Everett Leaves Town a Winner This Time

Jim Everett knew there could be days like this. Other quarterbacks had experienced them.

He was standing at the south end of Anaheim Stadium, a victory behind him and fans cheering in front of him. Everett had seen the scene often in eight years with the Rams. Now it was his turn.

He had just helped New Orleans to a 31-15 victory over his former teammates. The approval of Saint fans washed over him.

“That was great coming off the field,” Everett said. “There has always been a lot of fans from the other teams come out here. I often wondered what it would be like to be the opposing quarterback in this stadium.”

There were many a Ram fan who wanted him to have that experience. Those nifty strolls by opposing quarterbacks were many times caused by Everett’s performance as Ram quarterback.

Ram fans knew that, and they were not about to forgive or forget. They came to bury Everett, not praise him.

He was booed and heckled from the start. The fans cheered when he ducked for cover on one pass play. They jeered when his pass was intercepted. They were downright delirious when he briefly left the game because of a foot injury.

But that was the extent of Ram fan happiness. Everett’s joy lasted longer. He won and got to take that victory walk.

“I know what it’s like now to be in a city whose fans are very supportive,” Everett said. He came back to notch his second victory over his former team. Everett had thrown for 206 yards and a touchdown in a 37-34 victory in October at New Orleans.

But this one was different. It was in Anaheim.

“I was very focused all week,” Everett said. “My teammates had to come to me to ease my excitement. They said, ‘We’re going to win this as a team. Just do your part.’ ”

Everett led the Saints on a 99-yard scoring drive on their first possession. He closed the first half by throwing a touchdown pass to Michael Haynes.

He left for good because of a foot injury in the fourth quarter. By then, he had completed 13 of 22 passes for 161 yards and one touchdown.

“Jim’s been hyped up all week,” Haynes said. “You always want to beat the team you left. You want to see your old teammates do well, but you still want that organization to lose.”

If that was the case, Everett hid it well.

The Rams traded him for a seventh-round draft pick. But Everett isn’t bitter, or so he claims.

“I don’t really live for vindication,” he said. “There’s no pay backs. Life has gone on. Life has changed.”

Maybe in some places, but not in the stands Sunday.

Ram fans were ready for a quick collapse when he ran onto the field with the Saints a mere six inches from their goal line.

But on second down, Everett rolled right in the end zone and threw to tight end Wesley Walls, who made a diving catch for the first down. Everett turned to the stands and pointed.

“They were getting on us pretty good, but it was good to see them fired up around here,” Everett said diplomatically. “I really didn’t hear anything they were saying.”

Everett completed his first four passes for 49 yards on the drive, which ended with a 26-yard touchdown run by Mario Bates.

“That 99 1/2-yard drive set the tone,” Everett said. “It was nice to get that done in a stadium in which I have so many good memories.”

Ram fan memories were revived on the Saints’ second possession. Everett hit the ground just in front of the rush on third and 18.

But the Saints got the ball back on a fumble by punt returner Todd Kinchen and Everett didn’t waste the opportunity. He hit Haynes for a 34-yard gain to the Ram 11. Bates scored on the next play.

Everett didn’t waver under pressure the rest of the day. Late in the half, Everett, with Sean Gilbert in his face, hit Haynes for a 30-yard touchdown pass to give the Saints a 28-7 lead with 19 seconds left in the half.

Everett suffered a foot injury, when Robert Young tackled him from behind in the third quarter. Everett hobbled back, but was not effective and did not play in the fourth quarter. By then, the Saints led, 31-7, and his job was done.

He had come back to Anaheim and won.

“It was different being over in the other locker room,” Everett said. “I can’t describe the feeling I had walking away after that win. I have seen visiting quarterbacks have good days here. Now I’ve gotten to experience that.