Originally Posted On KevPayne.com

Hey, Rams Nation! Tonight, we’re heading into the last game of the preseason and I’m proud to say that this past month has been a good one for us. Sure, we lost the first preseason game, but then we took the next two. And now that we have the Baltimore Ravens coming in, we’re just going to continue playing hard so we can hopefully finish training camp with a victory that will give us that positive momentum we want to have as we enter the regular season.

Beating the Ravens isn’t going to be easy. They have a good, young quarterback (Joe Flacco (Troy Smith is supposed to get the most game-time (Thanks, @ScottieB_23))) and running back (Ray Rice), and - well - their defense speaks for itself. Ray Lewis, a future Hall of Famer, has been doing his thing out there for a long time, so you know he’s going bring the heat. And then there’s the rest of the team’s defense which is also full of great players. They’re definitely gonna give us a huge task to tackle, but it’s a task that we’re looking forward to taking on. We just gotta go out there, play hard, and continue pulling off the successful approaches to the game our coaches have instilled in us. ...If we do all that, we should win.

We’re all looking forward to seeing everyone out for the final preseason game. It’s gonna be a fun one!

Pic via KevinPayne.com ( <<< My new site! Go to it! NOW! ;-)

What’s goin’ on, Rams Nation!?!

The hot topic going on ESPN the last couple days has been about the Dez Bryant / Roy Williams thing - where Dez didn’t carry Roy’s pads after practice. So I just wanted to chime-in and give my opinion, as well as find out what yours is.

As far as hazing goes, I was never really big on hazing rookies or college freshmen. I know it’s an understood thing to do in the NFL, but I never really cared much about making rookies do this and that for me. I mean, I had to do it -- all the rookies who were there with me had to do it -- but I just so happen to have not done it to any of my younger teammates.

I remember in my first year, Mike Brown told me to carry his pads for him. Doing so was just part of being a rookie, so it wasn’t a problem for me. I picked’em up, carried them, and didn’t say anything else about it. I wasn’t going to tell Mike Brown that I wasn’t going to carry his pads - Ha! I mean, it’s an understood ritual, a sign of respect towards a veteran player. I had a lot of respect for those guys like Mike Brown and the rest of the defensive backs. They’d put in years of hard work into their careers and had been in the NFL doing the things that I wanted to do. So if someone wanted me to carry their pads, I’d do it -- No big deal.

Other than carry some equipment around here and there, all I really had to do when I was a rookie was get the veteran’s food and sing some songs. So I guess you can say I never really got, like, hazed hazed - you know, stuff like having my head shaved bald or something - Haha!

Stuff like getting food and singing songs is cool and all, it’s just that when it comes to making kids do things outside their character is where I draw the line. That’s just my personal feelings on the whole thing. I know I wouldn’t want anybody to shave my head, so I never made anyone else do something crazy like that.

As far as Dez not wanting to carry the pads -- I dunno, man -- I’m really not sure what to say about that. It’s a new day and age out there. I mean, you can’t force him to carry the pads. Me, personally, I did it and didn’t have a problem with it, but everyone is their own man. However, if you don’t cooperate, it might make things worse for the rookie in terms of fitting-in and building camaraderie with the rest of the team. The veterans may give him a hard time after this for not showing any respect to Roy. Everyone has had to go through it in their careers. So for Dez not to do it, he kinda singles himself out.

I’ve never made a rookie carry my pads before. That’s not to say I won’t ever do it (haha), I just haven’t up to this point in my career. One thing’s for sure though: I’d never do anything really crazy to a rookie, because I know I wouldn’t have wanted someone to treat me like that when I was in their shoes.

So that’s my opinion on it -- Who’s to say if it’s the popular one or not? Let know what you guys think here and on my Facebook profile.

What's up, guys? Y'all getting' a little football fever? I know I am.

Sorry it's been a minute since I've checked in -- I've been beyond busy putting together my football camp. Thankfully, all the hard work that was put into this thing was well worth it, because we had an incredible turnout. And I truly believe those kids walked away from the event with a little extra knowledge about not just football, but life in general.

It felt so good going back home to Junction City, Arkansas where I was able to -- I think -- I HOPE -- inspire a handful of my hometown's younger generation to leave their personal stamp on the planet with their own passions. I mean, yes -- it was a football camp -- but we wanted everyone to know that it's cool to not only excel in athletics, but - more importantly - school, and life in general.

One of the ideas I stressed the most to the campers was that if you really set your mind to accomplish a goal, ANYTHING IN LIFE IS POSSIBLE. All you have to do is have a positive mindset and set realistic short and long term goals, and the world's yours to own! I also mentioned that adversity would inevitably come your way as you work towards your goals, but, if you just persevere through your struggles, you'll ultimately come out a stronger person than you were before.

