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'There's been a lot of suffering' Rams LB Little glad to have playoffs to distract him
Posted: Friday January 21, 2000 07:37 PM
ST. LOUIS (AP) -- The longer the St. Louis Rams play, the longer linebacker Leonard Little is distracted from his off-field problems. The postseason means no jail time, no visits with youth groups and lots of blessed Xs and Os. Football is a haven for the second-year player who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in a fatal drunk-driving auto accident a little more than a year ago. "I pray that everything turns out fine," Little said. "I love this game, and no matter how much money I make, once I'm playing this game I'll be all right." When the NFC West champions (14-3) are finished playing, either Sunday in the NFC championship game or next week in the Super Bowl, it'll be back to harsh reality. Little was sentenced to 90 overnights in the city workhouse and four years' probation, and was ordered to perform 1,000 hours of community service. Little's attorney, Scott Rosenblum, said his client has completed one-third of the jail time and a large chunk of the community service. Little plans to complete the sentence in two or three months after the season is over, Rosenblum said. "He's put a dent in it," Rosenblum said. "He'll be fine. He's a great kid." Little also faces a wrongful death suit brought by the family of the victim, a St. Louis County woman, which occurred after he celebrated his 24th birthday. He'd like to meet with the family after the season and do whatever it takes to get things resolved. "We're going to try to put an end to this," Little said. "There's been a lot of suffering." Outwardly, Little may seem the same. In the locker room, he still wears his bright orange University of Tennessee sandals with pride, and teammate Rich Coady brings out smiles with special teams jests. "We joke back and forth about who's going to get more tackles, who's going to be first down on the kickoff and things like that," Coady said. "To me, he's just one of the guys." Others have noticed a much more subdued player. "I think the whole situation has affected him immensely," linebacker Lorenzo Styles said. "I don't think he'll ever be the same. "I can just tell it's still on his mind and it's heavy on his heart." Little, a third-round pick in the 1998 draft, is reminded of his unusual status whenever he makes a tackle. The response is mostly embarrassed silence. At least, from his standpoint, they're not booing. It could be so much worse. The Rams held him out of Week 9, blunting a rally and march by Mothers Against Drunk Driving that ended at the Trans World Dome. "Some fans hold back," Little said. "But they seem to understand what I went through and that people make mistakes. I haven't heard any negative feedback through the whole situation, so I guess that's good." There were many suggestions that the Rams trade Little, for his own good. Coach Dick Vermeil defiantly resisted the easy way out, and Little didn't want to leave no matter how difficult the situation he created for himself. "I made one of the biggest mistakes of my life, and I wanted to come back and try to face it," Little said. "If you run away from it, it'll find you anyway." Little may be on the field more this week. He returned for the playoff opener against Minnesota after missing one game with a pulled hamstring, and Vermeil liked what he saw enough to consider getting him involved in the pass rush. "Leonard Little makes a difference the minute he steps on the field," coach Dick Vermeil said. "He's a gifted athlete." Little made a tearful apology when the NFL reinstated him. Once again, he wants people to know he's sorry. "I'm not perfect," he said. "I'm an athlete and I play in the NFL. But I'm not perfect."
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