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Training camp is the time of year where coaches pull out all the stops to get young players to buy in and learn all they can prior to the upcoming season. St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher is certainly no exception to these tactics as he has brought in former players to work with some of his budding young stars already this offseason when Keith Bulluck stopped by Rams camp to work with Alec Ogletree. As it turns out, Bulluck’s visit was just the beginning for the Rams’ rookie class.
While Bulluck was an absolute stud at linebacker for nearly a decade with Fisher and the Tennessee Titans, he isn’t like to get an invite to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The latest visitor to Rams camp, however, is a different story entirely.
Isaac Bruce returned to his old stomping grounds where he racked up a staggering 1,024 receptions for 15,208 yards and 91 touchdowns to work with the rookie receivers in St. Louis. West Virginia teammates turned Rams Tavon Austin and Stedman Bailey soaked up a lesson from one of the all-time greats during Bruce’s visit. According to the Associated Press, Bruce shared some of the techniques that made him one of the craftiest receivers of his era during his time with Bailey and Austin.
Both rookies seemed to really enjoy the opportunity to learn from one of the best in franchise history at their respective position. Bailey said:
“It’s just a blessing to talk to someone like that. He’s done so much in the NFL for so long. To have him come out and give me some words of advice, a lot of guys will never have the opportunity to learn from a great like him.”
That type of appreciation for a former player shows that his head is in the right place when it comes to improving as a football player in the upcoming season. Austin seemed equally excited following the chat with Bruce saying:
“I’m just glad to be able to learn from him. Pick his brain. I asked him, ‘What can I do better?’ And he was happy to help. It’s something I’ll never forget — that he wanted to help me.”
There’s no doubt the Rams are expecting big things from these two in the upcoming season after allowing two of their top three receivers in terms of production to leave via free agency earlier this offseason. Chris Givens is returning after his standout rookie year, but this receiving corps will clearly be counting on these two youngsters quite a bit in 2013.
Anthony Blake is a Senior Writer/Copy Editor for Rant Sports. You Can Follow Him on Twitter, on Facebook, or add him to your network on Google.