I've gotta thank everyone who helped this camp be the success that it was (We had a little over 130 kids there for about three and half hours of hot weather and intense/inspirational instruction, for goodness sake!) I could tell that everyone in the community was very excited about the camp and I couldn't have pulled all this off without their support. Also, I have to thank my old coaches / teachers / nurses, former teammates, community organizations, and friends and family for all their help -- I couldn't have done any of this without them.

And to all you kids and parents who were there... I had a GREAT time ;-) I want you to know that I'm just as happy about doing this camp as all of you were about being a part of it. Now we all just need to keep our fingers crossed that we can do this again next year, and the year after that, and so on and so on, because it's important that we continue teaching kids how easy it is to accomplish your dreams - both on and OFF the field - if you'll just set your mind to do so.

I love you guys! See ya again soon!

What's goin on Rams Nation!?! This is Kevin Payne here, checking in on the Atogwe news.

I know my two cents on this might be kinda late, but I've been out of town and haven't had much of a chance to pay close attention to the media. But now that I've seen how the Rams just re-signed OJ Atogwe to a 5-year deal, I figured I'd give throw a short comment at-cha about it.

Bottom line: I think it's a great move! The guy is a spectacular player, as he's been a turnover-machine the entire time he's been in the NFL (he's got 19 career picks and 19 career forced fumbles). Anytime you can have a player of that caliber on your team, it's always a plus. Him creating so many turnovers will definitely help put us in a position to win games.

Without a doubt, I think the Rams got a lot better, this past week. Management showed how they're willing to make the moves that need to be made to try and help us become very successful this year.

Watch OJ do work...

Feel free to weigh in with your comments to let me know what you think about it - I love hearin' from you guys.

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I think I just found my new favorite sport (other than football, of course).

Golf.

Yep -- Tiger, Tiger Woods, y'all.

No, I didn't get out there and play any rounds; I just went to the driving range -- and I was terrible. I've always been terrible, and, as evidenced by how I played the other day, I'm still terrible. But, for some reason, while I was choppin' away, that didn't seem to matter to me. I still managed to have a lot of fun.

I know what you're probably asking yourself... How can you say golf is your new favorite sport when you're so terrible at it? ...Well, because I finally hit the ball off the tee for the first time.

I'm sure you're laughing that off as no big deal; but, for me, it truly was a big deal. You see, I'd never been to a driving range before to really practice. All my previous experiences with golf have happened at charity events, where you're expected to just get out there and merely look like you know what you're doing (I never fooled anyone). I'd always be "that guy" who was stinking things up. Sure, I'd go out there and try to have fun, because - ya know - it was just a charity event, so there wasn't any pressure to win a trophy or anything. But, I gotta admit that it was still kinda embarrassing being the person who was always slowing-up my teammate's games.

So anyway -- I went to the driving range the other day with a buddy of mine. I sucked from the get-go; but, thankfully, I hadn't set any high expectations for myself. However, being the competitor that I am, I knew I had to try to get better.

For the first 45 minutes, I'd swing and hit the ball about ten feet in front of me - obviously I was doing something wrong. When I'd swing my body didn't feel comfortable, because I was all outta sync. My feet were going with my swing, but my body was being left behind.

Why it took me forty-five minutes to figure out I was doing something wrong... I don't know? But, once I started to really take the time to figure out my approach and follow-thru by listening to the pointers my buddy was giving me, I finally got my swing lookin' a little better. All I had to do was get my rhythm down.

So I'd properly transition my weight through my hips, get my left elbow locked down, and then BAM -- WHOOSH -- the ball went flyin'...

...It was one of the greatest feelings in the world.

I love golf now. Like, this is my new hobby for the summer. I'm gonna continue to practice so I can get this thing down. And when the next charity event comes around, it's on - I'm gonna be poppin'. During past charity events, I'd always stay back and let everyone else do their thing, because I knew I was terrible. But now that my confidence is getting a lot higher, who knows... Maybe I'll be able to hang with the other guys.

I'm ready. Practice makes perfect, and I'm definitely gonna be practicing. I know I'm not a professional or anything - don't get it twisted. I'm not saying I can go out and win the Masters or anything, like Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson. I'm just saying that I'm starting to feel my swag a little bit ;-)

You guys got any tips for me I should know about? If so, I'll take what you say and run with it...

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(THAT'S how I look when I'm scared (Haha!) You see those eyes buggin'? ;-)

As a child growing up, there were two things I always dreamed of doing:

1. Becoming a pro football player

2. Flying an airplane

I'm a Ram, so I must've accomplished number one. But number two -- I never got around to doing that ...until recently.

