The Rams built
powerful squads during the 1940s and 1950s, winning an NFL championship
and six Western Division titles. Starring during the era were wide
receiver Tom Fears and quarterback-punter Norm Van Brocklin, both
eventual Hall of Fame members. The Rams were one of the NFC’s
most consistent teams during the 1970s and 1980s, reaching the playoffs
14 times from 1973 to 1989 and capturing a league-record seven consecutive
division titles from 1973 to 1979. Led by quarterback Kurt Warner,
the Rams won the franchise’s first Super Bowl in 2000, defeating
the Tennessee Titans. St. Louis returned to the title game two years
later but lost to the New England Patriots on a last-second field
goal.
The Cleveland
Rams were founded in 1936 as a member of the American Football League
(a different league than the AFL that later merged with the NFL).
A year later the team joined the NFL. The Rams moved frequently,
playing in three different stadiums over several losing seasons.
In 1945 a remarkable turnaround occurred as rookie quarterback Bob
Waterfield led the Rams to a 9-1 win-loss record and a 15-14 victory
over the Washington Redskins in the NFL Championship Game. Despite
the Rams’ successful season, the franchise remained unprofitable.
Following the season the team moved to Los Angeles.
From 1949 to
1951 Waterfield and fellow quarterback Norm Van Brocklin guided
the Rams to three consecutive Western Division championships. Los
Angeles won the NFL crown in 1951, defeating the Cleveland Browns
24-17 in the championship game. The winning play was a 73-yard pass
from Van Brocklin to Tom Fears. Wide receiver Elroy “Crazy
Legs” Hirsch led the league that season with 1,495 yards,
and he also scored 17 touchdowns. The Rams’ next conference
title, in 1955, was their last playoff appearance until 1967.
Former Chicago
Bears assistant George Allen was named head coach in 1966. He steered
Los Angeles to Western Division titles in 1967 and 1969 with lineups
featuring quarterback Roman Gabriel, wide receiver Jack Snow, and
defensive linemen Deacon Jones and Merlin Olsen. Allen earned top
coaching honors in 1967, and two years later Gabriel was named player
of the year.
The Rams’
dominance in the Western Division continued under Chuck Knox, who
became the team’s head coach in 1973. Knox led the Rams to
five consecutive division crowns, recording a 54-15-1 regular-season
win-loss-tie record from 1973 to 1977. His many stars included quarterback
Pat Haden, offensive guard Tom Mack, running back Lawrence McCutcheon,
linebacker Jack “Hacksaw” Reynolds, and defensive end
Jack Youngblood, who was named the league’s top defensive
player in 1975.
Ray Malavasi
became the Rams’ head coach in 1978. A former defensive coordinator
for the Rams, Malavasi extended the team’s streak of division
titles in 1978 and 1979, for a total of seven straight. The Rams,
however, lost the NFC Championship Game to the Dallas Cowboys following
the 1978 season and Super Bowl XIV to the Pittsburgh Steelers following
the 1979 season.
Superstar running
back Eric Dickerson powered Los Angeles to four consecutive playoff
appearances from 1983 to 1986. In 1983 he broke the NFL rookie rushing
record with a league-best 1,808 yards. The record had been held
by Earl Campbell of the Houston Oilers (now Tennessee Titans), who
amassed 1,450 yards in 1978. Head coach John Robinson was named
NFC coach of the year in 1983. The next year Dickerson was named
player of the year, and he won his second rushing title with 2,105
yards. He won a third rushing title in 1986 with 1,821 yards.
In 1988 the
passing combination of quarterback Jim Everett and wide receiver
Henry Ellard led the Rams to a wild card playoff berth. Both players
led their respective positions in yardage that year. Los Angeles
reached the NFC Championship Game in 1989 but lost to the San Francisco
49ers, 30-3.
Knox returned
as head coach in 1992 and posted a 15-33 record over three seasons.
Running back Jerome Bettis was named the league’s top rookie
in 1993. With dwindling fan support in Los Angeles, the Rams moved
to St. Louis following the 1994 season. There, wide receiver Isaac
Bruce amassed 1,781 receiving yards in 1995, the second-highest
total in NFL history.
In 1999 the
Rams posted a 13-3 record and won their division. Quarterback Kurt
Warner, who threw for 41 touchdowns, was named the NFL player of
the year. In the Super Bowl, held in January after the end of the
regular season, the Rams defeated the Tennessee Titans, 23-16. After
losing in the first round of the playoffs the next season, the Rams
went 14-2 in 2001 and returned to the Super Bowl, where they lost
to the New England Patriots. Warner won his second player of the
year award.
1980 Super Bowl
XIV Lost to Pittsburgh Steelers, 31-19
2000 Super Bowl
XXXIV Defeated Tennessee Titans, 23-16
2002 Super Bowl
XXXVI Lost to New England Patriots, 20-17
