Has the Everett Era Come to an End? : Rams: Chuck Knox says veteran quarterback is a competitor and will bounce back from his first demotion as a pro.
Coach Chuck Knox has given the football to T. J. Rubley, and while it certainly will stop Jim Everett’s streak of 87 consecutive starts, is it really the end of an era for the Rams?
“I don’t think this portends the end of anything for Jim Everett,” said Knox. “I think this: Jim Everett is a competitor and he will bounce back.”
Will Everett return to command a week from now, a month from now, a year from now and play as well as he did in 1989? Will a game-winning relief performance somewhere down the schedule silence the boos? Can he win the favor of the coaching staff again?
Or has Everett played his final down as a quarterback with the Rams?
“Remember, Bill Walsh wanted to replace Joe Montana in 1988,” said Marvin Demoff, Everett’s representative. “This is something new to Jim, but not to the NFL. You can count on one hand the quarterbacks in this game who have not been questioned at some point in their careers.
“To guess what his role will be in ’94 based on the current situation would be premature. Whatever you might say there’s a significant chance of being wrong. I tend to think the Rams would be less-than-enthusiastic to have Jim under his present contract as backup quarterback in 1994.”
Everett, who received a $430,000 reporting bonus to start the season, will earn $125,000 Sunday as a backup--the same amount of money Rubley will earn for the entire season.
“If this were the end of the year, I’m sure he wouldn’t be happy about his role with theRams, but since it’s October, it’s too early to judge,” Demoff said. “We were sitting here a week ago and Bernie Kosar had one role (as backup to Vinny Testaverde) and now his role (starter again) is very different. It depends on where he is at the end of year.
“Ram management has always been very, very fair to Jim, and I tend to think the Rams would do what is best for Jim after the season. And I’m very confident Jim will act with dignity the rest of the year and accept whatever role the team has in mind for him.”
Everett’s contract, which was agreed upon after he threw for a league-high 60 touchdowns in 1988 and 1989, calls for $2.5-million next season and $2.6-million in 1995. The Rams thought they had one of the top quarterbacks in the game at the time, but now their highest-paid player is standing on the sideline, while the 228th player taken in the 1992 draft takes snaps as the No. 1 quarterback.
“I don’t think we’re concerned with what the future is going to bring right now,” said Ernie Zampese, Ram offensive coordinator. “Hell, we’re trying to win a football game. We’re 2-5. In this business, you get fired when you lose.”
The Rams’ future might well rest on the outcome of the next nine games. Will Rubley’s promotion send Everett over the edge and force him to finish his career elsewhere?
“I think where he is age-wise (30), he’s somewhere in the middle to early-second half of his career,” said Ted Tollner, Ram quarterback coach. “There’s a lot of good football in front of him. We have not heard the end of Jim Everett as a starter in my opinion.
“(The situation) is difficult for Jim, but not impossible. It’s a bottom-line game; you get an opportunity again, you perform, and everything is fine again. There are a lot of places around the NFL where quarterbacks are in difficult situations and some overcome it and some don’t. He certainly has the ability to overcome it; it won’t be the easiest deal, but at this point the important thing is to get Rubley ready.”
Rubley stepped into the huddle with the first offensive unit Wednesday, the first time since mid-November, 1986, that a healthy Everett wasn’t in charge.
“I’m disappointed that this is how things have to be,” Everett said. “If Coach thinks this is best for the team, then that’s who I’m going with. There will be plenty of time to re-evaluate what’s happened at the end of the season.
“I just hope this is the best move for this football team. Coach Knox thinks it is, and I just hope it all pays off.”
Everett started his 87th consecutive regular-season game a week ago, which is currently the longest streak in the league. But it will unceremoniously come to an end in San Francisco, coincidentally, in the same place where he suffered his worst moment--the phantom sack in the NFC championship game following the 1989 season.
“It was (a source of pride), but during that streak I would have liked to have gotten more wins, too,” said Everett, who compiled a 37-50 mark. “It’s not all durability; to a point it is, but for the most part, it’s just wins and losses, and that’s what it has come down to.”
The Rams have dropped three games in a row, and during Sunday’s game with the Lions, the hometown fans relentlessly booed Everett.
