How did Rams S Adam Archuleta handle draft day drama?

Drafted

The night before the draft, the Rams did indeed trade quarterback Trent Green to the Chiefs. The deal sent the Chiefs first-round pick to the Rams (12th overall). Armed with two first-round picks, the Rams were now equipped to make good on the commitment to draft Archuleta.

With their first pick, the Rams selected a defensive tackle out of the University of Miami named Damione Lewis. Lewis was a 6-foot-2 301-pound defensive lineman who would go on to play five NFL seasons for the Rams before continuing his career for four more seasons with the Carolina Panthers and one final season with the Houston Texans.

The Rams had one more pick in that year’s first round, their own at 20. And with the 20th pick of the 2001 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select(ed) safety Adam Archuleta, from Arizona State University. The walk-on with no college scholarship was suddenly a first-round selection in the NFL. Much like Lewis, Archuleta would play five seasons with the Rams before extending his football career with an additional year at both the Chicago Bears and the Washington Football Team.

In five years with the Rams, Adam Archuleta had 410 tackles, 15 quarterback sacks, five fumble recoveries, three interceptions, including one pick-six. He even forced three fumbles. He was thrilling to watch on the football field and was worth watching on every play. Be sure to check out Ryan Phillips’ NFL Media Members Remember Their Draft Day Experiences. It grounds the drama of the day into real-life stories of current media members.

Today is more than what NFL teams acquire. It’s about the lives that are changed.