9 best backup quarterbacks in Rams franchise history

VII: Vince Ferragamo

While quarterback Vince Ferragamo did not see much action in his first two NFL seasons, when he finally got his shot, he took it and played as though he was a seasoned veteran. In hindsight, that should not come as a surprise, as he was mentored by veteran Joe Namath when he arrived to the NFL. You can catch a great video interview with Vince Ferragamo on TheRams.com.

"I learned a lot from Joe. The way he operated and took charge, Ferragamo said. To watch a player like that, with his charisma and the way he could control the mindset of the team, was pretty special. He just had a knack of conveying a real confident message to the team when he called his plays."

- Vince Ferragamo as per Jim Gehman

Ferragamo was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round of the 1977 NFL Draft out of Nebraska. When he arrived, he joined Namath and second-year veteran quarterback Pat Haden. While he was an ideal size for an NFL quarterback at 6-foot-3 and 217 pounds, he would only see cameo appearances in games in his first two NFL seasons.

Rams controversial SB loss

He finally got his break (pun unintended) when starting quarterback Pat Haden broke his hand, giving way for Ferragamo to finally step up. And step up he did. In five games of his third NFL season, Ferragamo led the Rams to a 4-1 record. That was the year that the Rams upset the Dallas Cowboys by a score of 21-19, and then went on to shut down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers by a score of 9-0. Unfortunately, the Cinderella-team Rams would lose a controversial game to the Pittsburgh Steeler in Super Bowl XIV by a score of 31-19.

Ferragamo would go on to notch a record of 26-18 with the Rams, throwing for 9,376 yards and 70 touchdowns to 71 interceptions. Still, that was good enough to end his career with the Rams as the ninth-ranked passer in franchise history.