SAFETY HOPEFUL MAKING A NAME IN RAMS CAMP
By Rams Nation's - Barry Waller
August 9th, 2002
In professional sports, nicknames are as big a part of the environment as the
equipment used to play the games, and many great players are still known more
by their Nom-de guerre than their given names. In many cases, the handles given
players almost define the sport they play. You won’t find a guy named
Sparky in the boxing ranks, for instance. In the case of pro football, the nicknames
are a clear indication of the nature of the game, and of the very different
types of athletes on either side of the ball.
Only in football are players designated to be exclusively offensive or defensive
performers, with only a very few exceptions in the modern era of someone playing
both ways, though athletes are occasionally switched from offense to defense
or vice versa. Nicknames in the NFL usually leave little doubt as to which unit
a player belongs. Defense is about violence and aggression, with little of the
intricate choreography and dazzling moves or glamour of the offensive unit,
and the nicknames reflect those dissimilar natures.
One certainly could not find a defensive player in the NFL Hall of Fame named
“Sweetness” or “Bambi, but two of the best NFL offensive stars
ever, RB Walter Payton and WR Lance Alworth, carried those monikers throughout
their outstanding careers. When one thinks of defensive stars, names like “Mad
Stork”, “Assassin”, or “Mean Joe” come to mind,
along with images of blood and guts types like Dick Butkus or Ray Nitschke,
guys who would never win any beauty contests.
When Rams safety Nick Sorenson joined the Rams last November, the rookie out
of Virginia Tech was tagged with the nickname “Sunshine”, and now
that he is a front runner to earn a backup safety spot in his second season,
that handle will need to be put away, in favor of one more suited to a big,
hard hitting safety.
“ I remember my coach last season, Ron Meeks, he’d say, “I
want you to hit somebody, I don’t want you to be “Sunshine”,
I want you to be “Dirty South”, explained Sorenson after practice
last week. After toying with the idea of moving him to wide receiver after the
Super Bowl, Sorenson found out in early April that he would be strictly a safety
in 2002, and defensive coordinator Lovie Smith is continuing Meeks’ take
on the name game. “I hear Lovie say “I ain’t gonna call you
“Sunshine” no more, I’m gonna call you “Charlie Waters”,
who was a DB with the Cowboys back in the day”, explained Sorenson.
It’s no surprise that Sorenson got his label from his teammates when
he arrived in St. Louis late last October after being cut by the Dolphins, who
were loaded at safety in 2001 and had no room for the talented ex-Hokie. Sorenson’s
flowing locks and matinee idol looks seem out of place for a defender; his easy
manner off the field and love of playing the guitar add to the way he was perceived
by his fellow Rams last season. Even his name seems more suggestive of a leading
man than a crazed football hit man. In fact, while searching the Internet for
information on Nick, one of the listed items was Harlequin Super Romance #987,
titled “Dear Maggie”, about a dashing FBI agent/photographer named
Nick Sorenson.
Chances are that the Rams’ Nick Sorenson could successfully make a switch
to Hollywood at some time in the future, but for now, his goal is just to make
the Rams squad. There is a hot battle going on at camp for the backup safety
spots behind starters Kim Herring and Adam Archuleta, and according to head
coach Mike Martz, Sorenson is making a strong impression in training camp.
“ Nick Sorenson has really done a tremendous job, he has made more progress
according to (DB coach) Carlos Mainord, than they all kind of anticipated,”
said Martz Saturday when questioned about the safety situation. According to
Martz the athletic talent was there for Sorenson, but,“ He has been more
aggressive than we thought he would be with the ball in the air, the hesitancy
that he had in mini-camp seems to have disappeared. He’s real sure of
himself and taking good angles, and so we are pleased with his progress more
than probably anyone else.”
Sorenson comes with the kind of athletic pedigree that Martz loves, beginning
back at George C. Marshall High School in Vienna, Virginia. In football, Sorenson
played quarterback, defensive back, kicker, punter, and deep snapper, and also
had time to play forward on the basketball squad, as well as being a star shortstop/outfielder
on the Hokie baseball team.
Sorenson was recruited to Virginia Tech as a quarterback prospect, and after
redshirting in 1996, he earned the backup QB role as a freshman, completing
11 of 21 passes for 140 yards and 2 TD that season. In 1998, he was switched
back to defense before the season, only to return to lead the offense at mid-season
due to injuries to the top two Hokie passers. In three starts, Sorenson went
31-59 for 306 yards and 2 scores. In 1999, a redshirted freshman named Michael
Vick came on the scene, and Sorenson’s QB days were over for good.
In 1999, Sorenson started every game at free safety on an 11-0 team that lost
a possible National Championship to Florida State in the Sugar Bowl, a game
in which Sorenson garnered 7 tackles, two for losses. Then in 2000, he was moved
to linebacker to supply more speed to that unit, and although he started and
played well there his senior year, the move hurt his status in the draft, which
is the major reason why he went undrafted in April 2001, just another “tweener”
with questions about his possible NFL position.
