Noll looks to earn spot on NFL's Rams

On June 19th, the National Football League's Saint Louis Rams signed former Penn lineman Ben Noll, a Missouri native, to a one-year free agent contract.

With injuries throughout the entire Rams offensive line, St. Louis has spent much of the offseason looking for suitable backups.

Noll's name came up as a possible reserve in the spring. The self-proclaimed "guy who kept 40th Street McDonalds afloat" is about to get the chance of a lifetime.

"It's a great opportunity, a chance to challenge myself at the next level," Noll said. "It's my hometown, so it's a good fit. A lot of the people who've supported me in my earlier years will see their hard work realized."

After a grueling August training camp in Macomb, Ill. the Rams' summer home Noll earned a spot as the second string right guard.

"We're keeping our fingers crossed," Penn coach Al Bagnoli said. "They still have one more cut to go. The good news is that he's played extensively in every exhibition game that they've had."

The only person ahead of Noll on the Rams depth chart is two-time Pro Bowler Adam Timmerman. Despite suffering a nerve injury to his back and neck, Timmerman is still expected to be the starting right guard this season.

Timmerman isn't the only banged up St. Louis offensive lineman.

Pro Bowl tackle Kyle Turley will miss the entire season after reinjuring his surgically repaired back.

Last year's starting center Dave Wohlabaugh was released earlier this summer due to an injury to his hip.

Returning right tackle Grant Williams is suffering from an ankle injury, while all-pro left tackle Orlando Pace is embroiled in his yearly contract dispute and has yet to report to camp.

Football has been in Noll's blood for years, just like McDonalds burgers. He's been playing since seventh grade, then at a comparably diminutive 5-foot-10, 180 pounds.

"I wasn't going to back down to anybody," Noll said.

He continued into high school, playing right guard at St. Louis Priory, receiving two-time all-metro honors. He was named all-state in 1999 while winning the state championship in his final year.

Penn's merits made his college choice an easy one. "Division I athletics plus an Ivy League degree is a formula for success," Noll said.

Most Penn students, however, would recognize Noll as a Smokey Joe's bouncer.

Off the field, he's the friendly giant saying to a 5'6", 150 student, "That'll be $2, big man."

On the field, Noll is fiercely competitive. Opponents can read the determination in his steely blue eyes even before they feel the wind being knocked out of them.

Noll says of his intensity, "There's no greater sensation than being able to look over at your opponent and see them completely demoralized."

At Penn, Noll had many opportunities to demoralize opponents.

He started for two years at right tackle on a nearly impenetrable offensive line that allowed only 12 sacks, the fewest in the Ivies.

Noll was a two time all-league selection. Both those years, Penn won the Ivy League championship.

In total, Penn went an impressive 34-5 in Noll's four years, as well as 19-0 at home.

Standing 6'5" and weighing in around 320 pounds, Noll is a little heavier than the average right tackle.

His main handicap is time. It's the years following college when most offensive linemen develop into "quarterback lifesavers."

Noll left what would be his last semester at Penn in order to negate some of that time. He has been conditioning extensively since the season ended.

Despite the injuries to the Rams squad, Noll is realistic and understands that there's a good possibility he won't make the team.

If so, Noll, like many Penn athletes, is lucky. He will have a top-notch degree to fall back on a Wharton degree to be precise.

What will Noll do should he make the Rams, or even the practice squad?

"I'll have to start buying double cheeseburgers," he joked.

Let's hope they still have the dollar menu in St. Louis.

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