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brownsugar
It looked like the Ram D line knew how to stop the run most of the team, despite you and Dryer being relatively light in wieght for your positions. It looked like you and Fred knew techniques….My question is how did the Defensive line look so organized.? Experience, intelligence, desire, a certain coach.

What was it like going against Slater every day? Why did it take til 1979 for Jackie to start full time. That always amazes me.

Besides Rayfield Wright of Dallas, who was your toughest challenge at OT? Do you remember what you said about the Big Cat?

What was Pat Haden like as a team mate?

WE PLAYED THE RUN WELL, ON THE WAY TO THE PASSER. OUR PHILOSOPHY WAS TO MET BLOCKS THAT GAME AT YOU WITH A 3-POINT LANDING, OUR HANDS ON THEIR SHOULDERS AND THE CROWN OF OUR HELMET IN THE TACKLE'S FACEMASK AND DEFEATING THE BLOCK. WE'D READ THE PLAY, I DON'T THINK MANY CURRENT DEFENSIVE LINEMEN SEE WHAT IS GOING ON WHILE THEY ARE TRYING TO ESCAPE A BLOCKER.

OUR DEFENSE WAS A COORDINATED ONE, ALL OF US HAD A JOB AND WE HAD TO DO IT. OUR DLINE HAD TO LAND ON THE BLOCKER AT THE SAME TIME AND WE WERE EXPECTED TO DEFEAT THAT BLOCK. AND WHILE THAT WAS GOING ON THE LINEBACKERS HAD TO READ AND SCRAPE TO THEIR GAP. SO IT WAS ORGANIZED AND WELL-DRILLED.

RAY MALAVASI WAS OUR DEFENSIVE COACH AND IT WAS A DEFENSE THAT HAD AN ANSWER FOR EVERYTHING THE OFFENSE COULD THROW AT US.

JACKIE SLATER CAME INTO THE NFL AS A GUARD AND MOVED TO TACKLE IN 1977, I THINK. WE HAD BURGER BEAR WILLIAMS AS A RIGHT TACKLE AND HE COULD PLAY WELL AT TIMES, BUT JACKIE HAD ABILITY BUT NEEDED SOME SEASONING. BY 1979 HE WAS READY TO START AND WE MOVED WILLIAMS TO LEFT GUARD TO REPLACE TOM AND JACKIE TOOK BURGER'S SPOT AT RIGHT TACKLE. BURGER GOT HURT EARLY IN OUR SUPER BOWL YEAR AND KENT HILL STEPPED IN AND HE ESSENTIALLY BECAME TOM'S REPLACEMENT AT LEFT GUARD.

RAYFIELD WRIGHT WAS A FABULOUS PLAYER. ONE OF THE HALL OF FAME TACKLES I FACED. RON YARY AND DAN DIERDORF WERE A COUPLE OF OTHERS. RAYFIELD WAS A BETTER PASS BLOCKER THAN RUN BLOCKER. BUT HE WAS GOOD IN RUN BLOCKS, TOO. YARY WAS A BETTER RUN BLOCKER THAN PASS BLOCKER, BUT HE COULD DO BOTH, BUT A TAD BETTER ON RUN BLOCKS.

DAN WAS GOOD AT BOTH, EQUALLY.'

RUSS WASHINGTON WAS ANOTHER ONE WHO WAS AS GOOD AS THE OTHER THREE. HE WAS BIGGER AND MAYBE QUICKER. HE'S SOMETIMES LOST INTEREST, THOUGH. GEORGE KUNZ WAS ANOTHER RIGHT TACKLE WHO WAS ALWAYS ALL PRO AND HE WAS SIMILAR TO YARY.