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Every draft class is followed by a group of undrafted free agents eager to prove that 32 teams made a mistake passing them over. The Rams have had their fair share of undrafted free agents help pave the way to some of the greatest seasons the franchise has ever seen.
Only a handful of undrafted players ever achieve stardom or, at the very least, make a significant impact. However, they do make them some of the best stories in NFL history.
Here is a look at the five best undrafted players to ever suit up for the Rams.
It was a short-lived career but one to remember for Rams fans. Tony Horne signed with the St. Louis Rams out of the University of Clemson in 1998, where he set a school record in his final season with 70 receptions in a single season for 980 yards and eight touchdowns. His biggest impact was returning kicks, where he had 1,133 yards on special teams for the Tigers. The impact he made carried over to the Rams, where he secured a spot on the roster for the 1998 season and played with the team until 2000.
In 1998, he finished sixth in the NFL with 1,306 yards on kick returns. The following year, he recorded 892 yards with an impressive league-leading average of 29.7 yards per return. He was a key contributor to the Rams' Super Bowl-winning team in 1999, scoring two kickoff return touchdowns during the regular season and adding another in the playoffs. In 2000, he gained 1,379 yards over 11 games, finishing sixth in the league once again. Following his time with the Rams, Horne signed with the Kansas City Chiefs but suffered a knee injury during the preseason that ultimately forced him to retire.
As NFL Network host Rich Eisen once said: "Punters are people too," a statement he made after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Bryan Anger No. 70 overall in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. While Anger, currently with the Dallas Cowboys, has enjoyed an All-Pro career, the Rams found the better punter following that year's draft.
The team signed a 6-foot-5, 225-pound Johnny Hekker, a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award and a Phil Steele All-Pac-10 second-team selection during his time at Oregon State. Hekker, who now plays for the Tennessee Titans, enjoyed a 10-year career with the Rams and was part of the team's move back to Los Angeles in 2016. During his tenure with the Rams, he was named to six All-Pro Teams( four first and two second), made four Pro Bowls, twice led the league in punting yards in 2015 and 2016, and was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. Above all, the Redmond, Was., native helped the Rams capture a Super Bowl title in 2021 when they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. Hekker set an NFL record for the longest punt in Super Bowl history at 65 yards during the game.
Several players have a case to be made to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; London Fletcher is one of those names. After going undrafted in 1998 out of John Carroll University, Fletcher signed with the Rams and, despite little production, appeared in all 16 games as a rookie. Following his rookie season, Fletcher would become the starting middle linebacker for the team and helped the Rams win the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl in only his second season.
Across 16 seasons, four with the Rams, Fletcher recorded 2,039 tackles, 39.0 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, 23 interceptions, and three touchdowns. However, the one stat that stands out above all is that Fletcher never missed a game due to injury in his 16-year career. He played in 256 games, becoming one of only five players in NFL history to play in over 250 consecutive games and holding the record for most consecutive starts at linebacker.
The story of Dick "Night Train" Lane is one to remember. He played college football at Scottsbluff College, now known as Western Nebraska Community College, for just one season in 1947 and did not sign to play pro football until 1952. Lane enlisted into the U.S. Army between those years and served four years at Fort Ord in California. There, he continued his playing career for the Fort Ord football team, where he caught 18 touchdowns in 1951 and was given second-team All-Army honors in 1949 and first-team in 1951.
Following his service, he made a living by lifting heavy metal sheets for an aircraft plant. One day, he passed by the Los Angeles Rams' offices and walked in to ask for a tryout. The Rams switched him from receiver to corner and he impressed in his first scrimmage, earning him a spot on the team. Despite just playing two of his 14 seasons in Los Angeles, it didn't take long to make a league-wide impression during his rookie season as he went on to notch 14 interceptions in 1952, a record that still stands to the present day. Night Train would go on to play for the Chicago Cardinals and Detroit Lions. He finished his career making 10 All-Pro teams and seven Pro Bowls, is a member of the 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, and in 1974, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
The obvious and one of the best stories in sports history. From bagging groceries to playing Arena Football to NFL Europe, Kurt Warner's hopes and dreams of playing in the NFL seemed like a lost cause. Despite signing with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 out of Northern Iowa, the St. Louis Rams actually were the ones who gave a hungry and eager Warner an opportunity.
Warner served as the backup in 1998 and 1999 and was set to back up Trent Green until a preseason knee injury ended Green's season, thrusting Warner into the starting role. The young signal-caller never looked back as he would go on to lead the Rams, widely known as "The Greatest Show on Turf", to their first-ever Super Bowl win against the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV. Warner led the NFL in passing touchdowns, yards, and completion percentage during that season. He was named Super Bowl MVP, NFL MVP, First-Team All-Pro, and Pro Bowler.
Overall, Warner enjoyed a 12-year career that saw him lead the Rams to another Super Bowl appearance and, years later, the Arizona Cardinals to their first title appearance in franchise history. He added one more MVP award to his name in 2001 and was the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner in 2008. A storied career as such made its way to Canton, Ohio, in 2017 when the former grocery bagger put on a gold jacket to become forever recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever and considered by many the greatest UDFA in league history.
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Top 5 undrafted players in Rams franchise history
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Only a handful of undrafted players ever achieve stardom or, at the very least, make a significant impact. However, they do make them some of the best stories in NFL history.
Here is a look at the five best undrafted players to ever suit up for the Rams.
