Newman Finds Safety in Rams’ Move of Gray : Football: The club had too many ‘center fielders’ until one of them was returned to cornerback.
A week ago, Anthony Newman was lost in a sea of safeties, unsure of his position or his future.
Then came a potentially career-saving chain reaction--a thunderbolt from the sky. Not convinced that cornerback Darryl Henley’s hip injury would heal in time for the season opener, the Rams opted to move Jerry Gray from free safety back to cornerback, where he had been a four-time Pro Bowl selection.
Once destined for backup duty this season, Newman suddenly found himself a starting free safety.
He said it doesn’t take a genius to assess the magnitude of this opportunity, even if it does mean filling some pretty big cleats.
“I also have to be a leader,” he said of replacing Gray. “I also have to take charge, even though I’m going into my third year. I’m in center field right now. . . . I’m at a point now, in my third year, that I need to take charge and start making a lot of plays.”
That was the plan when the team made Newman a second-round draft choice in 1988. But his career has been derailed by nagging injuries. He injured his left calf in camp as a rookie and his right calf last summer, throwing his career off course.
In 1989, he broke his left elbow in a game against the San Francisco 49ers and was lost for the season.
Newman said he was actually 100% by the time the Rams reached the NFC title game against the 49ers, but the team had exhausted all its roster moves and couldn’t bring him off injured reserve. Instead, the Rams had to fish Johnnie Johnson out of the real estate business to field a secondary.
Maybe this time Newman had a break go his way. With Gray at safety, four Rams--Newman, Vince Newsome, Michael Stewart (who is still unsigned) and rookie Pat Terrell--were left to compete for the other starting position.
One of the four seemed destined for release in September.
Newman was doing his best to escape the ax. For once, there were no summer injuries to contend with, no muscle pulls or strains.
“I don’t want to talk about this, being injured,” Newman said, “because this might put a curse on me. So I need to knock on some wood right now.”
Knock wood and knock heads. Newman’s main problem has been an inability to relax on the field, which might allow his considerable talent to take over. Coach John Robinson said Newman has to put aside the complex defensive schemes and not worry so much about making mistakes.
“I like to hear Coach Robinson say that kind of stuff, because I do need to relax,” he said. “I’m trying too hard sometimes. I have the potential, I believe--and I think they believe--to be a good football player out there. When I relax and play, I make plays. It’s just natural.”
How does he relax?
“It’s just by being out there,” he said. “By playing all the time. That’s the only way you can do it. You can’t just be new and jump in there. You’re not used to it. . . . I like to hear Coach Robinson yelling from the sideline, ‘Just play, just play. Who cares where you go. Just play hard. Just go.’ ”
Although holdout linebacker Kevin Greene is an inactive member of the Army Reserve, the Rams have inquired about his status in light of the recent military buildup in Saudi Arabia.
A member of the Rams’ front office called Greene’s agent, Marv Demoff, last week to see if he knew under what conditions Greene might be activated.
Demoff didn’t know for sure, but the Rams believe Greene is a low-priority candidate, and they aren’t losing much sleep over the issue. The team is having a tough enough time trying to negotiate a new contract for the Pro Bowl linebacker.
A phone call to Greene Thursday wasn’t returned.
Robinson said he hasn’t given the matter much thought.
“But it could make an interesting story for you guys,” he told reporters. “We’ll fly him home on the weekends. I think those wars are fought during the week. . . . But I think they’ve probably got enough front-line infantry.”
Ram Notes
The San Francisco 49ers’ signing of pass rusher Charles Haley to a new contract Thursday could have significant bearing on Kevin Greene’s negotiations. Both play similar positions and roles, although the teams’ pay scales have never been quite the same. Haley reportedly received a four-year contract for $4.4 million, considerably more than the four-year, $3.2-million deal the Rams are reportedly offering Greene. But at least the team and Greene have something to work with.
