By: Joey Bittick

Any Rams fan can tell you that the Special Teams play was a problem spot for this team for a while.  Through the Mike Martz years, they were particularly bad. Then Scott Linehan came in, and despite his many faults, he tried to put an onus on fixing this problem. However, Linehan’s players only seemed to be able to play on the Special Teams (and not all that well) and nowhere else. These days, it is a relief to know that Billy Devaney and Steve Spagnuolo are making progress in correcting the problems in this much-maligned unit. One big reason for the improvement is Rams Special Teams ace and Linebacker Chris Chamberlain. Going into his third season with the Rams, he has led the Special Teams unit in tackles for each of the past two seasons. Chris was gracious enough to take some time out of his busy pre-season schedule to talk with Rams on Demand about his life on and off the field.

Rams On Demand:  At what point did it sink in that you are an NFL player? Do you still have to pinch yourself sometimes, or do you already feel like you belong? Is there any specific play you remember so far that made you think, “Man, I can do this!”?

CHRIS CHAMBERLAIN: Yeah, my first regular season game was at Philadelphia and I was pumped to be on the field for the opening kickoff.  Well it was a touchback so we just ran down the field. The next kickoff I ran down, defeated my blocker, and made the tackle around the 20 yardline. Watching the play on film the next day I remember thinking to myself, “that looked pretty good, I can play with these guys.” So that was a big confidence booster and showed me that I could play at this level.

R.O.D. You grew up in Bethany, Oklahoma, a relatively small town (my town has around 400 people, so Bethany sounds like a sprawling metropolis to me!).  What was that like to grow up there? Were there any specific hurdles you had to overcome being from a small town and trying to make it as a football player?

C.C.  Well most people think that it is in the country since it is a small town but it is actually located right in the middle of Oklahoma City. My school was small though with only about 350 students in the high school. It was a challenge overcoming the perception that you can’t play major college football or get a scholarship from a small school. Things worked out and I was the first person ever from my high school to receive a division 1 scholarship let alone play in the NFL. So it has been a big challenge to get to where I am at now.

R.O.D. What is your favorite memory of playing college ball for the University of Tulsa Golden Hurricane?

C.C.  Winning the conference championship my sophomore year then going on to beat Fresno State in the Liberty bowl.

R.O.D. You were drafted by the Rams as a seventh rounder. Needless to say, being a lower-round pick must have made it even harder to impress the coaches and get noticed. Many players drafted in the seventh round do not make the team, yet you have become a solid contributor for the Rams, particularly on special teams, and you are going into your third season in the mix at linebacker. What do you think sets you apart from the players that do not make it in the NFL, and what motivates you to continue improving?

C. C.   The NFL is so demanding physically which everyone knows. But what a lot of people don’t realize is just how tough it is mentally.  The mental part of the game is almost more important than the physical part at this level. Everyone in the NFL is physically gifted and is fast and strong.  So one area that I do feel I can separate myself is mentally. I pride myself on not making mental mistakes and always executing my assignment on every play.

R.O.D.   You are going into your third season and have already led the Rams special teams in tackles for the past two seasons. How have you been able to come in and contribute so much so early? What does it take, in your opinion, to be a good special teams player (a unit where you have to be fearless to be effective)?

C.C.  Well special teams are tough to play and not everyone wants to do them. These first two years that is where I have been given the opportunity to primarily contribute. I look forward to special teams and try my best to help give our team a chance to win through my play on special teams.  To be a good special teams player you have to be fearless like you said, aggressive, relentless, and coachable.

R.O.D. Being a linebacker, you are responsible for bringing down the ball carrier before he reaches the secondary. Is there ever a time when you have a big bruising back coming at you and you think, “Man, I should have been an accountant or something!”? Who is the best running back you have played against, in your opinion?

C.C.   Yeah I think that all the time but I am glad to be doing what I am doing. My sophomore year of college we played against Laurence Maroney, Adrian Peterson, and Deangelo Williams. All three are great running backs and guys that no defense likes to see. I played well against Peterson and Williams but I don’t think I touched Maroney the entire game. Which isn’t good when you’re playing linebacker so I’ll give the nod to him.

R.O.D. How do players handle it when a veteran gets released or decides to move on? For example, when Marc Bulger or someone like that who has been with the team for so long leaves, do you guys feel that, or is it just part of the business?

C.C.   It’s always difficult when guys you have built friendships with get released or traded but as professional athletes in the NFL I think everyone understands that it is just part of business side of football. It is an eye opener for a lot of guys, most guys are never “safe”. Some guys don’t have anything to worry about but for the most part there is a large group of guys that every year go into training camp and fight for their job and a right to be a part of this team. I am one of those guys. I am not guaranteed anything. I have to go win my job and hope I don’t have to deal with the alternative.

R.O.D. What do you see in this defense that will surprise people this season? Many of us at Rams on Demand saw a defense playing with a lot of fire and determination last season. While the results may not have been there as far as on paper, we really feel you guys are going to put together something special. What is going to stand out when we watch this season?

C.C.   Now that a majority of the guys have had a year in the system we are really far ahead of where we were last year.  I would look for us to play really fast on defense and create a lot of turnovers. Guys have a great understanding of the defense and what coach is trying to get accomplished when he makes a call. That frees guys up mentally to just play instead of thinking too much. That is why I feel we will also create more turnovers because guys will be in better positions to make those game changing plays.

R.O.D. Way down the road after winning a few Super Bowls for the Rams and you are finished playing, have you thought about what you would like to do? Would you ever want to coach?

C.C.   I am not sure yet what I want to do in the future. I have thought about getting into coaching but am not 100 percent on that. Right now my focus is on playing football and trying to make my career last as long as I can.

Any truly successful team is more than the sum of its parts, and we are glad to have Chris as part of the Rams as we look forward to watching him and his teammates turn our team around!  Thanks to Chris for his insights here and for his dedication to the team we are all rooting for.