Rams defensive lineman William Hayes impressed with fan turnout at training camp
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Fans have been oozing enthusiasm at Rams training camp and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by players adjusting to their new home.
More than 10,000 fans clad in blue and gold attended the opening day of practice last Saturday, according to the team, and a few thousand have trickled in for each open workout since.
Some fans arrive 90 minutes early when the gates open and many stay late after practice seeking photos and autographs.
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Defensive lineman William Hayes said Wednesday that the biggest contrast between training camp in Los Angeles and St. Louis, where the team played for 21 seasons, was fan attendance.
“Not to be disrespectful, but this is probably more than we had at our damn games last year,” Hayes said. “Just coming out here to practice and seeing and hearing the chants and hearing people know you by name, which is impressive.”
The Rams have held four public practices on the campus of UC Irvine and have a fifth scheduled for Friday at 3:30 p.m.
On Saturday the team will hold an inaugural Family Day at the L.A. Coliseum.
Hayes, a ninth-year pro in his fifth season with the Rams, said it was important to give Los Angeles a team to be proud of.
The Rams have not recorded a winning season since 2003 and their last playoff appearance was 12 seasons ago.
“We aren’t saying we’ve got to win because we are in a new city. We want to win because we want to win for each other, and that’s the big thing about this team,” Hayes said.
Follow Lindsey Thiry on Facebook and Twitter @LindseyThiry
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