In the 1945 NFL Championship Game, Bob Waterfield threw 37- and 44-yard touchdown passes to lead the Cleveland Rams to a 15-14 victory over the Washington Redskins. That capped a season in which he was a unanimous All-NFL choice, and became the first rookie ever to win the league's Most Valuable Player.

On January 11, 1946, Dan Reeves announced he was moving his Cleveland Rams to Los Angeles. This was shocking news because, less than a month earlier, the Rams had won the NFL championship. Add to that, air travel was still in its early stages and Los Angels was 2,000 miles away from the nearest NFL city.

When his AAFC contract expired, Elroy Hirsch happily joined the Rams. After a year spent mostly on the bench in 1949, Elroy was shifted to end. Not familiar with playing end, he initially struggled. However, hard work eventually paid off and, a year later, he became a primary contributor to the Rams' impressive march to the NFL title. Many observers insisted "Crazylegs" was the best end ever but Hirsch modestly downgraded his own case.

Tom Fears was a big-play receiver with the Los Angeles Rams from 1948 through 1956. He first played football at Santa Clara, took three years out for military service during World War II, and then finished up with a pair of All-America seasons at UCLA.

Norm Van Brocklin was a standout quarterback for 12 seasons in the National Football League, the first nine with the Los Angeles Rams. Then he was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles in 1958 and, within three years, the "Dutchman" had guided the Eagles to the NFL championship.

The Los Angeles Rams drafted Andy Robustelli, an end from tiny Arnold College, in the nineteenth round of the 1951 National Football League Draft. A long shot to make the team as an offensive end since the Rams already had such stars as Tom Fears and Elroy "Crazylegs" Hirsch, Robustelli responded in the only way he knew how – to go all out to make good at what was available to him, the defensive unit.

When Ollie Matson first signed to play with the Chicago Cardinals in 1952, he was hailed as the fleet-footed ball carrier that would hopefully lead the Cardinals out of pro football's basement. Seven years later, when traded by the Cardinals to the Los Angeles Rams for an unprecedented nine players, he was tabbed as the star that could give the Rams a long awaited championship.

Dick Lane was an Army veteran "looking for a good job" when he stopped in the offices of the Los Angeles Rams in 1952 and asked for a tryout. All he had for credentials was a battered scrapbook, which chronicled his football experiences in high school, junior college and the Army.

Deacon Jones, who had had an obscure college career preceding his 14th-round selection by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1961 draft, quickly blossomed into a superb defensive end. Blessed with speed, agility, and quickness, the "Deacon" became one of the finest pass rushers in the business. When the scouts noted that the 6-4, 272-pound tackle was outrunning the backs they were scouting, they recommended Jones as a sleeper pick.

Merlin Olsen was a coach's player. Punctual, steady, gifted, a quiet leader, a player you could always count on. He was a standout as a rookie and thereafter stood out in every game he played for the Rams in a 15- year career. Every game. Fifteen years.

Sid Gillman went on to become the foremost authority on forward passing offense. He was the first coach to produce divisional champions in both the National and American Football Leagues. Gillman's first pro coaching job came in 1955 when he became the Los Angeles Rams head coach. In his first year he led the team to a division crown.

Tex Schramm played a dynamic role in professional football throughout a 44-year span between 1947 and 1990. He began his NFL career as publicity director of the Los Angeles Rams and finished as president and chief executive officer of the World League of American Football. In between, he served the Rams for 10 seasons and the Dallas Cowboys for 29 years.

Wide receiver Tommy McDonald was a third-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles in 1957. A six-time Pro Bowl selection (1959-1963 and 1966), McDonald played seven seasons with the Eagles (1957-1963), one with the Dallas Cowboys (1964), two with the Los Angeles Rams (1965-1966), and one each with the Atlanta Falcons (1967) and the Cleveland Browns (1968).

Tom Mack gained a lion's share of attention during his 13 star-studded seasons with the Los Angeles Rams from 1966 through 1978. He never missed a game during his 184-game tenure, a consecutive game streak third in Rams' history behind only Jack Youngblood and Merlin Olsen. During the years that Mack played, the Rams enjoyed 12 winning seasons in 13 and compiled a .720 won-lost record (129-48-7).

Eric Dickerson, a two-time All-America choice at Southern Methodist, was selected in the first round of the 1983 NFL Draft by the Los Angeles Rams. An immediate success, he established rookie records for most rushing attempts (390), most rushing yards gained (1,808) and most touchdowns rushing (18). His efforts earned him All-Pro, Pro Bowl, Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year honors.

Jack Youngblood, a 6-4, 247-pound All-American from the University of Florida, excelled for 14 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams from 1971 to 1984. As the 20th player selected in the first round of the 1971 draft, Youngblood made his presence felt almost immediately. He did so well as a backup to superstar "Deacon" Jones at left defensive end as a rookie that the Rams traded Jones before the 1972 season.

