Rams find relevant spot for Vobora
During the NFL draft, David Vobora couldn’t wait for his phone to ring. It meant teams were interested in him. During the last rounds of cuts after training camp, Vobora didn’t want to hear his phone ring. It would have been an indication he might need to pack his bags.
Vobora’s phone remained silent, and that was good news for the former Idaho Vandals linebacker, who is officially a member of the St. Louis Rams’ 53-man roster. Vobora, celebrated over the summer as “Mr. Irrelevant,” the nickname given to the last player taken in the seven-round draft, endured a wild ride as St. Louis pared its roster over the last week.
He made it through the major cut-down day last Sunday. However, the next day St. Louis added two players, including veteran linebacker/special teams standout Gary Stills. That meant two players had to go. One was defensive back Eric Bassey. There was speculation that Vobora or second-year linebacker Tim McGarigle would be the next to go. A day later, McGarigle was released and Vobora exhaled – for the moment.
“I wasn’t sure, but the coaches kept telling me, ‘Don’t stress out,’ ” Vobora said. “But you can’t really trust that because it’s a business. I just trusted that it would work out.”
Adding to Vobora’s stress level was the fact that he sprained his ankle in the Rams’ second preseason game.
“I got leg-whipped and I really thought I broke my ankle,” he said. “They told me 2-6 weeks, but in my head I’m thinking I don’t have that much time. This business doesn’t wait and you have to be on the field and produce.”
Vobora dedicated himself to rehabilitation and estimated he got back to 70 percent, good enough to suit up for the final preseason game.
“I played and played well, and I kind of got a good feel,” he said. “People don’t realize how small of a number 53 is. There are so many good players, rookies, vets, all great players and some of them are getting cut and it’s mind-boggling.”
Vobora’s next numerical goal is 45, the number of active players on game day. He will travel with the team for today’s opener against Philadelphia, but he isn’t sure if he’ll be on the active roster.
Vobora and teammate Chris Long, the second pick overall, have become good friends, in part because they share similar outgoing personalities.
“Just (Thursday), we were talking and I told him my dog back home had to be put to sleep and I was bummed about that,” Vobora said. “He asked what my dog’s name was and I said, ‘Zeus.’ He looked at me with this shocked look and said, ‘You’re kidding me. That’s my dog’s name.’ ”
Vobora has a small apartment in St. Louis. He’s shopping for a car. Nothing fancy, he said, “just a simple car.” His fallback rig is nice, but his agent wants his Hummer back.
The Rams play in Seattle in Week 3, which is as close as they’ll get to Vobora’s roots in Eugene, Ore. His family is snapping up tickets, but Vobora said he can’t afford to look ahead.
“People here are, ‘You made the team, you have job security,’ ” he said. “But it’s the NFL. You produce or they move on. I’m going to continue to grow and learn something new every day and when I do get those shots in game, whether it’s at linebacker or on special teams, I have to make the most of them.”
Notes
Michael Roos has made 48 consecutive starts since joining Tennessee. He started his last 35 games at EWU. … Ex-WSU kicker Jason Hanson is 10th in NFL history in scoring with 1,659 points. … Former Cougars Mkristo Bruce (Jacksonville) and Jed Collins (Philadelphia) made practice squads. … EWU has several players in the CFL, including Jesse Hendrix and Luke Fritz with Montreal, DB Ryan Phillips with British Columbia and DL Dario Romero with Edmonton. Hendrix isn’t on the active roster. … Ex-Cougs Calvin Armstrong, Adam Braidwood and Greg Prator are with Edmonton in the CFL. Armstrong is the starting left guard. Braidwood is listed as a backup defensive tackle and Prator is a wide receiver on the practice roster. Bryan Chiu is the starting center at Montreal; EWU’s Fritz is a backup tackle. … Ex-Vandal Rolly Lumbala is a reserve fullback with British Columbia.