Royal Purple

Issue date: 4/16/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Joy Kowald Members of the St. Louis rams staff pose after a visit to campus Tuesday.

St. Louis Rams' representatives visited UW-Whitewater facilities Tuesday morning to discuss with Warhawk current and former head coaches Lance Leipold and Bob Berezowitz about using the campus as a possible training site for the summer.

Members of the Rams organization toured the campus' Williams Center, specific residential areas, food services and the Student Athletic Complex.

Jeff Horton, special assistant and offensive assistant to Rams' head coach Scott Linehan, was in awe of what he seen during the tour.

"It's a beautiful facility," Horton said. "It's got a lot of things that we're looking for. The people here are very friendly, and they went out there way to make us feel welcomed. [The coaches] presented what they have to offer the Rams to help make us better. We want to have a good training camp soon, so it was a good visit."

Leipold, Berezowitz, Athletic Director Paul Plinske and members of resident and dining services had a meeting last Wednesday to prepare for the Rams' visit. Plinske was unable to attend the affair but is thrilled about the possibility of the Rams training at UW-Whitewater for the summer.

"It's an exciting opportunity to have the Rams explore our facility and consider using it for their preseason practices," Plinske said.

Although Horton, a quarterback coach at UW-Madison for seven years before working with the Rams, was impressed with the sites of UW-Whitewater, there are other campuses that the Rams are interested in. UW-Oshkosh and Madison were visited by the Rams' representatives on Monday. The officials also visited Concordia University in Mequon Tuesday.

"I have to go to all my visits before I rank them, but everything is good [here]," Horton said.

UW-Whitewater and UW-Oshkosh have been the most interesting landing spots for the Rams. According to a report in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, the Rams are seriously considering the move to either campus, and they might have a practice partner in the Green Bay Packers.

UW-Whitewater is just 140 miles from Green Bay and UW-Oshkosh just 50 miles. Another option is Macomb, Ill., where the Rams managed training camp at Western Illinois University for nine years before moving back to St. Louis in 2005.

Continued...

Page 1 of 2 next >

Article Tools