Youngblood Says He Will Miss Camaraderie of Training Camp

When Jack Youngblood says he’ll miss being at training camp, he is being somewhat sincere.

“As miserable as training camp is,” Youngblood said, “there’s a lot of fun, a lot of camaraderie. . . . “

A lot of monotony and standing around in the sun and the smog. A lot of b-o-r-e-d-o-m.

“But I will miss it,” Youngblood insisted after Ram Coach John Robinson told him that the next couple of weeks would be better spent in rehabilitating his injured back on his own at Rams Park rather than reporting to Cal State Fullerton with the other veterans Monday.

Youngblood, a team captain, worried about that.

“The older players could take it as preferential treatment for an old man,” he said. “In a way, they have a legitimate argument. However, I think the corps of the team will understand that what I have to give can be best utilized by doing things this way.”

The idea is to squeeze one more productive season--his 15th--out of a 35-year-old player with a herniated disk.

“Yes, this is the last dance,” Youngblood confirmed.

The Ram doctors told him he could be risking permanent disability.

“That’s a down-side risk that I had to weigh,” Youngblood said. “The up-side potential of finishing on a real high note is worth that down side. I love the game. I love to play. I still have something left to give, I believe.

“God has given me a talent, and to waste that is one of the ultimate sins. Second, I believe in what John Robinson is doing, and I believe we have a legitimate chance to win this year, and win in a big way. I’d like to be part of that.”

Youngblood will probably come to camp after the first exhibition game against Houston Aug. 10 and expects to test his back in parts of the other three exhibitions before the opener with Denver.

“I’m gonna have to play some,” he said, “(probably) a game and a half.”

But he won’t play when the Rams expect the opponent to run the ball.

Robinson hopes to channel Youngblood’s remaining abilities into a highly specialized mission this season, the thing he does best: sacking quarterbacks. His first assignment: Get John Elway of the Denver Broncos on Sept. 8 at Anaheim Stadium.

The plan is to play Youngblood primarily in passing situations on the left wing of a four-man line, from where he terrorized quarterbacks in his All-Pro seasons.

Two years ago, the switch to Robinson’s standard three-man line positioned Youngblood against 275-pound offensive tackles. His job was to occupy the blockers so the linebackers or defensive backs could make the tackle--a job that could be handled by a piano mover with reasonable agility.

“He’s still one of the best pass rushers in football,” Robinson said. “Being as fresh and rested as possible gives him an edge if he doesn’t have to stand there getting hammered and worn down in the running game.”

Youngblood had to wrestle with that, too. He’s used to playing all the time, even on special teams. He blocked a field-goal attempt to save the win at St. Louis last season.

Now Youngblood is Robinson’s designated hitter.

“It’s going to be a major change for me,” Youngblood said. “John and I talked about it for hours on end. There’s a logic behind it that you can’t argue with.

“However, football is not all logic. There’s a lot of emotion and psychological preparation that have to go into it to play at the level I expect.

“I look at what is said in the preseason and off-season about plans, and it never seems to work out that way. I expect to play some of the run. But who knows? Doing this I might be able to play four or five more years.”

Youngblood said he passed his team physical for the Ram doctors last week.

“I showed ‘em what my physical ability was . . . stretched and touched my toes and all that business.

“It’s (the back) progressively gotten better and better as we went through the training program. I couldn’t run at first. All I could do is jog. It’s up to where I’m sprinting and doing a full workout, as any younger player would do to condition himself for training camp.

“These extra weeks could very possibly give me the ability to play a full season. Those people who have negative thoughts about my condition should come down here and watch me train.”

Ram Notes

Second-round draft choice Chuck Scott, a wide receiver from Vanderbilt, practiced Saturday after agreeing to terms Friday. Indications were Scott signed for about $900,000 over four years, with no option. “I can’t say we’re ecstatic,” his agent, Vern Sharbaugh, said by phone from Cleveland, “but we’re satisfied. He’s missed a couple of weeks but he was there (working out) all summer. I don’t think he’s that far behind.” . . . First-round pick Jerry Gray, a defensive back from Texas, is the only draftee unsigned. . . . Reserve center Joe Shearin agreed to terms and practiced Saturday. Unsigned veterans are linebacker Mel Owens, nose tackle Greg Meisner, wide receiver George Farmer and defensive back Ivory Sully, who is expected to be traded or released, at his request. Also, linebacker Jim Collins, who is still uncertain whether to report as he enters his option year.