[Elvis]

http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football ... a4.twitter

Proehl upset over Rams move

by Jim Thomas

SAN FRANCISCO • Carolina wide receivers coach Ricky Proehl and the rest of the Panthers were in the midst of preparations for their playoff opener against Seattle when the news came down: the NFL had approved the relocation of the Rams to Los Angeles.

Proeh's reaction?

"It (bleeps) me off. Absolutely," said Proehl, still the brash kid from "Jersey" at age 47. "To me, St. Louis is a great sports town. Great place to raise a family.

"My kids were there for five years _ loved it. My wife loved it. I loved it. It was just a fun place to play. The support of those fans was as good as I ever saw."

St. Louis may have been good for Proehl during his five seasons with the Rams (1998-2002). But Proehl was also good for St. Louis. Very good.

Never more so than his 30-yard touchdown catch with 4 minutes 44 seconds to play, giving the Rams an 11-6 victory over Tampa Bay in the NFC title game and catapulting the 1999 squad to Super Bowl 34 against Tennessee.

Of course, two years later against New England in Super Bowl 36, Proehl almost did it again. His 26-yard TD catch with 1:30 to play pulled the Rams into a 17-17 tie with the Patriots, who went on to win 20-17 on an Adam Vinatieri 48-yard field goal as time expired.

"That was a special group," Proehl said Wednesday during Carolina's Super Bowl 50 media session. "A lot like this (Carolina) team. This team, they love each other, they love love being around each other.

"And that's how we were in St. Louis. We didn't care who scored. Played for each other. Blocked downfield."

And acted like youngsters in the backyard when one of their teammates scored. When Isaac Bruce scored the game-winning touchdown to defeat Tennessee 23-16 in Super Bowl 34, Proehl chased him into the end zone to celebrate.

It was Bruce chasing after Proehl a week earlier, when Proehl's catch wiped out a 6-5 Tampa Bay lead in an intense slugfest. On an explosive Rams team, it was Proehl's first TD of the season.

He was considered a role player then, but knew who he was as a player, and what he brought to the table.

"That was special for me," Proehl said. "That game didn't surprise me. I was prepared for that game. I was ready. I'd played that game 100 times in my dreams.

"To not have a touchdown all year, and then play in the NFC championship and have six catches for 100 yards and the game-winning touchdown was definitely a dream come true."

Those are the kind of memories that last a lifetime. Proehl still stays in touch with Bruce, Torry Holt, Az Hakim, and Dre' Bly (who lives in Charlotte, N.C., home of the Panthers).

The Rams' relocation vote on Jan. 12 led to another round of texts with former teammates. Now, Proehl is worried that part of that Greatest Show on Turf legacy will get lost in the move to Los Angeles.

"I hope I'm wrong, but I do think it will," Proehl said. "I hated that I missed it when all the players went back a couple years ago" for a Super Bowl 34 reunion in St. Louis.

Proehl, who is in his fifth season on coach Ron Rivera's Carolina staff, was working that reunion weekend _ in October 2014.

Sunday's contest against Denver marks Proehl's fifth Super Bowl, but his first as a coach. Besides his two Super Bowls with St. Louis, Proehl also played in Super Bowl 38 with Carolina to cap the 2003 season and Super Bowl 41 with Indianapolis (2006).

His playing career lasted 17 seasons, with six clubs, and included 669 catches for 8,878 yards and 54 touchdowns.

Not bad for a "role player."

[Hacksaw]

He too realizes he will get lost in the vacuum formerly known as the StLoo Rams

[Elvis]

Pretty amazing how similar the 2001 and 2003 losses to the Patriots in the SB were for Proehl, and not in a pleasant way...

[Stranger]

Pretty amazing how similar the 2001 and 2003 losses to the Patriots in the SB were for Proehl, and not in a pleasant way...

Very astute observation.

[Hacksaw]

proehl did his part while his teams were snatching defeat from the jaws of victory ...

[RamsFanSince82]

He'll get over it soon.

Is Thomas only going to write articles now about former Rams players that are upset that the team moved or about a coach that was almost coached the Rams? I can't wait until this guy stops writing about the Rams. He's a lot more interested in talking about former college and high school players from his beloved STL/MO.

[Stranger]

He'll get over it soon.

Is Thomas only going to write articles now about former Rams players that are upset that the team moved or about a coach that was almost coached the Rams? I can't wait until this guy stops writing about the Rams. He's a lot more interested in talking about former college and high school players from his beloved STL/MO.

I didn't even notice that this was a JT article. Figures.

[max]

Proehl bashed the Rams when he was in Carolina. Thanks for that catch against the Bucs. See ya.

[maxxx power]

He'll get over it soon.

Is Thomas only going to write articles now about former Rams players that are upset that the team moved or about a coach that was almost coached the Rams? I can't wait until this guy stops writing about the Rams. He's a lot more interested in talking about former college and high school players from his beloved STL/MO.

Why are we still reading anything from that site? I stopped going there.

I said many times while they were in STL that their coverage was awful. JT NEVER asked hard questions, Bernie is a whining blowhard.

Glad I don't have to read that dreck anymore.

[ramsfan1977]

Who?