Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, September 24, 1995 TAG: 9509250073
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JACK BOGACZYK STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Not only has the former Virginia safety won a starting job for the 3-0 club. Not only does he have two interceptions, with 42 return yards. Not only is he an integral part of a club that has a plus-12 turnover ratio, an NFL best.
In Week 2 of the season, St.Louis rookie coach Rich Brooks called for a fake punt at the New Orleans 48-yard line with less than three minutes to play. Lyle ran for 4 yards and a first down, and the Rams ran out the clock in a 17-13 victory.
``I hadn't taken a snap since high school,'' Lyle said Sept.17 in the Rams' locker room at Clemson Memorial Stadium after St.Louis' 31-10 trouncing of the Carolina Panthers. ``I hadn't been under center since then [1989, at George Marshall High School in Falls Church]. It was strange, but it worked.''
Most of what the Rams have tried has worked. Lyle, who played in all 16 games for the 4-12 Los Angeles Rams last season, said the move to the Midwest was only part of an attitude adjustment.
``We have a new coaching staff, some new free agents, a new city and we'll be moving into a new stadium'' in October, a domed facility in St.Louis, Lyle said. ``We played all four games of the preseason on the road, and I think that helped us grow up a lot quicker. We have a lot of young guys like me, guys who are proving they can play at this level.''
St.Louis, with an average age of 25.4 per player, is the youngest team in the NFL. Free safety Lyle and his secondary partner, Toby Wright, are second-year pros. Brooks, who guided Oregon to the Rose Bowl last season, has tried some refreshing moves, Lyle said, like reverses and the fake punt.
The Rams sold out their temporary home, Busch Stadium, for the return of the NFL to the shadow of the Gateway Arch on Sept.10. The Chicago Bears visit today. The last NFL team based in St.Louis to start 3-0 was the 1974 Cardinals, who won their first seven. How long ago was that? Offensive tackle Dan Dierdorf was in his third season with the club.
Lyle, 23, was a four-year letterman at UVa and had nine interceptions his final two seasons. He was one of the few ``true'' freshman to play in recent years in coach George Welsh's program. Lyle actually is younger than current UVa quarterback Mike Groh and offensive tackle Chris Harrison.
He also wasn't as celebrated as some of his former teammates, although he was a third-round pick in the '94 NFL draft. His father, Garry, was a cornerback for the Bears from 1968-74.
``I guess I'm kind of making up for some of that now,'' Lyle said. ``Virginia is the type of school and has the type of program that doesn't stress individuals much. George Welsh doesn't believe in that, and that's his business, and he's certainly been successful. But it's the team first.
``It helped me that I came to a team that was looking for help, and then I was a starting safety in the nickel package last year. I played a lot on special teams, too. I was out there just trying to make plays. If you prove you can do that, they'll put you on the field.''
Lyle received all-rookie honors from Pro Football Weekly, and now he's starting for a defense that has scored three touchdowns and given up only four. The unit has nine interceptions and three fumble recoveries, while the Rams' offense doesn't have a turnover yet.
``We're disciplined and we're playing hard,'' Lyle said. ``We've got goals. We want to make it to the Super Bowl. We're 3-0 and we're excited, but we have to keep playing like we have been.''
Keywords:
FOOTBALL
by CNB