one dominant back in his system are over for now. “I don’t know that we’d give him the opportunity,” Robinson said. “I don’t want to go back to a 2,000 (yard) rusher and a non-spiral passer.” . . . Greg Bell’s hamstring still isn’t 100%, but the odds of him missing Monday’s game against his former teammates are about a million-to-one. . . . Linebacker Fred Strickland is listed as questionable for Monday. Strickland had to have fluid drained from his right knee after last week’s victory over Atlanta. He had arthroscopic surgery on the knee in August.
