With the vast amount of players who suited up for the Rams (regardless of the city) that it would be difficult to narrow it down to one player, and it certainly was.  There were other Pro Football Hall of Famer with whom we easily could have slid into the top spot, but we elected to go with Merlin Olsen, the ultimate coach's player who led by example and who went down in history as one of the most outstanding Defensive Tackles the game has ever seen.

If we were to have made this list based on their iconic stature, Deacon Jones would have been #1 and not #2.

Jack Youngblood came from the University of Florida, and the 1st Round Pick would be asked to fill the shoes of possibly the most iconic defensive force in Rams history, Deacon Jones.  Considering the pressure he had to feel that he was under, it is more than safe to say that he did one hell of a job!

Every great team needs a steady presence and for “The Greatest Show on Turf” that was Left Tackle, Orlando Pace.

When we are speaking about the St. Louis Rams and the “Greatest Show on Turf” an engine needs to be referenced.  That engine was Marshall Faulk, the Hall of Fame Running Back for the Rams.

In terms of tenure, there are none in higher standing than Jackie Slater, who played 259 Games in the NFL (plus 18 more in the playoffs) for the Rams in a 20-year career that spanned from 1976 to 1995.  Earning the starting Right Tackle job to commence the 1979 season, Slater would be a fixture there starting 211 of the next 211 games he played.  Throughout the 1980s, Slater established himself in the upper echelon at his position going to the Pro Bowl seven Times and receiving three Second Team All-Pro Selections.  There will never be a more durable player in franchise history than Slater.

The passing statistics of Bob Waterfield may look poor by today's standards, but when he debuted for the Cleveland Rams after a great career at UCLA, he would take the Cleveland Rams to an NFL Championship as a rookie in 1945.  Waterfield was not just the teams Quarterback as he was also their Kicker and Punter, and defensively, he had 20 Interceptions as a Back.  He would win the MVP Award that season, a rarity for any rookie in any sport.

Isaac Bruce starred as the top Wide Receiver for the "Greatest Show on Turf," which is no small statement.  A Second Round pick from the University of Memphis, Bruce exploded with a 1,781 Yard season with 13 Touchdowns.  Amazingly, he was not a Pro Bowl selection that year but would be the next season when his 1,338 Yards led the NFL.  In 1999, Bruce would catch the game-winning Touchdown in Super Bowl XXXIV, and his play was an integral part of the Rams return to Super Bowl the next season, although they would lose to the New England Patriots.  

Dubbed "Crazy Legs" for the unique way he ran, Elroy Hirsch is one of the most well-known players of his era.  An exceptional athlete at the University of Michigan, Hirsch served as a Marine (like many did back then) and upon his return from duty, he led a College All-Star team to a 16-0 win over the Los Angeles Rams, who were the defending NFL champions and many reporters stated Hirsch was the star of that game.

Like so many on the all-time Rams list, Kurt Warner was a hard one to place mainly due to the long existence of the franchise and the number of great players that they had.   So when you have a player regardless of the caliber who was only there six seasons but when three of those campaigns were as spectacular as what Warner had from 1999 to 2001 he has to be on this list at a high spot. Though we understand why you might think this is not high enough, or maybe if you believe this is even too high!

Selected second overall in the 1966 NFL Draft out of the University of Michigan, Tom Mack would become the teams starting Left Guard midway through the 1966 season, and in his sophomore season he would be named to the Pro Bowl.   That year would be the first of eleven trips to the annual game honor showcasing the best players in the National Football League.  Without question, for over a decade the Los Angeles Rams never had to worry about Left Guard as Mack was clearly among the elite in that role.  He would appear in 184 straight games for L.A., the only team he ever played professionally for.

Drafted second overall from SMU in 1983, Eric Dickerson would become the most explosive Running Back in the National Football League.  As a rookie, Dickerson would win the Offensive Rookie of the Year in a season where he led the league in Rushing Yards with 1,808 Yards and 18 Touchdowns, the former being good enough to finish first.  That was good, but in 1984 what he would accomplish would be ten shades of incredible.

