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Kevin Garrett, CB: Martz lamented the loss of this fifth-round '03 draft pick to a broken wrist. He will be sidelined for six weeks, which chips away at the team's secondary depth.

"He did a nice job last night," Martz said. "He did a nice job on the punt (coverage tackle), of course that's where he was injured. He played physical on the kickoff team."

What a shame. Hope he recovers quickly!

That is a real shame. He was having a great camp, I gather.
Get back quickly, KG!

From <A HREF="http://www.stlouisrams.com:" TARGET=_blank>www.stlouisrams.com:</A>

MARTZ ON THE MIKE: AUGUST 19
Tuesday, August 19, 2003


ON CB KEVIN GARRETT: “The biggest situation is Kevin Garrett who will require surgery on his wrist. He fractured it and dislocated it, which will keep him out for six weeks. Once that cast comes off or they take the pins off after six weeks they can pad it and he should be ready to go. We won’t have him for six weeks. Bless his heart, he did a nice job last night. He did a terrific job on the punt and of course that’s when he was injured. He played physical on the kickoff team. I think all of those rookie secondary people really did a great job. You have to give all the credit to (Secondary coach) Perry Fewell. He’s done a terrific job with our entire secondary. He’s taken all of those young players and given them great confidence and they’re playing at a very high level. I know a good deal of that has to do with some good coaching that’s going on there as well.”



ON DT RYAN PICKETT: “Ryan Pickett has got a high ankle sprain. It’s a very mild sprain. He played ten plays after the sprain. It was a cut block and he caught his foot in the ground. He can play, probably, within the next week or so. We’ll probably keep him out until the season opener just to make sure he’s ready, but we’ll play that from week to week and just kind of see where he is. He’s been a guy who, in the past has recovered very quickly off of injuries. So we’re hopeful that he’ll be ready to go in a short time.”



ON C DAVE WOLHABAUGH: “Dave Wohlabaugh broke the thumb on his left hand. He could play next week. We’ll probably keep him out until the opener and make adjustments in the offensive line accordingly. This is obviously our third center that we’ve lost due to injury, so things are getting a little thin there. Those are the significant ones. Everything else is just bumps and bruises…just the kind of normal things that are going to happen in a game that aren’t going to keep anyone from playing.”




OVERALL THOUGHTS ON THE GAME: “I’m very pleased with the intensity level. I thought we were sharp. We’ve stepped up to another level since the first game, which is what we asked the players to do. The execution part of it is what we’ve been preaching about since last mini camp. To continue to elevate that and keep these guys playing at a high level and doing things well and really paying attention to all the details of what they do. I felt like Kurt (Warner) was sharp last night. He prepared well and was ready to play. I think that I really like where this football team is. More importantly I really like where the personality, for lack of a better word, where this football team is. The passion, the fun that they’re having, the speed, they can’t wait to play. I think we’re kind of getting back to where we’ve been in the past and I think it’s exciting.”



ON THE OFFENSIVE LINE: “They played good. We had to keep some of them in there a little bit longer than we wanted to just because of the injuries. What happened was G David Loverne went out late in the game with an elbow injury which made us put in some guys that we didn’t want to have in there at that time, but we had no choice. We’re just awfully thin on the offensive line. I think overall we played good on the offensive line. I think you could give the offensively line very good marks for this game.”



WHAT DO YOU THINK HAS BROUGHT BACK THE “PERSONALITY” OF THE TEAM? “I think the people involved, obviously. The veterans that we’ve got coming back, the passion for playing this game, and the excitement and enthusiasm about being a good team have returned. I think a lot of the new faces here that have come in, both young and veterans are good additions. I think the character that’s been added to this team, both in the draft and free agency has left its mark.”

