For Now, Kids Take Center Stage : Rams: With Newberry holding out and Doug Smith injured, Trevor Ryals or Theo Adams will start tonight.

Ken Iman. Rich Saul. Doug Smith. Now, following in that long tradition of All-Pro Ram centers, we present Trevor Ryals .

Unless his sore knee gets worse.

In which case, we bring you Theo Adams .

Center was one position the Rams haven’t worried much about since the mid-1960s. And they figured they would be in great shape again this year. Tom Newberry, the undeniably talented 28-year old, was moving from guard and was expected to keep the Rams’ veritable lock on the position in the Pro Bowl. Doug Smith, 35, who had played in six consecutive Pro Bowls (1984-89), was around just in case something happened to Newberry.

Newberry, however, hasn’t shown up in camp. He remains unsigned, holding out for a better contract offer. If he waits much longer, he might not be ready by opening day. Smith hurt his ankle and knee on the second day of training camp. The ankle hasn’t responded to rehabilitation as well as was hoped, and he hasn’t practiced since.

Then 12th-round pick Jeff Pahukoa from Washington, who’s listed as a guard on the training-camp roster but was playing a lot at center, sprained his left knee.

So tonight against the Falcons in the Gator Bowl, quarterback Chuck Long will get his first start in more than two years and he’ll be lining up behind either Trevor or Theo. Ryals is a free-agent rookie from Virginia and Adams is a tackle from Hawaii who played for London in the World League of American Football.

“Ryals has been playing center the whole time and he’s just a super guy,” offensive line Coach Hudson Houck said. “He’s dedicated to what he’s doing. He works hard at what he’s doing. And he understands what he’s doing. I’ve been really pleased with the way he’s played. But his knee is a little suspect and he’s been out of practice for a number of days.

“Adams has a sprained elbow and he’s played all over: tackle, guard, center. He probably won’t be too sharp on the snap count.”

And if they get hurt?

“Then it’s me,” Houck said.

The Rams, of course, are hoping this is all nothing more than an a slight hiccup en route to a smooth restoration of their former status as an NFL power. Coach John Robinson, bent on rejuvenating the power running game, would very much like to see Newberry in camp soon and his offensive line intact by opening day.

The Rams, who don’t play another preseason game until Aug. 12 (against San Diego), begin seven days of two-a-day practices Monday. The Rams believe it would be an excellent time for Newberry to acquaint himself with a demanding new position.

Robinson made no pretenses. He had every intention of starting the season with Newberry at center. Now, he says, if Smith is healthy, he will battle Newberry for the job.

“I don’t like to be a phony about it,” Robinson said. “Doug is 35 and Tom is 28, and we’re moving him in there because he has exceptional skills. But in the same regard, you start and you want to go.

“Tom’s got a right to negotiate his contract, but Doug’s also got the right to start running when the race starts. It’s like you fire the gun for the race and one guy says, ‘Hey, I haven’t got my shoes on yet.’ Well, the other guy’s got a right to run. And the other guy has to get his shoes on and catch up. Tom is a favorite in the race, but the race has started already.

“We’ve all seen coaches say those things and then two days later the guy comes in and he’s starting. But I do have a lot of respect for Doug Smith and his ability and he deserves the opportunity to start the race without him.”

So Robinson fired the gun and Smith fell down coming out of the blocks. Newberry is probably close to tying the laces on his shoes and Smith hasn’t pulled himself off the track yet.

How frustrating has this been for Smith? Always accommodating to the media, Smith declined to comment about his situation. Sort of.

“I’m really sorry but I just can’t say anything now,” he said. “I just don’t know what the situation is. You’d have to ask John or Hudson. Really, I can’t tell you anything except (the ankle) isn’t strong enough. I guess I’m a little frustrated. I just want to keep my nose to the grindstone and keep working until I get healthy.”

The Rams came into training camp feeling pretty good about the talent and experience they had at the center position, but they didn’t exactly spend the off-season raving about last year’s performance of Newberry or Smith.

“With Doug, I think it’s a matter of the need for challenge more than anything else,” Houck said. “He’s been to all those Pro Bowls. He’s comfortable with me. He understands the system. You, me, any of us in that situation will tend to stay the same.

“But we’re expecting more and he’s aware of it. He knows there are things he can look at and say, ‘I’m not doing this very well.’ ”

Although Newberry had a less-than-spectacular year in 1990, nobody doubts he can be a dominating center in the NFL. He wants to be paid like one, however, and therein lies the impasse with the Ram front office. Smith will make a guaranteed $600,000 this season. Newberry is asking for about $800,000.

“Tom will be in soon, I’m sure of that . . . of course I’ve been saying that for a month,” Houck said, managing a laugh. “I know Tom understands he needs to be in soon, no matter what the contractual situation.

“If he doesn’t, then we’ve got a problem.”

Obviously, the Rams are hoping tonight’s Trevor and Theo Show isn’t a look into the future. At least not the near future.