Ram Notebook : Firing Line: Ex-Big Ten Quarterbacks Everett, Long Meet Again

Jim Everett and Chuck Long, two former Big Ten quarterbacks with strong arms, meet again this Sunday when the Rams face the Detroit Lions in Anaheim Stadium.

This is a rivalry that could spill into the 21st Century. Both players are 25 years old and expected to someday lead their teams to the promised land.

And though Long (Iowa) and Everett (Purdue) have been going at each other since their college days, Long said Wednesday he doesn’t want to turn this into a personality contest.

“We’re very competitive people,” Long said. “But we’re professionals now. I don’t try to get wrapped up in trying to beat the other quarterback on the field, including Jim. I feel like I’m good for my team, he’s good for his, but I don’t want to try to get into quarterback battles. I’m sure we’ll be facing each other a lot in our careers.”

The two quarterbacks met last year, with Everett and the Rams winning, 37-16, at the Silverdome. Everett had the best game of his career when he completed 20 of 26 passes for 324 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Long, clearly stuck with the less-talented team, didn’t come in far behind. He completed 26 of 48 passes for 288 yards and 1 touchdown. Both quarterbacks threw 2 interceptions.

Everett got off to a fast start this summer while Long has been plagued with tendinitis in his throwing arm. The soreness forced him to miss three weeks of camp and two exhibition games.

“I think it was just overuse,” Long said. “I don’t think arms are made for training camp, and the overuse caught up with me. I just needed to rest. I had some elbow problems in college, but didn’t have any last year. I just have to do the best job I can in the off-season to monitor it and make it strong again.”

In Sunday’s 31-17 victories over the Atlanta Falcons, Long completed 13 of 19 passes for 107 yards and 2 touchdowns.

The Lions are interested in signing receiver Ron Brown. Well, at least their head coach is interested. More than mildly, too.

“It’s been far more than mild,” Coach Darryl Rogers said Wednesday. “There just hasn’t been anything done about it.”

Unfortunately, Rogers isn’t in charge of handing out No. 1 draft picks, which is probably what it would take to pry Brown’s rights away from the Rams.

“I have nothing but good thoughts about Ronnie Brown,” Rogers said. “Of course, I can have hot interest in him and get him for free if I could. You have to make a decision about what you’ll do for the guy.”

Rogers remembers well that Brown had 3 receptions for 93 yards in last year’s 37-16 victories over the Lions in the Silverdome.

“The guy ran right through us,” Rogers said. “The receivers they have now, none of them qualified for the Olympics. They’re good kids, I know them all, but the point remains that Ronnie Brown is a little bit different.”

Over the Hill? The Lions are still waiting for former Ram tight end David Hill to report to camp. He is officially listed as Did Not Report. Hill, 34, was released by the Rams after the 1987 season and signed in April with the Lions, the team with which he started his career.

Anyone seen him?

“No,” Rogers said. “I thought you guys would know. I know he’s a lot closer to there than he is to here. His status is exactly the same: did not report.”

And let’s just say that Rogers isn’t exactly holding his breath over the issue.

“It isn’t exactly a priority,” he said.

Ram Notes

The Rams took a look at quarterback Bruce Mathison (fifth year, Nebraska) on Wednesday. The team doesn’t plan to carry a third quarterback behind Jim Everett and Mark Herrmann, but is looking for someone to could call in case of emergency. . . . Ron Brown paid another visit to Rams Park on Wednesday. No, he doesn’t want to return to the Rams. He was just returning tailback Greg Bell’s car. Brown owns a tire specialty shop in Anaheim. . . . Brown is telling friends that he misses football, though apparently not in Tampa Bay. . . . The Lions’ first-round pick of a year ago, Reggie Rogers, isn’t making much progress. He’s listed at second-team right end behind Keith Ferguson. . . . Fast Start: Safety Bennie Blades, the Lions’ first-round pick from Miami, had 12 solo tackles in Sunday’s victory over the Atlanta Falcons.