As one of the Lion coaches said, “You can’t fight city hall; Chuck has to play the kid now.”
Knox claimed he did not hear the booing in Anaheim Stadium, but he went with public opinion and promoted Rubley.
“This in no way means that Jim Everett can’t play or anything like that,” Knox said. “What happens is when things aren’t going well, a lot of it is dumped at the quarterback position.”
Everett’s reaction to being pulled in the third quarter against the Lions resulted in harsh words for Knox after the game and a reprimand from Knox the following day.
“I was a frustrated player at that time,” Everett said.
On Tuesday, he was informed via telephone that he would no longer be the starter, and on Wednesday, he was the good soldier, and openly discussed his demotion without bitterness.
“I don’t know the pressures of the head coach,” Everett said. “There are times when I have not been as effective as I would have liked, so I understand where our fans are coming from.
“All I ever wished was for us to win ballgames. I think that’s the only way you win fans. Whoever puts the wins on the board I’m sure will gain favor.”
Everett all but ignored Rubley Sunday after being pulled and has appeared to remain distant from him in practice, but Tollner said all that is misleading.
“I see him behind the scenes preparing and helping,” Tollner said. “He wasn’t ready given the emotion-packed situation last week to contribute. That was my job.
“This week there isn’t going to be any disappointment of being yanked, and I would think he will give us some help. Contrary to what I’ve read, he is a team man. He wants to play, but I don’t see him holding any animosity toward the other guy because he is playing.”
The last time Everett was benched was his sophomore season at Purdue, when he was forced to give ground to Scott Campbell. He recovered, finished sixth in the Heisman Trophy balloting his senior season and was the third player selected in the 1986 draft.
“I’ve often tried to turn a negative into a positive; I’m a true believer in that,” Everett said. “Somehow out of all this, I will find a positive. I honestly will find a positive.”
Everett, while accessible to the media, has not always answered questions directly this season. He has declined to talk about the pressures he has been under and has preferred to take a cavalier approach when confronted.
But Wednesday, he admitted the obvious when asked if he has been pressing in recent weeks.
“I’d be lying to say if I wasn’t,” Everett said.
“Right now I’m trying to keep focused on this season. I made a promise, a commitment this summer to this season, and while it’s been difficult, I’m going to finish that. Then we’ll decide after this season what possibilities there are.”
End of an Era?
When T.J. Rubley runs onto the field Sunday at Candlestick Park, it will end a streak of 87 consecutive regular-season games that Jim Everett has been the Rams’ starting quarterback. The last regular-season game Everett missed was Dec. 27, 1987, when an injury kept him out of the season finale against the 49ers. 1993
Date Opponent Score PA-PC Yds. TD Int. 10/24 Detroit 13-16 9-2 12 0 1 10/14 Atlanta 24-30 35-17 294 2 2 10/3 N. Orleans 6-37 25-10 126 0 1 9/26 Houston 28-13 28-19 316 3 0 9/19 NY Giants 10-20 28-11 135 1 2 9/12 Pittsburgh 27-0 34-21 221 1 2 9/5 Green Bay 6-36 41-17 175 0 2
