July 29, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams head coach Jeff Fisher directs his team during training camp at ContinuityX Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

You know football is officially back when the squad puts on the pads in practice for the first time, and that was the case at Rams Park on Thursday. You can work all you want in shorts, but things start to get real once the pads get strapped on and the guys start really hammering each other. There were some scuffles and things of that nature, but overall it was a good day for the Rams. Here’s what head coach Jeff Fisher thought of the practice.

“It was good. It was our first official practice with the whole team with pads. What happens is it slows down a little bit even though they only weigh a few pounds, It slows down. But I thought we got a lot done and we worked a lot of situational stuff, the two minute, the redzone and I thought it was pretty good.”

“It’s especially beneficial for the guys up front that got the pass rush for the first time in 7 or 8 months so that was good. We need as much of that kind of stuff as they can get so we’ll continue with that the next couple of days. It’s a process and we’ve got a lot of time ahead of us.”

(On T Roger Saffold coming back from an injury)
“The injury’s completely behind him. He’s strong. He’s really worked hard this offseason, with his feet, his balance and his technique and the injury’s behind and he’s doing just fine. He’s got a couple pretty good rushers out there to work against every day.”

May 23, 2012; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams tight end Lance Kendricks (88) catches a ball during an OTA at ContinuityX Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

I’m going to admit that I’m starting to miss NFL football very much. So much has happened with the Rams this offseason, and while it has certainly been interesting, it’s not football. That’s why the news that the Rams have set their first day of training camp is outstanding.

The team will open camp July 29 at ContinuityX Training Center, which will always be Rams Park to me. With all of the new faces, both payers and coaches, I can’t wait to see what the new and improved Rams have in store. This team looks vastly improved on paper, but we won’t really know how the pieces fit until they get out there.

We don’t know when camp will be open to the public yet, but I’ll be sure to let everyone know when I get the dates.

October 31, 2010; St. Louis, MO, USA; St. Louis Rams former wide receiver Isaac Bruce (80) waves to fans during a ceremony to retire his number before a game against the Carolina Panthers at the Edward Jones Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-US PRESSWIRE

So I got this info a few days ago, but with the Dome details and the OTAs it kind of got put on the back burner. Rams great Isaac Bruce will be holding a free football camp at the ContinuityX Training Center, which is the new name for Rams Park. The camp will be held on Saturday, June 30 and will be open to the first 250 8-10 year olds and the first 250 11-13 year olds to register.

According to the release, “The free clinic provides youth the opportunity to work on their football skills, sportsmanship, and teamwork skills, while building self-esteem both on and off the field.  Each participant will receive a T-shirt and refreshments as well as have the opportunity to meet Bruce.”

I went to something like this as a kid, and it was a great experience. Although I don’t remember everything from that day, I do remember that Jerome Bettis busted my lip open during running back drills. It might not sound like a good thing, but I’ll never forget it.

For anyone interested, you can go here for the registration and info. It’s a great opportunity for kids who are interested in playing football, and it will be a good experience for everyone involved.