So Today I Went Back to 2013 Rams Football
Been feeling kinda nostalgic for some old NFL lately, you know? Stumbled upon a box of my old game day stuff buried in the garage – tickets, programs, the works. Found a 2013 St. Louis Rams preseason guide, faded ink and all. Flipping through it hit me: man, time flies. Who even remembers these guys anymore? So I figured, why not dig in?
First things first, I needed the raw material. Opened up that crumpled guide. It wasn’t super detailed, just basic names and positions. Not enough. Pulled out my old laptop – took forever to boot up! – and fired up the search engine. Went looking for the actual final roster cuts from that year. Found a few old websites (some were barely loading!) listing the 53-man squad. Printed it out. Started comparing names against my faded program.
You know what surprised me? How many names just felt… gone. Like, I remembered Sam Bradford (duh, QB1), Chris Long wrecking havoc on the D-line, and James Laurinaitis calling the shots at linebacker. Stacy came roaring in later that season, yeah. But others? Drew Davis? Cody Davis? Pead? Had to dig deeper just to remember what position some of these dudes even played.
Started making notes right on the printout. Scribbled positions next to names where the guide wasn’t clear. Marked who got injured early (man, that season was rough on the injury front). Looked up their jersey numbers too, felt like that added flavor. Here’s a quick look at a chunk of the roster that jumped out at me:
- QB Crew: Bradford (obviously), then Clemens backing him up. Remember when Bradford went down? Clemens stepping in… wild times.
- Backfield: Daryl Richardson starting week one? Peeked under the hood: Pead, Isaiah Pead! Remember the hype? Never really clicked. Stacy saved things later.
- Receivers: Austin Pettis, Chris Givens, Tavon Austin (rookie flash!). Brian Quick trying to break out. So many “what could have been” guys.
- Defensive Front: Chris Long and Robert Quinn off the edges? Nightmare fuel for QBs. Brockers anchoring inside. Man, that line was legit.
What Happened to These Guys Afterwards?
After getting the names and roles straight, I got curious. Like, where are they now? Took another spin on the laptop. Looked some up. Found a few still coaching high school ball. Saw one working in finance. A bunch just faded away, like most guys do. Chris Long won rings elsewhere, good for him. Laurinaitis is doing TV stuff now. Bradford? Injuries, man. Always injuries. Seeing their paths after 2013… it’s a reminder how short an NFL career usually is. Most of these guys only got a few years at the top.
Putting this guide together wasn’t just about listing names. It was like stepping back into a specific time. Reliving the hope before the season started, before the injuries piled up. Remembering where I watched the games, who I yelled at the TV with. Makes you appreciate the grind these players went through, even on a team fighting uphill that year. Totally worth the trip down memory lane. You ever wonder what happened to your old favorite rosters?