The Rams arguably landed quite a deal when they drafted Norm Van Brocklin in the fourth round of the 1950 NFL Draft as the QB fell not because he wasn't good but because it was speculated by many that he would stay at the University of Oregon for his senior year.  He didn't, and the Rams would be the beneficiary of an incredible QB tandem with Bob Waterfield that would win the 1951 NFL Championship.  

A member of the St. Louis Rams for all but his final season (which was in Jacksonville) the 6th Overall Pick from North Carolina State, Torry Holt had a really good rookie season where he joined the famed (yes we are saying it again) "Greatest Show on Turf" and would be a Super Bowl Champion as a rookie.  Holt would promptly lead the NFL in Receiving Yards (1,635) in his second year and would do it again in 2003 with a career-high 1,696 Yards with an NFL leading 117 Receptions.  Holt was consistent with his production with six straight 1,300 Yard seasons 2000-2005 with a pair of 1,100 Yard campaigns after that.  The seven-time Pro Bowl Selection totaled 12,660 Receiving Yards with 74 Touchdowns as a Ram.

Drafted by the New York Yanks second overall Les Richter never suited up for them as they folded.  His rights went to the new Dallas Texans (who pretty much took most of the Yanks), but he never played for them either as he was traded to the Los Angeles Rams for 11 players.  While this may look lopsided, it was but in favor of the Rams!

Eddie Meador is one of the greatest Defensive Backs in Rams history, and he would spend all of his twelve seasons there.  Meador was a real ball hawk who recorded 46 Interceptions, which is the most in Rams history.  The "Fearsome Foursome" may have gotten most of the defensive attention for the Los Angeles Rams, but Meador should not be forgotten as this is a six-time Pro Bowl and two-time First Team All-Pro Selection.

One of the greatest athletes ever to come out of Fresno State, Henry Ellard was used as both a Wide Receiver and Punt Returner in his first few seasons in the NFL.  Ellard was still catching his fair share of passes, but he was good enough as a Punt Returner to be named a First Team All-Pro and a Pro Bowl in 1984.  Ellard would go on a tear where from 1988 to 1991 he would exceed 1,000 Receiving Yards, the first of which saw him lead the National Football League with 1,414 Yards and he was named a First Team All-Pro again.  The Wide Receiver would finish fourth and second in Receiving Yards the next two seasons and overall as a Los Angeles Ram he totaled 9,761 Yards from the air.

A member of the Los Angeles Rams for eight seasons, Isiah Robertson got off to an incredible start as the 10th overall pick in 1971 would promptly win the Defensive Rookie of the Year.  Robertson, who was a Pro Bowler as a rookie, went on a spectacular run in the mid-'70s would earn Pro Bowl honors annually from 1973 to 1977 and was named an All-Pro in all of those seasons with two First Team and three Second Team accolades. 

Tom Fears was the first NFL player of note to be born in Mexico, and the former UCLA standout would play all nine of his NFL seasons with the Los Angeles Rams.  Fears was initially pegged to be a Defensive Back, but he would blossom on the offense where the End would help usher in more of a passing attack in the game.

Roman Gabriel may have been the second overall pick of the 1962 Draft, but the former member of the North Carolina State Wolfpack took a long time to officially win the starting Quarterback job for the Los Angeles Rams.  Gabriel competed with veterans Zeke Bratkowski and Bill Munson but in 1966 the new Head Coach, George Allen eliminated all controversy by naming Gabriel the number one QB. 

One of the early stars of the Cleveland Rams was Jim Benton, the star End from the University of Arkansas who as a rookie would lead all players in Yards per Reception, though this was 1938 and he only had 418 Yards.  Still, that was the game back then, and he would be a Pro Bowler in 1940 where he had 7 Touchdown Passes, again league leading.  After a good 1940, he took a year off to coach (remember there wasn't a lot of money back then), but he returned in 1942 but due to the depletion of players due to World War II the Rams suspended operations, and he would join Chicago where he helped them win the NFL Championship.

