One of the most important trades in NFL history occurred on July 14, 1972. Los Angeles Rams owner Robert Isray and Baltimore Colts owner Carroll Rosenbloom didn’t trade players, coaches or equipment. Instead, the two owners agreed to swap their entire franchises. Both teams remained in their respective locations, but Rosenbloom became the proud owner of the Rams and Isray took over the Baltimore Colts.
Rosenbloom was one of the most successful NFL owners in the previous 20 years, and he was hoping to maintain that success with the Rams. He immediately made a couple uniform changes. The team’s home uniform took on an edgier look; it featured short sleeves with a double white stripe near the elbow. The ram horn was also removed from the sleeve.
The Rams began the season by overwhelming the New Orleans Saints with their unstoppable rushing attack. Running back Bob Thomas led the team with 144 yards rushing and two touchdowns, while running back Larry Smith added 61 yards and a touchdown of his own in the Rams’ 34-14 victory.
The team then played a tie to the Chicago Bears (14-14) and suffered a humiliating 31-3 loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Rams recovered and went on a three-game winning streak, including victories over the San Francisco 49ers (31-7) and the Cincinnati Bengals (15-12), but their most impressive win was against the Philadelphia Eagles.
The offense lit up the scoreboard, but it was the defense that took over the game. The Rams recorded seven unofficial sacks, forced five turnovers and held the Eagles offense to 68 total yards in the 34-3 win.
The last major accomplishment of that season when the Atlanta Falcons visited the Rams on November 5. The L.A. Coliseum hosted one of the season’s largest crowds with a total of 75,018 fans. The Rams used their stable of running back to earn revenge over the team that ran for a 297 yards against them back in Week 3. Willie Ellison and Jim Bertelsen rushed for a combined 185 yards and a touchdown each as the Rams earned a 20-7 victory.
Unfortunately, the team’s success ended there. The Rams lost five of their remaining six games and finished third in the NFC West with a 6-7-1 record.
The Rams had four Pro Bowlers on the roster, which featured G Tom Mack, DT Merlin Olsen, DE Coy Bacon and P Dave Chapple. No Rams were represented on the All-Pro team.
Season Notes
– DE Deacon Jones was traded to the San Diego Chargers for LB Jeff Staggs, DT Greg Wojic, RB Lee White, a second round pick (1972) and a second and third round pick (1973).
– The Rams didn’t have a first round pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, but they did select Texas RB Jim Bertelsen in the second round (3oth overall).
– Other key players drafted included Colorado State University RB Lawrence McCutcheon (7oth overall) and Virginia State University DT Larry Brooks (355th overall).
– The team held training camp at California State University Long Beach.
| 1972 Los Angeles Rams | ||||
| Week | Date | Opponent | Score | Record |
| 1 | Sunday, Sept. 17 | New Orleans Saints | W, 34-14 | 1-0-0 |
| 2 | Sunday, Sept. 24 | @Chicago Bears | T, 13-13 | 1-0-1 |
| 3 | Sunday, Oct. 1 | @Atlanta Falcons | L, 3-31 | 1-1-1 |
| 4 | Sunday, Oct. 8 | San Francisco 49ers | W, 31-7 | 2-1-1 |
| 5 | Sunday, Oct. 15 | @Philadelphia Eagles | W, 34-3 | 3-1-1 |
| 6 | Sunday, Oct. 22 | Cincinnati Bengals | W, 15-12 | 4-1-1 |
| 7 | Sunday, Oct. 29 | @Oakland Raiders | L, 17-45 | 4-2-1 |
| 8 | Sunday, Nov. 5 | Atlanta Falcons | W, 20-7 | 5-2-1 |
| 9 | Sunday, Nov. 12 | Denver Broncos | L, 10-16 | 5-3-1 |
| 10 | Sunday, Nov. 19 | Minnesota Vikings | L, 41-45 | 5-4-1 |
| 11 | Sunday, Nov. 26 | @New Orleans Saints | L, 16-19 | 5-5-1 |
| 12 | Monday, Dec. 4 | @San Francisco 49ers | W, 26-16 | 6-5-1 |
| 13 | Sunday, Dec. 10 | @St. Louis Cardinals | L, 14-24 | 6-6-1 |
| 14 | Sunday, Dec. 17 | Detroit Lions | L, 17-34 | 6-7-1 |
Sources: Profootballreference.com, Stlouisrams.com
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