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‘Hey bear’ or ‘eh bear’? Either way, there were no awesome cartoon pictures of a Canadian saying 'eh' to a bear. I picture these nice raccoons as eager St. Louis Rams fans, who are rabidly foaming at the mouth for a decent offensive line. The dumpster diamond they are scavenging for could be undrafted free agent T-Bob Hebert.
Trying to follow in the footsteps of his father, who I’ve dubbed ‘No hyphen Bobby,’ T-Bob is about 37 players away from realizing his lifelong dream of playing in the NFL. Bobby Joseph Hebert III was too young at the time to watch his pops QB for the New Orleans Saints, but grew up loving LSU football, at least on a collegiate level.
Take a peek at our newly acquired, always hyphenated NFL hopeful...
In 2007, rated the #2 center in country by rivals.com, and 8th by scout.com, he was able to easily earn his spot on the Tiger’s squad. LSU won the national championship that season......but not because of T-Bob. Had you fooled, though, I bet. In fact, it wasn’t until the 2011 National Championship game that Hebert would have the opportunity to say he played an important role in the Tigers efforts to hoist that beautiful glass trophy. T-Bob, and his offense were about to make history...as the first ever team (under the BCS) to be shut out in a bowl game.
About T-Bob and the Rams, though...The Rams offensive line clearly underperformed last year, and was certainly overpaid. Like many of the offseason acquisitions, management and coaching staff included, Rams fans should be pleased. An O-line tune-up and a dash of optimism have provided a renewed sense of hope for offensive production in the coming season. The Rams did little in the draft, however, to provide depth to the questionable bunch.
Jeff Fisher and Co. waited until the 5th round, to many’s surprise, to select its first (and only) offensive lineman: Rokevious Watkins. T-Bob and Joe Long are two of the very few undrafted free agent lineman that one would think stand a chance of making the final 53. The road will not be easy, though. One asset that he has on his side: Versatility.
T-BOB CUTUP.wmv (via Bobby Hebert)
T-Bob spent the majority of his playing time at the guard, but also played/started several games, as is listed on the Rams official site at center. Certainly not a stellar scouting report, he was listed on Walter Football as the #14 Center prospect for the 2012 draft:
T-Bob Hebert, C/G, LSU
Height: 6-3. Weight: 300.
Projected 40 Time: 5.13.
Projected Round (2012): 7-FA.
Height: 6-3. Weight: 300.
Projected 40 Time: 5.13.
Projected Round (2012): 7-FA.
4/24/12: Hebert was rotated in and out of the lineup for LSU due to injuries, but played well overall in 2011. He has good technique and was well coached. The Tigers moved him back-and-forth from center and guard throughout the season.
If T-Bob is able to make final roster, playing time would fall somewhere in the realm of ‘sparse to nonexistent.’ Though, you cannot teach 6’3", 300 lbs, Hebert would have the luxury of learning the position from 8 year NFL veteran, and recent pro-bowl selection; Scott Wells. That, coupled with quality upgrade in offensive line coaching could brighten the dumpster diamond into a polished NFL player.
A man of character? Maybe not. A man who is a character? Absolutely! In an interview with Jim Thomas, T-Bob showed his ‘down home’ good-natured spirit,
"T-Bob actually stands for Petite Bobby," Hebert explained. "Because my real name's Bobby Joseph Hebert the third. And in Cajun tradition, you can just call someone T-Doug, T-Mel."
If only the world had more T- Douglas’...
Picking up the playbook should be easy. He’s able to speak, and understand, English, Football, and Cajun...
"But I do remember one time, my grandpa told me to getoutdebat," T-Bob recalled. I said, 'What?' And he kept telling me: "Getoutdebat". So I went to the garage. And I went and grabbed my baseball bat.Wrong.
"He was telling me to take a bath," T-Bob said.
Before he does, though, he's got some serious work to put in if he wants to earn a roster spot. The starting gig clearly goes to Wells, and If the Rams truly are eyeing him for center, he will likely be vying against Missouri native Tim Barnes for an opportunity to make the final squad. We'll see how things shake out, but in the meantime, what say ye?