Charlie Cowan had a long career in the National Football League which went 206 Games deep, all with the Los Angeles Rams.  Cowan shifted from Left Guard to Right Tackle to Left Tackle, and regardless of where he was on the O-Line, he was a steady presence.  From 1968 to 1970 he was a Pro Bowl Selection, and he was twice a Second Team All-Pro (1968 & 1973).  He was not the best Offensive Lineman that the Rams ever had, but his long-duration earned him this substantial rank.

As of this writing, Aaron Donald has completed five seasons with the Rams where without question he has cemented himself as one of the top defensive players in the game. 

Doug Smith would play his entire career with the Los Angeles Rams which would span 14 seasons and 180 Games, an incredible achievement considering he went undrafted out of Bowling Green!

Larry Brooks played all 131 of his Games in the NFL with the Los Angeles Rams where he was the team’s starting Defensive Tackle for the majority of it.  Although Quarterback Sacks were not official statistics when he played he planted pivots on the ground many times including a 14.5 season in 1976.  Brooks was also among his team’s top tacklers.  Brooks was a First Team All-Pro Selection once in 1979, but he was often in the conversation for more.  Likely the only thing that kept Brooks from being a more prominent name was that he played alongside some colorful players on the Rams defense, but those who watched him knew how good he was.

Steven Jackson had a good rookie season, but he was brought in to replace an aging Marshall Faulk, and he would take over as the starting Running Back in 2005.  From there he would become one of the most consistent producers in Rushing Yards where from 2005 to 2012 he never had led than 1,000 Yards on the ground and two of his years would see him hit the 1,400 mark, both of those years was good enough for the top five.  Jackson's best season by far was 2006 where he had not only 1,528 Rushing Yards (his best) but also had a 90 Reception year, which was by far and away from the best number he had in the air and combined he was the league leader in Yards From Scrimmage and All-Purpose Yards.  He would be rewarded with a Second Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl Selection.

A Safety who spent his 11-year entire career with the Los Angeles Rams, Nolan Cromwell came off the bench for the first two years but would become a starter in his third season as the teams’ starting Free Safety.  Cromwell would emerge as a high tier Safety being named a First Team All-Pro three straight seasons (1980-82) with the season after marking his fourth straight Pro Bowl.  He would pick off Quarterbacks 37 times in his time in the National Football League.

Drafted 11th Overall from the University of Miami (FL) Dennis Harrah came off the bench as a rookie but would win the starting Right Guard job for the 1976 season, and he would help the Rams win the NFC West six times.  Six was also the number of times that he was named to the Pro Bowl with a pair of three-year streaks (1978-1980) and (1985-87).  He would notably be named a First Team All-Pro in 1986.

A late round draft pick in 1970, Rich Saul was a reserve Offensive Lineman for the Rams for the four years of his career before he would become their starting Center in 1975.  The season after, Saul went on a six-season streak (1976-81) where he was chosen for the Pro Bowl and as the steady presence on the O-Line, Saul would assist Los Angeles in making Super Bowl XIV.  He would be named a Second Team All-Pro in 1980.

In the 1970s, Lawrence McCutcheon was the top rusher for the Los Angeles Rams, but in many ways, he was also one of the most underrated of the decade.  The third-rounder from Purdue rode the pine as a rookie, but he took over as the team's starting Running Back in his second year (1973) where he would be chosen for his first of five straight Pro Bowls, four of which would see him exceed the 1,000 Yard mark.  In those four 1,000 Yard years, he was in the top five in Rushing Yards, the top six in Yards From Scrimmage and the top nine in All-Purpose Yards meaning that he was definitely near or in the upper echelon of Running Backs in that time period.  A Second Team All-Pro in 1974 he had two 1,500 Yards From Scrimmage seasons ('74 and '76) and overall as a Ram would accumulate 6,186 Rushing Yards with 23 Touchdowns and another 1,683 Yards and 12 Touchdowns from the air.

