Welcome to our next Ram guest interview. Hall of Famer 2001 inductee, Jackie Slater. Mr. Slater was more than kind enough to let me sit with him while signing autographs for fans at the Naxcom yearly sportscard event held in Los Angeles at Hollywood Park and Casino right next to the famous L.A. Forum. My special thanks goes out to Kevin at naxcom.com for making this cherished moment possible. - Jonathan Fenno - LA-Rams.com

Jackie in a 3-Point Stance

"Hello Jackie, I wanted to start off back in your rookie year, tell us about the first two big games you played in, the 1976 NFC Playoff and Championship games."

Jackie Slater - "Well that was one of those great games (the Championship game against the Vikings) we thought we had won. I remember that. Ron Jessie catching the ball and just barely getting the first down, and then they remeasured it and saying that he was shy, and it wasn't. Then shortly after that I remember that field goal getting blocked by Krause and they took it all the way back on us for a touchdown. We were one game away from the big Super Bowl my rookie year, and it REALLY whetted my appetite to get back there again!"

"And that was Tom Dempsey's kick back in '76 that got blocked right?"

Jackie Slater - "Right! Yeah, Tom Dempsey!"

"How about the controversial 4th down call against Dallas during the Playoff earlier that week?"

Jackie Slater - "Oh that was another one. I thought we, I mean I thought that was a bad call to be honest with you, but when you look back in those situations you can see several other situations in the game where we should have won it and so you can't just look at one play."

"Speaking of instances where we should have won it, how about the '77 Mud Bowl?"

Jackie Slater - "AHHH! Ha Ha Ha! Oh man, you're really bringin' back a lot of memories! That was another game that was a lot of fun, had a lot of intensity and it seems back in those days the rivalries with us, the Vikings, and the Cowboys were wild and intense. To lose a game like that, really sticks in your memory."

"Even worse, how about the '78 Championship home game against Dallas?"

Jackie Slater - "Yeah, that was another one. It seems like forever, the Dallas (Cowboys) or Minnesota Vikings, we had to go through them to get where we wanted to be and they weren't to be denied at that time."

"Well, tell us about the great pass protection in '79 for the 50 yard bomb to Billy Waddy in the playoffs!"

Jackie Slater - "Oh yeah, "IN" Dallas! (Smiling proudly.)"

"Yeah, and then what about in Tampa Bay? What are your feelings about those games?"

Jackie Slater - "Oh, those were some big games for us, and I remember having going 9-7 that season, and we only had two of our starting offensive linemen that started and played every game that season, that was myself and Rich Saul - and to go and get healthy for the playoffs, with that 9-7 record and beating BOTH those teams, was a major, major accomplishment for us."

Note: (I would like to add here that I opted NOT to ask Jackie about his feelings about Super Bowl XIV. He seemed to get down a little answering the questions earlier about the Playoff losses and I am sure he is proud to have been in that game. Also, there were people coming up between questions talking to him getting autographs and I really need to keep on with the questions I had. Security kept egging me to finish at this point and I was only about half way done. I hope to get another chance to ask him his feelings about Jan. 20, 1980 as it is an extremely important day in Los Angeles Rams history. I apologize and am really sorry for not to asking him. I felt a little rushed at this point and needed to press on. JF)

"Do you know why coach Allen got let go again in '78? Do you remember the reason?"

Jackie Slater - "No, I really don't. There were a lot of things goin' on back then right at that time, but it was a shock and surprise to everybody."

"What were your feelings at the time when the RAMS were moving from LA in '94 and to St. Louis in '95?"

Jackie Slater - "Well, just like everybody else. I would have liked to have seen the Rams probably stay put but, on the other hand, boy, St. Louis has been a great place for the Rams. For the players, the organization and certainly for Georgia getting to get the team back in her own hometown. And the fans back there, you can't really knock those people. They have been just great. They treated me, I played one year there and I was treated royally and I think they are an excellent fan base for the Rams right now."

"What was the funniest locker room prank that someone did to you, or you pulled on someone?"

Jackie Slater - "I remember about the funniest prank we did was putting a giant rubber snake in Kent Hill's garment bag and when he opened it up and the rubber snake fell out he just about ran a 4.2 forty out of that locker room!" (We laugh.)

"All right, who were the guys you always loved to play against?"

Jackie Slater - "I always liked to play against the really good players. I remember guys like Reggie White, Too Tall Jones and George Martin - who played for the New York Giants. You could go on and on the list that never ceases with all the great defensive ends I had to go up against, but those guys come to mind right away."

Did you have a closest teamate?

I had a lot of guys I was close to. It's hard not to be close to guys like Dennis Harrah who I played with for 12 years, Doug Smith who I played with for 14 years, Irv Pankey I played with for 10 years, and the list goes on and on." (Here we paused to let a fan get his Slater jersey signed. Jackie told the guy he looked like he was "ready to play some ball" and chatted with him briefly. He really likes his fans and takes care of all of them.)

"What would be something about you people might not know that you have a big interest in?"

Jackie Slater - "The only thing I can think of that people who know me personally know is my faith in Christ. I am a devout Christian and trust working with Him for the salvation of my soul and I have a passion to tell people that everywhere I go."

"Are you an ordained minister or chaplain? "

Jackie Slater - "No, but in life I plan to take as many people to Heaven with me as I can!"

I wanted to know. You were always there on almost every end of every offensive play to pat a runner or quarterback on the back, or help him up after being tackled .on either a good play OR a bad play.Was this an example of you being a complete team player on the field?

Oh without a doubt.If you want to be a leader, you want to take people along and encourage them. Everybody needs encouragement and that was the one thing on plays I always wanted to do!

Can I get your feelings about Mark Gastineau in '83 of the New York Jets?

(He stares at me and smiles) Well ,Mark Gastineau was an extremely talented player, probably the fastest player I ever played against.and was a big challenge for me for me to deal with...

"OK, and my last question comes from RamBone on our fansite: What was the best and worst game you ever played in?"

Jackie Slater - "Probably the best game I played was in '89 - the Playoff game against the Eagles when I was up against Reggie White. And the worst one I ever played, Huh, I got so many I can't even remember all of them!" (We laugh.)

I thanked Jackie once again, and congratulated him on his induction into The Hall Of Fame.He was more than happy to say, "Thank You". It was worth the 850 mile roundtrip drive from San francisco to Los Angeles and back to meet and see Jackie in person up close, and get a little personal time with him for this interview.I am very greatful.We now have a Hall Of Famer on our board ! Thanks again Kevin at naxcom.com.