*1992
Date Opponent Score PA-PC Yds. TD Int. 12/27 Atlanta 38-27 18-11 140 0 1 12/20 Green Bay 13-28 44-24 222 1 3 12/13 N. Orleans 14-37 42-24 226 2 3 12/6 Tampa Bay 31-27 38-25 342 3 0 11/29 Minnesota 17-31 23-12 174 1 1 11/22 S.Francisco 10-27 29-13 158 1 0 11/15 Dallas 27-23 37-22 251 2 0 11/8 Phoenix 14-20 32-21 248 1 1 11/1 Atlanta 28-30 33-22 253 4 0 10/18 NY Giants 38-17 21-18 242 2 0 10/11 N. Orleans 10-13 20-11 165 0 1 10/4 S. Francisco 24-27 24-20 232 2 1 9/27 NY Jets 18-10 25-13 151 1 1 9/20 Miami 10-26 32-17 229 1 2 9/13 N. England 14-0 22-18 130 0 0 9/6 Buffalo 7-40 35-18 160 1 4
*1991
Date Opponent Score PA-PC Yds. TD Int. 12/22 Seattle 9-23 27-12 118 0 2 12/15 Minnesota 14-20 43-26 263 1 4 12/8 Atlanta 14-31 16-7 109 1 1 12/1 Washington 6-27 40-19 201 0 0 11/25 S. Francisco 10-33 32-20 249 0 0 11/17 Detroit 10-21 45-26 308 1 1 11/10 K.C. 20-27 37-26 329 3 1 11/3 N. Orleans 17-24 31-18 346 1 3 10/27 Atlanta 14-31 27-9 92 0 1 10/20 Raiders 17-20 35-22 300 2 2 10/13 San Diego 30-24 25-19 219 2 0 9/29 Green Bay 23-21 29-18 241 0 1 9/22 S. Francisco 10-27 35-17 219 0 1 9/15 N. Orleans 7-24 17-6 71 0 1 9/8 NY Giants 19-13 16-7 83 0 0 9/1 Phoenix 14-24 35-25 290 0 2
*1990
Date Opponent Score PA-PC Yds. TD Int. 12/31 N. Orleans 17-20 36-22 290 2 0 12/23 Atlanta 20-13 40-13 171 0 2 12/17 S. Francisco 10-26 35-17 232 1 2 12/9 N. Orleans 20-24 50-31 365 1 2 12/2 Cleveland 38-23 29-22 261 4 0 11/25 S. Francisco 28-17 27-16 224 0 1 11/18 Dallas 21-24 25-14 139 0 0 11/11 NY Giants 7-31 36-17 186 0 3 11/4 Houston 17-13 27-19 215 1 1 10/29 Pittsburgh 41-10 34-15 176 0 2 10/21 Atlanta 44-24 38-24 302 3 0 10/14 Chicago 9-38 31-13 187 1 1 10/7 Cincinnati 31-34 46-25 372 2 0 9/23 Philadelphia 21-27 35-17 260 2 1 9/16 Tampa Bay 35-14 25-18 269 4 0 9/9 Green Bay 24-36 40-24 340 2 2
*1989
Date Opponent Score PA-PC Yds. TD Int. 12/24 N. England 24-20 29-13 181 1 2 12/17 NY Jets 38-14 26-16 273 2 0 12/11 S. Francisco 27-30 31-18 239 2 0 12/3 Dallas 35-31 37-27 341 4 1 11/26 N. Orleans 20-17 51-29 454 1 2 11/19 Phoenix 37-14 24-15 308 2 0 11/12 NY Giants 31-10 33-23 295 2 2 11/5 Minnesota 21-23 30-18 200 1 1 10/29 Chicago 10-20 35-13 185 0 2 10/22 N. Orleans 21-40 42-24 263 3 2 10/16 Buffalo 20-23 36-15 219 2 1 10/8 Atlanta 26-13 28-16 290 2 1 10/1 S. Francisco 13-12 25-16 250 1 0 9/24 Green Bay 41-38 31-19 238 2 2 9/17 Indianapolis 31-17 35-28 368 3 1 9/10 Atlanta 31-21 25-14 206 1 0
*1988
Date Opponent Score PA-PC Yds. TD Int. 12/18 S. Francisco 38-16 38-19 201 4 1 12/11 Atlanta 22-7 33-24 303 1 1 12/5 Chicago 23-3 31-17 251 1 3 11/27 Denver 24-35 47-25 365 2 1 11/20 San Diego 24-38 34-17 243 2 1 11/13 N. Orleans 10-14 35-18 198 0 2 11/6 Philadelphia 24-30 45-24 377 2 4 10/30 N. Orleans 12-10 34-21 243 0 0 10/23 Seattle 31-10 27-20 311 3 0 10/16 S. Francisco 21-24 33-20 199 3 2 10/9 Atlanta 33-0 24-15 234 3 1 10/2 Phoenix 27-45 33-25 300 1 0 9/25 NY Giants 45-31 24-14 236 5 1 9/18 Raiders 22-17 24-13 178 1 0 9/11 Detroit 17-10 27-17 141 1 1 9/4 Green Bay 34-7 28-19 184 2 0
*
Score PA-PC Yds. TD Int. Totals 37 victories, 50 losses 2,754-1,574 20,303 123 100