All eyes are on the Rams this year since moving to Los Angeles. Every move they make will likely be a top story, especially during the NFL Draft. Actually, the Rams were in a similar situation in 1946 after they left Cleveland as champions.
They had a 30-man draft class, but overall it was an underwhelming class. There weren’t many big names to mention, but the few that were drafted by the Rams didn’t stick around. This was easily one of the worst drafts in franchise history.
Round 1- Pick 10: Emil Sitko HB/Notre Dame
The Rams’ first pick proved to be their first first draft bust in Los Angeles. Notre Dame running back Emil Sitko was selected to be the Rams’ featured rusher, but he had different ideas. Instead, Sitko decided to sit out for two years to finish his education at Notre Dame. He later signed with the San Francisco 49ers in 1950. He didn’t have much of a career, retiring in 1952 with the Chicago Cardinals.
Round 3- Pick 25: Don Samuel DB/Oregon State
The Rams missed out on Sitko, and their luck continued to run out with their third round pick Don Samuel. Like Sitko, Samuel never played a down as a Ram and later signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1949. It’s a shame that he didn’t work out, because Samuel’s athleticism allowed him to play multiple positions. He was drafted as a defensive back, but the Steelers used him on both sides of the football, including quarterback at times. Samuel eventually retired in 1950.
Round 7- Pick 60: Fay King TE/DE/Georgia
Quite possibly the best player that the Rams drafted was Georgia’s Fay King. The trend continued with King being drafted by the Rams, but ultimately he did not play for them or in the NFL for that matter. In fact, he made quite a name for himself playing for the All-America Football Conference (AAFC), which was the NFL’s competitor from 1946-1949.
King’s most notable season came in 1948, when he played for the Chicago Rockets. He played both sides of the ball, but as a tight end, he snagged 50 receptions for 647 yards and seven touchdowns. Those are decent numbers even in today’s standard. King retired in 1949 with the Chicago Hornets after compiling 115 receptions, 1,583 receiving yards and 20 touchdowns.
Source: Indiana-football.org, Pro-sports-reference.com
You can follow Johnny Gomez on Twitter @Johnny5not6. Be sure to follow Rams Talk on Twitter @TalkRams.