For the longest time, I've thought about how cool it would be to fly an airplane, and finally - thanks to a friend of a friend - I was able to find an opportunity to make this dream come true. And, to make things even sweeter, I was able to bring some friends with me.

Once we arrived at airport - I'm not gonna lie - I found myself feeling a little scared. I don't know why, but I was suddenly real apprehensive about getting up there. So I did what any good friend would do and made my buddies risk their lives first (Haha). I just wanted to make sure I wasn't going to be the first person something went wrong with ;-)

Each one of my friends flew around for about ten minutes, and after one of them would land, they'd jump out of the plane lookin' like they just had the experience of a lifetime. Seeing them safe and sound on the ground with smiles on their faces definitely helped me build up my confidence.

Then it was my turn go up. And man... It was like all that confidence I had gained just disappeared. One of my friends took a picture of me after I had first gotten in the plane, and you can tell how bugged out I was. Like, literally, my eyes were bugging out of my head, because I was so zoned-in on the instructor as I paid attention to what he was teaching me. After seeing that picture, myself, I really did look like I had just seen a ghost.

Finally, we took off. And to my surprise - after like two minutes or so - I actually became very comfortable up there. I realized, real quickly, that flying a plane was a lot like driving a car, and the more I came to terms with that, the more relaxed I became. No longer did I look like a ghost had taken over my body - I was laid back and enjoying how peaceful the entire experience was.

When we went into the air, sunset was starting to settle in, so our view of the world around us was absolutely amazing. There I was -- up there in the air -- just gliding around -- and I'd look to the west and see the Chicago skyline; then I'd quickly glance to the east and see Milwaukee going to sleep. Never before had all my senses felt like they were on such high-alert. Even the sounds of the plane gave me a meditative experience.

Just imagine being able to make an hour and a half trip by plane that would take six hours by car, AND enjoy every single minute of the ride - to do that would just be amazing. And because that sounds so great, I'm actually giving the thought of purchasing one of these small planes some serious consideration, because - believe me when I say this - flying truly is the best experience, ever. You guys gotta give it a shot, yourselves.

QUESTION: Do any of you know of a place where I can take flying lessons? If you do, get at me on Facebook.

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I'm impressed with Coach Spagnuolo's approach to making us a stronger team - I really am. He's put together a group of coaches who bring a lot to the table. With all the knowledge they collectively bring to the field, how could we NOT become better players?

When you're a player who truly recognizes how successful your coaches have been throughout their careers, all you wanna do is get out there on the field, press down, and do as you're told, because you're 100% confident that their systems work. You already know that everything is in place and you're setup for success, so you're able to just go out there and feel comfortable knowing that, if you make your plays, you'll win.

I also like the intensity of our coaching staff. They want you to be nothing less than rock solid. And, you know, when I say "rock solid," I mean they expect you to do the small things that, ultimately, make big differences in games: such as simply catching the ball; stripping the ball; going hard on every play; and - the the most basic responsibility of all - believing in your defense/offense and that it works. ...That's all they ask of us! And those aren't tall orders to fulfill! They're actually quite elementary! So if we can take care of those small things, our larger goals will be much easier to achieve.

I know I've already said this a million times, but I'm SO excited about this opportunity to be here with the St. Louis Rams. I'm really loving the atmosphere, and a lot of the positive energy that's floating around comes from these great coaches we have. Aaaaand, I must say that my excitement is further fueled by the fact that I LOVE the way this team uses their safeties! All in all, I'm just having way too much fun around here ;-)

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Thanks, again, to Ryan (VanRam) for sending me these questions. I'm having a blast answering them ;-)

The next talking point from Ryan's questionnaire was...

Name a unique skillset you bring to each position (free safety & strong safety).

At free safety, I feel confident in my ability to be able to scope out eeeeevery little thing that's happening on the field - being able to do this helps me get a good feel for what the quarterback and everyone else is about to do. By having such a strong sense of awareness about my surroundings, I'm really able to step up my game.

At strong safety, I definitely bring a lot of physicality to the game. I LOVE making big hits, so I really try to take advantage of the opportunities that come along to take someone out. If you're a running back who's coming my way, expecting to gain extra yards, I can promise you you're not going to make it, because I'm going to come through and clean house - that's just my mentality. If there's a chance to land a good shot on the opposing offense, you can bet I'm gonna take it.

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What's going on, Rams Nation? Are you feeling blessed? If you are, or even if you're feeling a little down and out, I want you to hear me out on what I'm about to say, because I have a favor to ask of you that will - if you lend a helping hand - warm a lot of people's hearts, including your own.

Yesterday, my Virtual Biographer (he helps me manage my Web stuff), emailed me an article he found in his daily "Kevin Payne" Google Alerts email about two people from St. Louis who were tragically killed in a car wreck.