From San Diego, Dryer played collegiately at San Diego State and was drafted in the First Round by the New York Giants in 1969.  While Dryer's play was strong for the G-Men, he was not happy there and the Giants became frustrated with him so he would be traded to New England, who he refused to play for as there was no new contract and they traded him to the Los Angeles Rams as the Patriots declined to pay him what he asked.

A Second Round Pick from Wisconsin-La Crosse, Tom Newberry was a member of the 1986 NFL All-Rookie Team at Left Guard.  He would be a Second Team All-Pro in '87 and in the two seasons that followed he was a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowl Selection.  He would start 128 of his 131 Games as a Ram.

Dubbed “Hacksaw” because after a frustrating loss he sliced an old car in half with a hacksaw, Jack Reynolds was the 22nd overall pick in 1970 from the University of Tennessee, and he would win the starting Middle Linebacker job in 1973.  Reynolds stayed as a starter for the team throughout the decade and would be named to two Pro Bowls (1975 & 1980), and he played 145 Games for the Los Angeles.  He would later win two Super Bowls with San Francisco.

Joe Scibelli is one of only five players in Rams history to play at least 200 Games for the Rams; 202 to be specific.  Scibelli played most have his games at the Right Guard position where he provided long term stability to the Rams O-Line for over a decade.  Scibelli was a Pro Bowl in 1968 and while he only achieved that accolade once his longevity can’t be ignored, which earned him his spot here.

Jack Snow was drafted 8th Overall in the 1965 Draft, but he never suited up for them as he was traded before the season started to the Rams where he would play his entire 11-year career.  He had an outstanding career where he would catch 340 passes for 6,012 Yards and 45 Touchdowns, and he would be named to the 1967 Pro Bowl, a season where he led the NFL in Yards per Reception.  He was also fifth in Receptions and ninth in Receiving Yards in 1970.

LeRoy Irvin was a third round pick from the University of Kansas and the Cornerback would be named a First Team All-Pro as a Punt Returner in his second season when he led the NFL in Punt Return Yards and Yards per Punt Return.  Irvin would later become a permanent fixture at Cornerback where he would be named a Pro Bowler in both 1985 and 1986 and would earn his second First Team All-Pro in the latter year, though this time at his natural position of Cornerback.  Irvin would pick off opposing QBs 34 times running five of them back for a Touchdown.

Kent Hill would win the starting Left Guard in his rookie season (1979) where the former Georgia Tech Yellow Jacket would quickly prove his mettle on the game's elite stage.  Hill was named a Pro Bowl Selection in 1980 and shortly after went on a four-year run of Pro Bowls from 1982 to 1985.  He would start 102 of his 107 Games as a Los Angeles Ram.

The argument can be made (and we are making it) that the most successful Place Kicker in the history of the Rams is Jeff Wilkins, who was a member of their Super Bowl XXXIV winning team.  He played 11 seasons with the Rams where he is the team’s all-time leader in Points Scored (1,223) and was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2003 where he finished first in the NFL in Points and Field Goals.  He would also finish first in Field Goals in 2006.

Dick Bass played all 11 of his National Football League Games with the Los Angeles Rams where the Fullback would be named to three Pro Bowls (1962, 1963 & 1966).  Bass had a pair of 1,000 Rushing Yard Seasons in the '60s with a total of 5,417 and 34 Touchdowns.  This total also had another 1,841 Receiving Yards and 7 TDs.  Bass would finish third in Rushing Yards twice.

Jack Pardee was the 14th overall pick in 1957, and the Texas A&M Aggie would be a fixture at Linebacker for the Rams for 13 years.  Pardee played 169 for Los Angeles, starting 150 of them.  In 1963 he would be named a First Team All-Pro as well as being named to the Pro Bowl.  He managed to secure 17 Interceptions for the Rams, a good number for a Linebacker.