5. Tony Horne, WR/KR
It was a short-lived career but one to remember for Rams fans. Tony Horne signed with the St. Louis Rams out of the University of Clemson in 1998, where he set a school record in his final season with 70 receptions in a single season for 980 yards and eight touchdowns. His biggest impact was returning kicks, where he had 1,133 yards on special teams for the Tigers. The impact he made carried over to the Rams, where he secured a spot on the roster for the 1998 season and played with the team until 2000.
In 1998, he finished sixth in the NFL with 1,306 yards on kick returns. The following year, he recorded 892 yards with an impressive league-leading average of 29.7 yards per return. He was a key contributor to the Rams' Super Bowl-winning team in 1999, scoring two kickoff return touchdowns during the regular season and adding another in the playoffs. In 2000, he gained 1,379 yards over 11 games, finishing sixth in the league once again. Following his time with the Rams, Horne signed with the Kansas City Chiefs but suffered a knee injury during the preseason that ultimately forced him to retire.
4. Johnny Hekker, P
As NFL Network host Rich Eisen once said: "Punters are people too," a statement he made after the Jacksonville Jaguars selected Bryan Anger No. 70 overall in the third round of the 2012 NFL draft. While Anger, currently with the Dallas Cowboys, has enjoyed an All-Pro career, the Rams found the better punter following that year's draft.
The team signed a 6-foot-5, 225-pound Johnny Hekker, a semi-finalist for the Ray Guy Award and a Phil Steele All-Pac-10 second-team selection during his time at Oregon State. Hekker, who now plays for the Tennessee Titans, enjoyed a 10-year career with the Rams and was part of the team's move back to Los Angeles in 2016. During his tenure with the Rams, he was named to six All-Pro Teams( four first and two second), made four Pro Bowls, twice led the league in punting yards in 2015 and 2016, and was named to the NFL 2010s All-Decade Team. Above all, the Redmond, Was., native helped the Rams capture a Super Bowl title in 2021 when they defeated the Cincinnati Bengals 23-20. Hekker set an NFL record for the longest punt in Super Bowl history at 65 yards during the game.
3. London Fletcher, LB
Several players have a case to be made to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame; London Fletcher is one of those names. After going undrafted in 1998 out of John Carroll University, Fletcher signed with the Rams and, despite little production, appeared in all 16 games as a rookie. Following his rookie season, Fletcher would become the starting middle linebacker for the team and helped the Rams win the franchise's first-ever Super Bowl in only his second season.
Across 16 seasons, four with the Rams, Fletcher recorded 2,039 tackles, 39.0 sacks, 19 forced fumbles, 12 fumble recoveries, 23 interceptions, and three touchdowns. However, the one stat that stands out above all is that Fletcher never missed a game due to injury in his 16-year career. He played in 256 games, becoming one of only five players in NFL history to play in over 250 consecutive games and holding the record for most consecutive starts at linebacker.
2. Dick "Night Train" Lane, CB
The story of Dick "Night Train" Lane is one to remember. He played college football at Scottsbluff College, now known as Western Nebraska Community College, for just one season in 1947 and did not sign to play pro football until 1952. Lane enlisted into the U.S. Army between those years and served four years at Fort Ord in California. There, he continued his playing career for the Fort Ord football team, where he caught 18 touchdowns in 1951 and was given second-team All-Army honors in 1949 and first-team in 1951.
Following his service, he made a living by lifting heavy metal sheets for an aircraft plant. One day, he passed by the Los Angeles Rams' offices and walked in to ask for a tryout. The Rams switched him from receiver to corner and he impressed in his first scrimmage, earning him a spot on the team. Despite just playing two of his 14 seasons in Los Angeles, it didn't take long to make a league-wide impression during his rookie season as he went on to notch 14 interceptions in 1952, a record that still stands to the present day. Night Train would go on to play for the Chicago Cardinals and Detroit Lions. He finished his career making 10 All-Pro teams and seven Pro Bowls, is a member of the 50th, 75th, and 100th Anniversary All-Time Teams, and in 1974, was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
1. Kurt Warner, QB
The obvious and one of the best stories in sports history. From bagging groceries to playing Arena Football to NFL Europe, Kurt Warner's hopes and dreams of playing in the NFL seemed like a lost cause. Despite signing with the Green Bay Packers in 1994 out of Northern Iowa, the St. Louis Rams actually were the ones who gave a hungry and eager Warner an opportunity.
Warner served as the backup in 1998 and 1999 and was set to back up Trent Green until a preseason knee injury ended Green's season, thrusting Warner into the starting role. The young signal-caller never looked back as he would go on to lead the Rams, widely known as "The Greatest Show on Turf", to their first-ever Super Bowl win against the Tennessee Titans 23-16 in Super Bowl XXXIV. Warner led the NFL in passing touchdowns, yards, and completion percentage during that season. He was named Super Bowl MVP, NFL MVP, First-Team All-Pro, and Pro Bowler.
Overall, Warner enjoyed a 12-year career that saw him lead the Rams to another Super Bowl appearance and, years later, the Arizona Cardinals to their first title appearance in franchise history. He added one more MVP award to his name in 2001 and was the NFL Walter Payton Man of the Year Award winner in 2008. A storied career as such made its way to Canton, Ohio, in 2017 when the former grocery bagger put on a gold jacket to become forever recognized as one of the greatest quarterbacks ever and considered by many the greatest UDFA in league history.
.@kurt13warner’s 1999 season was magical
1st year as starter
— NFL (@NFL) June 13, 2024
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This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Top 5 undrafted players in Rams franchise history
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