You may be asking yourself why such a news story would appear in a "Kevin Payne" Google Alerts email. Well...

The father who died was also named Kevin Payne.

Sure, I was initially intrigued to read the article, because we both share the exact same name and hometown, but when I actually soaked in the story and realized the degree of tragedy this family was suddenly facing, their situation really moved me, emotionally.

Here's what happened, according to Fox 2 News:

"ST. LOUIS, MO - A seven month old baby boy (Trenton Payne) died and his father (Kevin Payne) suffered critical injuries when their car crashed into the River Des Peres Wednesday afternoon. It happened near Chippewa in South St. Louis. A good samaritan is heartbroken. He pulled the father out of the wreckage without knowing the baby was in the car."

There's a lot more to this tragedy than what that paragraph reveals, including the story of Todd Gilliam, who heroically tried his best to rescue Trenton and Kevin from the vehicle (he was able to pull Kevin out, but, unfortunately, he died three days later). I've included at the bottom of this post all the news footage about this story so you, too, can understand just how sad all of this is.

As I'm sure all of you who have lost a loved one knows, the sadness of a death doesn't end at the completion of a funeral. The grief continues for a looooong time; and if you're financially responsible for the person(s) who passed, you're probably aware of the heavy costs that result from your loss.

As you can see from the above picture, the Payne family was a young family. And when you're young, you don't anticipate tragedies like this happening to you, nor the costs that come along with them. This is why I imagine they're having a terrible time taking care of all their expenses, and I'm certain they could use the help of Rams Nation to soften their financial burdens they're now facing.

After doing some research, I've learned that the family has setup a "Payne Family Donation Fund," in hopes that family, friends, and any other kind soul who wants to help, will find a soft spot in their heart towards their circumstances and provide them with whatever financial aid they feel comfortable giving.

I know I'm going to donate, and I'm asking that Rams Nation do the same. And thanks to U.S. Bank setting up a simple way to do so, I know all of you will consider taking a quick moment in your day to help the Payne family pay the costs they now face. And if you do make a donation, I have something special I want to give you to repay you for your kindness.

Here's how you can donate to the Payne Family Donation Fund:

1. Drive on over to your nearest U.S. Bank location (there are sixteen of them). Click here to find the closest one to you.
2. Go inside and tell them you want to make a donation - of ANY amount, LARGE or small - to the Payne Family Donation Fund.
3. Finally, save your receipt, because I'd like for you to take a picture of it and send it to me on Facebook as proof that you made a donation. After you upload it to my Page's Wall, I'll contact you to get your mailing address, and then send you something nice in exchange for your generosity.

And that's it! That's all you've gotta do.

I understand everyone has their own financial struggles they're facing, so don't feel obligated to help; but, if you can send some money their way, the Payne family will certainly appreciate it.

Thanks for hearing me out, Rams Nation! Now let's all run on over to our nearest U.S. Bank and show the city of St. Louis how we pull together to help the people of our community when they're in need. Who knows? Maybe we'll bump into each other at one of their locations ;-)

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Fox 2 News Coverage of the Payne family's story:

Fatal Car Accident on River Des Peres



Father In Coma After Crash Drowns Baby In River Des Peres



Father Rescued From River Des Peres Dies Saturday Night



Man Who Pulled Another From River Des Peres Hailed As Hero

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Aight... Let's get back to this Barbara Walters style interview we've got going on here ;-)

From Ryan - aka VanRam - (playing the part of Barbara)...

How do you approach the free and strong safety position?

I think it all depends on what defense you're in. You could be playing strong safety, but - in a certain defense - be in the middle of the field. Or, you could be playing free safety, but - in a certain defense - you could be coming down in the box as if you're a strong safety. ...Know what I mean?

As a strong safety, I'm thinking I want to be as aggressive as humanly possible as I'm coming down towards the box around the line of scrimmage, like a linebacker. Here, I'll be able to throw my body around and beat-up on some guys.

When I'm at free safety, I still wanna be aggressive; but, on run plays, I can't wild-out too much, because my job is to stay over the top of the defense to keep the action in front of me. If the rush breaks through, I gotta be ready to make a good form tackle in the open field to prevent the guy from gaining any more yards, because I'm the last line of defense.

As a free safety on pass plays, I'm still wanting to keep the action in front of me, yet I also have to make sure I have a good read on the quarterback so he doesn't let loose any long balls that could get by me.

Keep the questions comin', guys! I'm cool with talkin' football, and I'm cool with talking about stuff that's going on off the field. So get at me in the comments or hit me up on Facebook.com/KevinPayneNFL or Twitter.com/Kevin_Payne.

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