In retrospect, Jim Everett got a bad rap.  He feuded with Jim Rome (who labeled him "Chris" in reference to his play comparing him to the female player, Chris Evert), the Rams gave up a lot for his rights, and he had an overall losing record.

A Super Bowl Champion with the Green Bay Packers, Adam Timmerman signed with the St. Louis Rams where he helped protect the Offensive Line for the most exciting offenses of the late 1990s.  Timmerman was a Pro Bowl Selection in 2001, and he would start 125 of his 126 games as a St. Louis Ram.

Marc Bulger had the dubious task of replacing Kurt Warner as the starting Quarterback for the St. Louis Rams, but it took some time for that to happen, which considering how long it took Warner to land the job was appropriate.

From Texas A&M, Dave Elmendorf was drafted in the 3rd Round in 1971 and would spend all nine of his seasons in the National Football League with the Los Angeles Rams.  The Safety may never have been chosen for the Pro Bowl but he would play 130 Games in the NFL, and he started every single one of them.  He would net 27 Interceptions as a pro.

From Tennessee Tech, Jim Youngblood was chosen in the 2nd Round in 1973 but would not become a starter until the 1976 season where he would shore up the left side of the linebacking corps.  He would be a starter for the Rams until 1983, and in 1979 he had five Interceptions taking two back for Touchdowns, and he was rewarded with a Pro Bowl and Second Team All-Pro.  He played 152 Games for Los Angeles.

Andy Robustelli was a late round pick from Arnold (the only player ever drafted from there), and he made the team at Defensive End where he would assist the Los Angeles Rams to win the 1951 Championship.  He would blossom into one of the top Defensive players in football, and he was either a First Team or Second Team All-Pro the next four years.  It should have continued, but Robustelli clashed with Rams management over their refusal to let him have some time to be with his new child.  He was traded to the New York Giants and would have a Hall of Fame career.  Maybe they should have let him take a couple of days off, don't you think?

Standing at 6' 7", Lamar Lundy might have been the most imposing figure of the Rams' famed "Fearsome Foursome" and was part of a revolution of sorts that helped to glorify modern defense.  The two-sport athlete (he was also a basketball player) was the first black player to receive an athletic scholarship at the University of Purdue, and he opted for a career in Pro Football much to the delight of Los Angeles Rams fans.

Dan Towler played his entire professional football career with the Los Angeles Rams where after being a very late round pick (25th Round) and not expected to do much as a professional football player he did precisely that.  In 1951 to 1954 he finished in the top four in Rushing Yards including leading the NFL in that statistic in 1952 where he led the league not only in that metric but in Rushing Touchdowns.  Towler would again lead the National Football League in Rushing Touchdowns in 1954 making him one of the few players to ever finish atop in Rushing TDs. 

Harold Jackson was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in 1969 but played in only two games, and he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles where he would lead the NFL twice in Receiving Yards.  He would be traded back to the Rams after the 1972 season, and while he didn't finish first in Receiving Yards again, as a Ram, he would get in the end zone a lot more often.  In the five years, he was with the Rams, Jackson had 3,591 Yards for 36 Touchdowns, including 13 in 1973, a year that he led the NFL and was named a First Team All-Pro.  That year he also went to the Pro Bowl and would so again in 1975 and 1977.

Maxie Baughan fell out of love with the Philadelphia Eagles and demanded a trade out of the City of Brotherly Love, and the Linebacker would land in Los Angeles, which was about as far away as he could go.  Baughan would quickly become the Rams defensive captain, and he was a Pro Bowl Selection in his first four seasons as a Ram, which added to the three-year streak he had before with the Eagles.  He was also named a First Team All-Pro in 1969 and was named to the Second Team the three years prior.  Baughan retired after an injury-plagued 1970 season but came out of retirement briefly in 1974 for Washington.