Jack Faulkner

Clancy Williams tackles the problem head-on. He has cancer and he knows it may kill him. "But I'm going to give it the best I have," he says. The Rams drafted Williams from Washington State in the first round in 1965, and he played left cornerback for eight years. Some people may have forgotten that, but not the estimated 250 who came to an Anaheim hotel last week to pay homage to him and launch the Clancy Williams Cancer Fund with $4,000 in donations. The theme was: "We are his friends."

Long gone to St. Louis, off the wall in Anaheim. . . . The Orange County Sports Hall of Fame, which honored Ram owner Georgia Frontiere with a lifetime achievement award in 1989, has removed her bronze plaque from the Court of Honors at the organization's museum in Anaheim Stadium. . . . One Ram official who remains popular in the Southland, Jack Faulkner, celebrated the start of the NFL season by signing a five-year contract to continue as a scout and personnel consultant. . . .

Jack Faulkner's memories roamed back over six decades of football Tuesday night when the Rams' director of pro personnel was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award at the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet at the Disneyland Hotel. Faulkner, who began his coaching career in 1949 at the University of Cincinnati and has been with the Rams 28 seasons, recalled the shifting of the hash marks and changes in blocking rules. But one thing stood out.

Jack Faulkner's memories roamed back over six decades of football Tuesday night when the Rams' director of pro personnel was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award at the Orange County Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet at the Disneyland Hotel. Faulkner, who began his coaching career in 1949 at the University of Cincinnati and has been with the Rams 28 seasons, recalled the shifting of the hash marks and changes in blocking rules. But one thing stood out.

Whatever happened to Ray Nagel? You know the name, you say, but you can't quite place it. Here are a few clues: blond, handsome, personable, articulate, intelligent. Need more help? Football, L.A. Rams, executive. Oh yeah, you say, he's the guy who Georgia Frontiere gave some big position to. What did he do? Don't feel bad if you can't remember. Nobody seemed to know what he was doing even while he was on the job.

Jack Faulkner, along with just about everybody else, heard all the names and guessed along with all the guessers a few months ago as the Rams wound down their search to replace John Robinson. Faulkner, along with just about everybody else, had his own private thoughts about the people mentioned, had his own idea of the right man to steady the Rams' shaky situation. The Rams' administrator of football operations heard the name Chuck Knox, and 20 years of memories rushed into his mind.

Long gone to St. Louis, off the wall in Anaheim. . . . The Orange County Sports Hall of Fame, which honored Ram owner Georgia Frontiere with a lifetime achievement award in 1989, has removed her bronze plaque from the Court of Honors at the organization's museum in Anaheim Stadium. . . . One Ram official who remains popular in the Southland, Jack Faulkner, celebrated the start of the NFL season by signing a five-year contract to continue as a scout and personnel consultant. . . .

Veteran cornerback LeRoy Irvin of the Rams, an aspiring boxing promoter who was quoted as saying last week in a Times story that he was being investigated by the NFL because of his friendship with boxing figure Harold Smith, denied Wednesday that such was the case. " . . . I have not been and am not currently being investigated," Irvin said in a statement.

Ram scout Charlie Hall suffered a heart attack at the team's Cal State Fullerton training camp Friday and died later at St. Jude Hospital in Fullerton. He was 62. "A good guy," Coach John Robinson said. "I knew him when he coached for John McKay at USC (1960-65). He was a good friend of everyone." Hall, whose home was in Midlothian, Va., is survived by his wife Joy and daughters Catherine and Jennifer.

Jack Faulkner, along with just about everybody else, heard all the names and guessed along with all the guessers a few months ago as the Rams wound down their search to replace John Robinson. Faulkner, along with just about everybody else, had his own private thoughts about the people mentioned, had his own idea of the right man to steady the Rams' shaky situation. The Rams' administrator of football operations heard the name Chuck Knox, and 20 years of memories rushed into his mind.

Clancy Williams tackles the problem head-on. He has cancer and he knows it may kill him. "But I'm going to give it the best I have," he says. The Rams drafted Williams from Washington State in the first round in 1965, and he played left cornerback for eight years. Some people may have forgotten that, but not the estimated 250 who came to an Anaheim hotel last week to pay homage to him and launch the Clancy Williams Cancer Fund with $4,000 in donations. The theme was: "We are his friends."

Whatever happened to Ray Nagel? You know the name, you say, but you can't quite place it. Here are a few clues: blond, handsome, personable, articulate, intelligent. Need more help? Football, L.A. Rams, executive. Oh yeah, you say, he's the guy who Georgia Frontiere gave some big position to. What did he do? Don't feel bad if you can't remember. Nobody seemed to know what he was doing even while he was on the job.

About 300 people, including Raider owner Al Davis and Dodger Manager Tom Lasorda, attended funeral services for former Ram Coach Ray Malavasi at Huntington Beach Friday. Malavasi, 57, died of a heart attack Tuesday. He was the Rams' defensive coordinator under Chuck Knox from 1973 through 1977 and head coach from 1978 through 1982.

Jack Faulkner, a longtime executive with the St. Louis Rams going back to the franchise's days in Southern California, died Sunday night at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, the Rams announced. He was 82. The cause of death was not disclosed, but Faulkner, most recently the Rams' administrator for pro personnel and working out of his office in Orange County, had been in failing health for some time.