Danny Amendola

[Angus]

Danny Amendola hopes solid season has cemented spot
BY BILL COATS
ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
01/02/2010

The Rams' leading ground gainer this season is …

No, it's not Pro Bowl running back Steven Jackson, who has piled up 1,675 yards (1,353 rushing and 322 receiving).

Danny Amendola has Jackson beat … by a lot.


Amendola has gobbled up 2,100 yards of real estate — 1,507 on 61 kickoff returns (both franchise records), 287 on 26 punt returns, 308 on 40 receptions, and minus 2 on three carries.


He's amassed those numbers in just 13 games since the Rams signed him off Philadelphia's practice squad Sept. 22. And he has one more chance, Sunday's season finale against visiting San Francisco, to add to them.

The 5-foot-11, 186-pound Texas Tech product, who joined the Eagles as an undrafted rookie, has taken a pounding. But he isn't complaining.

"I'm definitely sore," he acknowledged Friday after the team's last full practice of the season. "That's what the NFL's all about. You play 16 games, and it's a grind. But that's what the people want to see, and it's fun."

Amendola has been effective on returns, with solid averages of 24.7 yards on kickoffs and 11.0 yards on punts. That came as no surprise, coach Steve Spagnuolo said.

"We certainly knew that he was a good returner," he said. "I think he's really surfaced as a guy we rely on in the pass game a little bit. He finds ways to get open."

Only Jackson (51) and fellow wide receiver Donnie Avery (45) have more catches than Amendola.

"I could have done some better things, but I've definitely improved since I first stepped on the field at receiver when I got here," he said. "You've got to give credit to the coaching staff for helping me do so."

Asked whether he felt that he carved out a spot for himself on the team, Amendola said, "In a way, yeah. I definitely feel like I got a lot of experience, which has helped me a lot. But ... I've got a job to lose, and I'm going to try to go all out" to prevent that.


http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sp...24AA3C47869F8E9B8625769F0017B485?OpenDocument

 

[TellerMorrow34]

Glad to see him doing well and I hope he does get to stick around for next year.

 

[Clove]

I'd always liked that kid. Good for him. And I know some will look back and say, we should've kept him. I shouldn't have married my ex wife either, but my crystal ball was out of order.

Happy New Year to all!

 

[speedkilz88]

Even if he came to camp this season he still wouldn't have made the team. Hurd is too valuable as a STs player and Ogletree has a lot more talent. He is going to be a pretty good slot receiver in the league though.

 

[links18]

His kick-off yards are high for a reason.

 

[kapolani]

His kick-off yards are high for a reason.

For real.

They get scored on - a lot - thus getting more kickoff returns.

 

[Yeagermeister]

Let the rueage begin :laugh2:

 

[tomson75]

Regardless of how he accumulated the total kickoff yardage, it's pretty clear that this kid is better than a lot of people on this forum wanted to give him credit for. It doesn't make sense to me why they still continue to hate him just because he developed a following while he was with the Cowboys. It's stupid.

Glad he's been given the opportunity to prove himself somewhere.

Amendola > Roy Williams

:moon: :scram:

 

[Avery]

There just wasn't a place for him on our roster.

I don't think he's going to be mistaken for someone we can't live without at the same time.

 

[DallasCowpoke]

Wonder if he ever spent time in a shed?

 

[goliadmike]

"I think he's really surfaced as a guy we rely on in the pass game a little bit.

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sp...24AA3C47869F8E9B8625769F0017B485?OpenDocument

Does anyone find that Spags quote funny.

 

[dbair1967]

Let the rueage begin :laugh2:

and end

this guy is a fringe player at best...we lost nothing letting him go

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Every team needs a Danny Amendola. I wish we'd have hung on to him when we had him.

 

[dbair1967]

Every team needs a Danny Amendola. I wish we'd have hung on to him when we had him.

Patrick Crayton is better than Amendola, and it isnt even close.

Kevin Ogletree has eons more upside than Dann Amendola, and it isnt even close.

The best he could hope for is to be on the team ahead of Sam Hurd, who is solid in coverage units, whereas Amendola offers nothing there.

 

[tyke1doe]

"It's the Rams, dude."

 

[ROMOSAPIEN9]

Patrick Crayton is better than Amendola, and it isnt even close.

Kevin Ogletree has eons more upside than Dann Amendola, and it isnt even close.

The best he could hope for is to be on the team ahead of Sam Hurd, who is solid in coverage units, whereas Amendola offers nothing there.

REALLY!?!

You just want to attack me for my opinion?

You used to have more class than that dbair.

 

[Yeagermeister]

and end

this guy is a fringe player at best...we lost nothing letting him go

Same as ReShard Lee, Todd Lowber, Ray Lewis' little brother, and on and on

 

[Avery]

REALLY!?!

You just want to attack me for my opinion?

You used to have more class than that dbair.

If that was an attack, it must have been with a squirt gun. You need to relax a little.

 

[theogt]

Patrick Crayton is better than Amendola, and it isnt even close.

Kevin Ogletree has eons more upside than Dann Amendola, and it isnt even close.

The best he could hope for is to be on the team ahead of Sam Hurd, who is solid in coverage units, whereas Amendola offers nothing there.

Hurd will not be on the team next season. I would certainly have rather had Amendola than Hurd. If the question is contributions to the team, he could immediately become our kick and punt returner.

 

[theogt]

In their second season in the league:

		Receptions	Yards	TDs	Kick Avg.	Punt Avg.
Welker		29		434	0	22.6		9.1
Amendola	40		308	1	24.7		11.0

Remember those people that laughed about him being anything like Wes Welker? Of course, Amendola won't have the fortune of going to New England and having Tom Brady throw him 150 attempts a season.

But if he did, he'd almost certainly put up similar or better numbers as Wes Welker.