Sounds like Coach Martz really appreciates what he has in KG.
If he goes on IR, doesn't he automatically make the team?

in sports


Rams' trio hope to corner the market
By JIM THOMAS Post-Dispatch
updated: 08/25/2003 06:24 AM


Sound off in Rams Talk

From the moment the Rams drafted three cornerbacks on April 27, coach Mike Martz said one or more of them needed to contribute right away. So who would it be? Fourth-round pick DeJuan Groce of the University of Nebraska? Fith-round pick Shane Walton of Notre Dame? Or fifth-round pick Kevin Garrett of SMU - chosen just two spots after Walton?

Until last Monday night, the early leader was Garrett, given the nickname "Little Deion" by some of the Rams coaches because of his Deion Sanders jersey number (21), and his Deion-like speed.

"Kevin was doing fine," defensive backs coach Perry Fewell said. "He was the best surprise of them all. You could tell, the confidence was in his face and his eyes and his look. Things were just kind of coming together for him."

Alas, Garrett suffered a fractured wrist making a big hit on punt coverage against Tampa Bay. He needed surgery and will be out until mid-October.

"I wanted to make an impression," Garrett said. "I wanted to fit in good with the team, make sure I made the team, and then this happened."

Garrett's apartment-mate in St. Louis, Groce, made a lot of progress in training camp and has looked good on the practice field. But so far, those practice deeds haven't transferred over to game day in the preseason.

"The kid has the physical tools, and you can see those things," Fewell said. "Now, we want to see those things on game day. He's still got a lot more growing and learning to do.

"He hasn't been awful. But he hasn't like stepped up and made a play for us to make us go, 'Wow.' And that's what we're looking for."

Which brings us to Walton. Two weeks into his first NFL camp, Walton found himself moved to free safety from cornerback. "It's exciting for me," Walton said. "It's a new challenge for me. I've been playing corner my entire football career."

Things got a lot more exciting for him Saturday following the opening kickoff against Buffalo. On that play safety Kim Herring suffered a fractured forearm that will sideline him for the better part of eight weeks.

Keep in mind, Jason Sehorn already is out with a fractured foot. Aeneas Williams is sitting out the final three preseason games to avoid wear and tear on his turf toe and his surgically repaired ankle.

Suddenly, Walton found himself with the first-team defense in Ralph Wilson Stadium, face to face with Bills quarterback Drew Bledsoe. Bledsoe came out firing, and didn't stop firing until he had thrown 29 passes in two-plus quarters.

Welcome to the big leagues, Shane.

"It was an eye-opener, because Drew of course is a quality quarterback," Fewell said. "He can make all the throws, really, that the great quarterbacks can make. He stuck some balls in there that Shane was maybe a little slow on. So he got to see a real quality quarterback in living color."

It won't be the last time that happens, either. Because of the injury situation, Walton will start the preseason finale Thursday against Trent Green and the Kansas City Chiefs.

All this after little more than two weeks at his new position.

"He's an old pro now," Martz joked. "He's a vet. Walton will start at free safety this week, and the backup is Mike Martz, who has limited range."

Williams will start at free safety when the Rams open the regular season Sept. 7 against the New York Giants. Until then, it's all Walton all the time - at least when the starters are in the game.

"I love it," Walton said. "It's a laymaking position. If you can't get 'picks' and breakups at free safety, you're not really a playmaker."

Walton flashed playmaking skills playing cornerback for Notre Dame. He was a consensus All-American last season as a senior, intercepting seven passes and forcing a fumble.

At safety, Walton says the coverage assignments are easier than at cornerback. "But the checks and reads are a lot harder," he said.

Especially when you're going up against the Drew Bledsoes and Trent Greens of the football world.

Reporter Jim Thomas
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 314-340-8197


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Garrett may be able to play this weekend. He is listed as questionable. While he was out, he also had minor knee surgery.

They need KG back, and soon. In his absence, Walton's been playing a lot. And getting torched.

This week? That report says mid-October. And frankly, I can't imagine he'll be back even by then - we're talking about a pretty major wrist injury.
Go get 'em, KG.