The 11 All-Time best Rams offensive linemen in franchise history

4: Rich Saul

It is unfathomable to envision any NFL long snapper earning the right to start as a team's center, let alone outplay all of his peers at that position. But that is the story of Rams center and long-snapper Rich Saul. Saul was a 6-foot-3 241-pound offensive lineman who was born in Butler Pennsylvania with his identical twin, Ron Saul. Both would attend college at Michigan State. Ironically, Rich would excel on defense as a defensive end and linebacker, while Ron would excel on offense as a fullback and offensive lineman. In the 1970 NFL Draft, the Houston Oilers selected Ron Saul in Round 6, while the Los Angeles Rams selected Rich Saul in Round 8.

When Rich Saul joined the Rams, then HC George Allen insisted that he put on weight to compete for the center role. So fearful was Saul of being cut that he would slip a sack of coins under his hat for weigh-ins. ESPN senior writer Mike Sando goes on to share that Saul's efforts to put on weight did not stop there:

"When we would go through the [cafeteria] line in camp, most would put a plate on a tray and then food on (a) plate. Rich (Saul) had to eat so much, he would load the food on his tray. He would skip the plate. I will tell you, up until a few days before he died, we were stuffing him full of food in the hospital."

Rams DT Phil Olsen

Saul would play as the team's long-snapper for five seasons, eventually winning the starting center role in 1975, his sixth season in the NFL. He would be the team's starting center for seven seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors in six of thos seven seasons. He would even earn second team All Pro honors as well.