With no players of his own to coach, St. Louis Rams offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels reached out to make an impression on players via another route. And his work had a big impact on a local college player who is now leading an Indoor Football League team in Wichita, KS.
NFL teams all have a regional pro day type of event in which they bring in local college prospect, guys from the smaller schools that dot the area. Obviously, it lacks the hype of a first-round pick visiting the team's facility, but it is good move for teams and sinking roots into the area. One of the players a Rams Park this year was former Lindenwood University QB Phillip Staback.
After some quality time with Josh McDaniels, in which the QB earned some praise for his arm, Staback returned to football a new man, leading his IFL team, the Wichita Wild, with an 80 percent completion rate.
While the NFL and player battle over the future of that league, stories like this are a good reminder that football remains, and remains people's passion, in spite of the ugly spat at the millionaire vs. billionaire level of the game.