By Nick Wagoner
Senior Writer
Long ago, Isaac Bruce forgot what happened in his first four seasons in the league. During that time, the Rams moved to St. Louis from Los Angeles, he posted one of the best seasons a receiver has ever had, and the team went through a pair of coaching changes.
Now, entering his 14th season, Bruce’s selective memory has helped to make time stand still.
“The first four (years) flew by but after that I remember everything else so it’s kind of slow walking,” Bruce said.
While the years have ticked away and the calendar pages continue to turn, Bruce has been able to find every way possible to avoid the touch of Father Time.
In November, Bruce will turn 35, but you would hardly know it from watching him on the practice field or from watching his performance in 2006. After signing a three-year contract to stay in St. Louis in March of 2006, Bruce came back to work just like he always does: in better shape than almost everyone. Not just everyone at training camp, but everyone anywhere.
And this year is no different. Bruce checked into this camp at 188 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than he weighed when he was a rookie in 1994. But anyone who knows Bruce would defy you to find an ounce of fat on his always well sculpted frame.
“He is the one I know,” coach Scott Linehan said. “He gets better with age. It’s amazing. I think it’s proof that if you take care of yourself and your body the way he does and the way he eats, with all the good habits he has as far as how he lives his life is a testament to why he has been able to play so long.”
Playing for a long time in the NFL is one thing, but playing at the level of consistent excellence of Bruce is a totally different proposition.. Two years ago, Bruce was held to just 11 games because of a toe injury.
But after continuing to tweak his diet and offseason regimen before last year, he came back better than ever. He played and started all 16 games and finished with 74 catches for 1,098 yards and three touchdowns. It was Bruce’s ninth career 1,000-yard season and he boosted himself into seventh place on the NFL’s all time list for receptions (887) and receiving yards (13,376).
So, what can Bruce do for an encore to his 12 other encores? For one, he continued to find ways to tweak his diet and how he takes care of his body. To that end, he eliminated sugar from his diet and continued his rigorous offseason workout plan.
“I am not 21 anymore and some of the wear and tear is an opportunity or chance for wear and tear on your body and I don’t want to help that cause,” Bruce said. “I want to slow it down as much as possible. I make sure I get a ton of fruit and a ton of vegetables and don’t burn the candles on both ends.”
While Bruce indeed isn’t 21 anymore, his teammates would argue that he still plays like he is. Linehan has stated that he would like to give his older veterans some rest during training camp, but so far Bruce has done most of his usual work.
In his second year in Linehan’s system, Bruce says he feels more comfortable and is expecting big things.
“I don’t live in the past,” Bruce said. “I’m living in the future. We’re really familiar with the offense as far as passing games are concerned and running games are concerned. Right now, it’s just going out and making sure we kick everything back into our memory and going out on the field performing what we already learned from the year before.”
Bruce has done just that in practice, running his usual precise routes and steadfastly catching everything thrown within his reach.
“It’s been 14 years for Isaac Bruce and he is still running like he’s a rookie,” cornerback Tye Hill said. “We call him the master of route running because some things he does, you have to come with it. He is still everything you would think he is.”
At some point this year, Bruce could easily move into third or fourth on the receiving yards list and has a chance to move into the top five in receptions. Those accomplishments will mean something to Bruce, but he has plans on continuing long into the future.
And the always optimistic Bruce is spreading the word about his unshakable belief in himself.
“If I can help in any kind of way it would be changing more what you say not what you’re doing on the field because I believe the things that you say ultimately become what you do with the football,” Bruce said.
http://www.stlouisrams.com/article/62238/
Senior Writer
Long ago, Isaac Bruce forgot what happened in his first four seasons in the league. During that time, the Rams moved to St. Louis from Los Angeles, he posted one of the best seasons a receiver has ever had, and the team went through a pair of coaching changes.
Now, entering his 14th season, Bruce’s selective memory has helped to make time stand still.
“The first four (years) flew by but after that I remember everything else so it’s kind of slow walking,” Bruce said.
While the years have ticked away and the calendar pages continue to turn, Bruce has been able to find every way possible to avoid the touch of Father Time.
In November, Bruce will turn 35, but you would hardly know it from watching him on the practice field or from watching his performance in 2006. After signing a three-year contract to stay in St. Louis in March of 2006, Bruce came back to work just like he always does: in better shape than almost everyone. Not just everyone at training camp, but everyone anywhere.
And this year is no different. Bruce checked into this camp at 188 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than he weighed when he was a rookie in 1994. But anyone who knows Bruce would defy you to find an ounce of fat on his always well sculpted frame.
“He is the one I know,” coach Scott Linehan said. “He gets better with age. It’s amazing. I think it’s proof that if you take care of yourself and your body the way he does and the way he eats, with all the good habits he has as far as how he lives his life is a testament to why he has been able to play so long.”
Playing for a long time in the NFL is one thing, but playing at the level of consistent excellence of Bruce is a totally different proposition.. Two years ago, Bruce was held to just 11 games because of a toe injury.
But after continuing to tweak his diet and offseason regimen before last year, he came back better than ever. He played and started all 16 games and finished with 74 catches for 1,098 yards and three touchdowns. It was Bruce’s ninth career 1,000-yard season and he boosted himself into seventh place on the NFL’s all time list for receptions (887) and receiving yards (13,376).
So, what can Bruce do for an encore to his 12 other encores? For one, he continued to find ways to tweak his diet and how he takes care of his body. To that end, he eliminated sugar from his diet and continued his rigorous offseason workout plan.
“I am not 21 anymore and some of the wear and tear is an opportunity or chance for wear and tear on your body and I don’t want to help that cause,” Bruce said. “I want to slow it down as much as possible. I make sure I get a ton of fruit and a ton of vegetables and don’t burn the candles on both ends.”
While Bruce indeed isn’t 21 anymore, his teammates would argue that he still plays like he is. Linehan has stated that he would like to give his older veterans some rest during training camp, but so far Bruce has done most of his usual work.
In his second year in Linehan’s system, Bruce says he feels more comfortable and is expecting big things.
“I don’t live in the past,” Bruce said. “I’m living in the future. We’re really familiar with the offense as far as passing games are concerned and running games are concerned. Right now, it’s just going out and making sure we kick everything back into our memory and going out on the field performing what we already learned from the year before.”
Bruce has done just that in practice, running his usual precise routes and steadfastly catching everything thrown within his reach.
“It’s been 14 years for Isaac Bruce and he is still running like he’s a rookie,” cornerback Tye Hill said. “We call him the master of route running because some things he does, you have to come with it. He is still everything you would think he is.”
At some point this year, Bruce could easily move into third or fourth on the receiving yards list and has a chance to move into the top five in receptions. Those accomplishments will mean something to Bruce, but he has plans on continuing long into the future.
And the always optimistic Bruce is spreading the word about his unshakable belief in himself.
“If I can help in any kind of way it would be changing more what you say not what you’re doing on the field because I believe the things that you say ultimately become what you do with the football,” Bruce said.
http://www.stlouisrams.com/article/62238/
