Laurinaitis would like Rams to dial back throwback jerseys to another era; Long nominated for Walter Payton Award

Few St. Louis Rams players are happier than linebacker James Laurinaitis that the team will be wearing its blue and yellow “Greatest Show on Turf” throwback jerseys Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at the Edward Jones Dome.

The throwbacks are modeled after the jerseys worn by the Rams when they moved to St. Louis in 1995. They wore them through the Super Bowl championship season before switching to the current blue and gold models in 2000.

The Rams wear the throwback jerseys twice each season at home games.

“I do like the throwbacks,” Laurinaitis said. “I’d like those colors permanently.”

Actually, if Laurinaitis had his choice the Rams’ throwbacks would be dialed back a bit further. He really enjoys the classic colors of the 1960s and 1970s’ Los Angeles Rams era when the team’s helmets had the distinctive blue and white rams horns.

“I want to have our throwback be the blue and white horns with the gray face mask,” Laurinaitis said. “You look at old photos, like Deacon (Jones) and the Fearsome Foursome ... they’ve got the blue and white, the gray face mask. They just look sweet.”

Long nominated for Walter Payton Award

The “Waterboys” project begun by St. Louis Rams defensive end Chris Long was just one of the reasons that Long was the team’s nominee announced Wednesday for the NFL’s Walter Payton Award.

Long came up with the idea for the project, which enlists other “Waterboys” among players from around around the NFL, after visiting East Africa and noticing the lack of clean drinking water and sanitary conditions.

“I love helping other people, but also I think that’s just what’s expected of me as a professional athlete,” Long said Wednesday. “This game’s given me a lot. It’s given me a lot to give back and it’s given me a platform. If I don’t use it, I feel like I’m shorting myself and I feel like I’m shorting everybody else.”

The NFL donates $5,000 to each nominee’s chosen charity and the overall winner receives an additional $50,000 donation in his name. The winner will be announced Feb. 6 during Super Bowl weekend.

Long was proud to be nominated for an award named after Payton, the Chicago Bears Hall of Fame running back.

“It means a lot. Walter Payton was an iconic figure, obviously a great man off the football field and a lot of people in this building know a lot about him,” Long said. “Some of the stories you hear about him are pretty remarkable.”

Long also has been involved with raising awareness for homelessness in St. Louis as well as the Holiday Mail for Heroes project for veterans and active military members.

Rams injury report

Rams defensive end Robert Quinn (back) was among several players not practicing Wednesday along with cornerback Trumaine Johnson (thigh), offensive tackle Andrew Donnal (knee) and kicker Greg Zuerlein (right hip). Right tackle Rob Havenstein (calf) was a full participant.

Heavy winds caused Rams coach Jeff Fisher to move practice to the team’s indoor facility at Rams Park.

Quarterback Case Keenum (concussion) was limited and still going through the concussion protocol, according to Fisher. Former starter Nick Foles, who replaced the injured Keenum in the loss to Cincinnati on Sunday, got most of the the reps with the first team offense Wednesday though Keenum was also on the practice field.

“(Case) had good work Monday (and Tuesday),” Fisher said. “He was limited today. He feels good, but he’s still yet to be cleared. As you observed, Nick (Foles) got most of the reps today and we’ll just kind of see how things go tomorrow.”

This story was originally published December 2, 2015 at 8:06 PM with the headline "Laurinaitis would like Rams to dial back throwback jerseys to another era; Long nominated for Walter Payton Award."