He’ll Be Ready for Show Time : Football: Thompson, last on Rams’ depth chart at running back, is prepared to move up at a moment’s notice.

If an earthquake swallows Jerome Bettis and Russell White, and Cleveland Gary doesn’t re-sign with the team, and David Lang stays on crutches, and Tim Lester gets kidnaped, and Marcus Dupree doesn’t make a comeback, then the Rams might consider giving the ball to Anthony Thompson this season.

In the meantime, someone has to stand last in line in practice each day.

“I have a purpose here,” Thompson said. “I’m just leaving it in the hands of the Lord.”

In this case, he was not speaking about Chuck Knox.

“I’m the longshot, the underdog, the soft guy who believes in God, that’s fine, call me whatever you want,” Thompson said. “But I know this, I’ll endure until the end.”

Although his opportunities are limited, if he keeps running with the ball as well as he has in the first few days of training camp, he might very well prosper in the end.

“With David Lang being out, it actually helps his chances,” said Chick Harris, the Rams’ offensive backfield coach. “I don’t know how long Cleveland is going to be out, but every day Cleveland is out it gives him more reps and more of a chance to show.”

Thompson has shown more explosion along the line of scrimmage than any other back in camp. He has run better pass routes than White and has shown more quickness than Bettis.

He will be given time in Saturday’s scrimmage against the San Diego Chargers and the preseason opener in Phoenix to impress, but it will take a show-stopping performance to push him past Bettis and White. NFL politics being what they are, the guys who get paid millions get paid to play.

The Rams lack a back with breakaway speed, and unfortunately that always has been the knock on Thompson. However, five times in his pro career he has carried the ball 18 or more times, and in those contests he has averaged 92.8 yards.

“Line up 25 Ram fans,” Thompson said, “and nobody probably knows who I am. The Lord knows my name, though, and maybe He will help people to come to know my name.”

There was a time when a whole lot of people knew about Anthony Thompson. After adopting the hill-running techniques of his idol, former Chicago running back Walter Payton, Thompson went on th gain 5,159 career yards at Indiana. He was runner-up to Andre Ware in the Heisman Trophy balloting in 1989. He set an NCAA record with 68 career touchdowns, and once rushed for 377 yards in a game.

The Rams, however, paid only $100 to claim Thompson from Phoenix last season. The Cardinals had the third-worst running attack in the league, and yet Thompson couldn’t hang onto a roster spot.

“But we thought he was a good football player,” said Jack Faulkner, the Rams’ administrator of pro personnel. “This guy has talent, and if he gets his chance, who knows?”

The Rams parked him on the bench behind Gary and Lang last year. They gave him the ball eight times in the second half against the Minnesota Vikings in late November and he produced 51 yards.

“I got to play in one game last year and that was it,” Thompson said. “It made me hungrier. I wanted to play, but the Lord didn’t let it happen.”

Three years ago Phoenix heralded Thompson’s second-round selection as a turning point in their drive to become respectable. Difficult contract negotiations, however, kept Thompson out of training camp and allowed Johnny Johnson time to become the team’s starting running back.

Thompson started one game in 1990, rushed 28 times for 136 yards, and then Johnson returned from an injury. Despite several productive performances, he never seriously challenged Johnson in 1991 and became unhappy, which prompted his release.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen here, but I believe the Lord will pull me through,” Thompson said. “It may not be here, it may be somewhere else, but I’m not going to worry about it.

“I can control my attitude on the field and work hard, but I can’t control the coach’s decision. He might like this particular running style better, or management might need a particular player to get a shot because he’s paid more. I’ll leave it in the hands of the Lord; He’ll make a way out of no way.”

There’s no way Thompson challenges Bettis and White for spotlight duty this season, or is there?

“He can leave it up to anybody he wants so long as he produces,” Harris said. “This is a very solid religious guy, and you know something, I think the Lord has told him to prepare himself and he has prepared himself well. This is one of our strongest players.

“He’s going to get his chance here and we’re going to see him carry the ball. I think we’re going to get the opportunity to evaluate the true Anthony Thompson.”