Once he came to the Rams, he got a chance to show his athletic ability on special
teams, including possibly the biggest play made by any Rams player in the 2001-2002
season. On the second half kickoff in the NFC Championship game against the
Eagles, with the Rams already trailing 17-13 at intermission, Yo Murphy fumbled
the football, which lay for what seemed an eternity a yard from the sideline,
with only 24 yards of turf between any Eagle player picking the ball up and
the Rams end zone. Had any of the four or five Eagles special teamers only a
few steps from the ball gotten to it, a 24-13 lead would have been the certain
result. There was a hush in the Eddie Jones Dome as 65,000 Rams fans feared
the worst.
Suddenly, almost from nowhere, Sorenson zoomed to the inert pigskin, swiftly
scooped it up in one motion amid all the chaos and green Eagle jerseys, and
scampered an additional four yards before heading safely out of bounds. The
Rams ended that drive with a field goal to close to within a point, then went
from there to a 22-17 lead one possession later. That saving play by Sorenson
would be good reason for Martz to keep him around, but as Nick himself said
last Saturday, “ It’s all about what have you done for me lately,
and yesterday is over with.”
Still, the situation for Sorenson couldn’t be better than it is in St.
Louis. With Rich Coady’s future in doubt, the chances for Sorenson and
#6 draft pick Steve Bellisari, another Ex-QB, to make the squad as the backups
appears very good. Those two have been paired in camp, with Sorenson at the
free safety spot and Bellisari at strong safety, the reverse of where they performed
in mini-camp.
When the 6’2 205 pound Sorenson is on the field next to even larger Bellisari,
who is listed at 6’2 225, it can be difficult to discern between safety
and linebacker in Lovie Smith’s defense. Since injuries to safeties have
been the most common of any position the last few Rams seasons, having some
bigger bodies to absorb punishment is a pleasing prospect for Martz. Sorenson
had planned to lose “about six or seven pounds” in the off-season,
for the move to WR, so he had to change his preparation in April to put the
muscle back on and also “Do more side to side and backpedaling drills
than I had been doing.”
Sorenson understands that his off the field demeanor can be put aside on Sundays
and in practice, explaining, “ There are so many good guys off the football
field and when they are on the field they are just…. it’s a football
mentality. My college coach used to say that because you are a bad man on the
field doesn’t mean you have to be a bad man off the field. You can do
things right off the field and on the field be a tough son of a gun, but still
have that sportsmanship.”
Sorenson and the other backups will see lots of action this pre-season, as
the final few available roster spots are earned, and his goals are simple. “
The whole coming to St. Louis has been such a blessing to me with what I have
been able to do and what the coaches allow you to do, and it’s been awesome.
They are willing to work with you and they recognize talent and encourage you.
The main thing is to just get better, so I am just focusing on myself to get
better regardless of when Rich comes back and no matter what happens to anyone
else.”
Some fans might think a player with that “Sunshine” handle and
Sorenson’s nice guy attitude and good looks is a long shot to be a killer
safety, even with his obvious athletic gifts. After all, NFL safeties are supposed
to look like Larry Wilson, intercepting passes with broken hands and missing
most of his front teeth and nose cartilage, not like actor Luke Wilson. Long
time Rams fans may have a bit different viewpoint, however.
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| Nick Sorenson and Nolan Cromwell |
In 1977, the Rams drafted another tall, handsome, well-spoken, gifted ex-QB,
with the intent of moving him to safety, where he began his college career at
Kansas before a very successful switch to QB. That player, Nolan Cromwell became
one of the all time best Rams, playing 11 seasons in Los Angeles, including
a 1980 season that earned him the NFC defensive player of the year award. Like
Sorenson, Cromwell was a star athlete in every sport, including a stellar track
career as a hurdler and decathlete. His experience playing QB greatly served
Cromwell in his stellar career, something Sorenson and Bellisari hope they can
also put to good use.
Predicting Cromwell type success for the two young Rams safeties is certainly
premature, but Cromwell proved that one need not be more animal than human to
man the safety position in the NFL, and be a star doing it. Cromwell has gone
on to be a successful NFL assistant coach, something Sorenson could pursue when
he hangs up his cleats for good. After being cut by the Dolphins last August,
Nick went back to Vienna as an assistant at his high school Alma Mater, before
getting his chance with the Rams in October, first signing on the practice squad
and then joining the regular squad on November 16th.
By the time Nolan Cromwell was finished as a Ram, he had put far behind him
his first Kansas nickname, “The Ransom Rambler” after his high school
in Wichita. Hopefully, no one will remember “Sunshine” Sorenson
after 2002 either, just Nick “Dirty South” Sorenson, NFL safety
and special teams killer.