Ron Yary joined the Minnesota Vikings as the first player chosen in the 1968 AFL-NFL Draft. His 15-season, 207-game career included 14 years with the Vikings from 1968 to 1981 and a final season with the Los Angeles Rams in 1982. Yary won the starting right tackle job on the Vikings' offensive line in his second season and remained a fixture at that spot throughout his tenure in Minnesota.

Jackie Slater, a veteran of twenty National Football League seasons, was like the Energizer Battery bunny that "just kept going and going and going." Drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the third round of the 1976 NFL Draft, Slater is tied for third all time for the most seasons played in the history of the league. His 259 regular-season games played were the most ever by an offensive lineman when he retired, and his 20 seasons with one team was an NFL record.

In 12 seasons with the Los Angeles Rams from 1966 through 1970 and the Washington Redskins from 1971 through 1977, George Allen compiled a 116-47-5 regular season record as a head coach.

Wide receiver James Lofton was the No. 1 draft pick of the Green Bay Packers in 1978. An Academic All-America choice from Stanford, he was also an accomplished track performer and won the NCAA long jump title as a senior. Lofton's speed and "soft hands" made him an immediate deep-threat receiver from the moment he entered the pros. It was something he would remain throughout his long career with Green Bay, the Los Angeles Raiders, Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams and the Philadelphia Eagles

Bob "The Boomer" Brown was named All-NFL seven of his 10 seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles (1964-68), Los Angeles Rams (1969-70), and Oakland Raiders (1971-73). Two of the three years he did not make the All-NFL team, he was named second-team All-NFL. Named the NFL/NFC offensive lineman of the year three times, Brown was also chosen to play in six Pro Bowls – three with the Eagles, two with the Rams, and one final time with the Raiders.

Linebacker Les Richter was the second player selected overall in the 1952 NFL Draft by the New York Yanks. Two days later, the franchise folded and was sold back to the NFL. Shortly thereafter the assets of the club, including the signing rights to Richter, were granted to the expansion Dallas Texans. The Los Angeles Rams dealt 11 players to the Texans to obtain the All-American from California.

Marshall Faulk rushed for 1,000 yards in four of his first five seasons while also amassing 2,804 yards on 297 receptions. He was then traded by the Colts to the St. Louis Rams in 1999 in exchange for a second- and fifth-round draft pick. He helped guide his new team to a Super Bowl title in his first season in St. Louis. He was named the NFL's Offensive Player of the Year for the first of three consecutive seasons.

The Phoenix Cardinals drafted Aeneas Williams in the third round, 59th player overall, of the 1991 NFL Draft. Over the next 10 seasons with the Cardinals and four final years with the St. Louis Rams he established himself as one of the finest defensive backs ever to play. Williams starred at cornerback for the first 12 years of his career before he was moved to safety. He earned Pro Bowl nods at both positions, seven times at cornerback and once as a safety.

Jerome Bettis was selected in the first round, 10th player overall, out of Notre Dame by the Los Angeles Rams in the 1993 NFL Draft. He finished second in the NFL in rushing during his rookie season after gaining 1,429 yards. He was named Rookie of the Year by numerable media outlets and was chosen as a first-team All-Pro and All-NFC.

Tackle Orlando Pace was highly touted coming out of Ohio State as the first overall pick in the 1997 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams. The 6'7", 320-pound Pace lived up to the billing as he made an instant impact at the pro level and became one of the finest offensive linemen of his era. Pace was integral member of the Rams' potent offense that transformed the franchise into a perennial winner.

Kevin Greene, a fifth-round draft pick of the Los Angeles Rams in the 1985 NFL Draft, quickly developed into one of the most punishing pass rushers in league history. A walk-on at Auburn he was drafted into the NFL as a linebacker and played at that position for the majority of his 15-season career with the Rams, Pittsburgh Steelers, Carolina Panthers, and San Francisco 49ers.

Kurt Warner's unique path to the National Football League started with several seasons of play in the Arena Football League and NFL Europe. He signed as free agent with the St. Louis Rams in 1998 and saw only brief action in the last game of the season when injuries ravaged the Rams quarterbacks. Named first-team All-Pro twice and selected to four Pro Bowls, Warner racked up 32,344 career yards, threw 208 touchdowns and recorded a 93.7 career passer rating.

Winston Hill, a 6'4", 270-pound tackle, was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in the 11th round of the National Football League Draft but signed as a free agent with the American Football League's New York Jets where he spent 14 of his 15-season career. Hill possessed durability, size and strength which helped him to become a dominant tackle. His final season, 1977, was spent with the Los Angeles Rams.

Isaac Bruce was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in the second round (33rd player overall) of the 1994 NFL Draft. Known for his precise route-running and tireless work ethic, Bruce totaled 1,024 receptions for 15,208 yards and 91 touchdowns during a 16-year career with the Rams (1994-2007) and San Francisco 49ers (2008-09). His receptions total ranked fifth and his receiving yardage placed him second in NFL history at the time of his retirement.

Dick Vermeil was head coach of three National Football League franchises over 15 seasons. He mastered the three-year turnaround, leading the Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs to the postseason after years – nearly two decades for the Eagles – on the outside looking in.