'Start Completely Over': Eric Henderson Talks Rams' DL Plan

Henderson's taking a somewhat unconventional approach for a team that won the Super Bowl.

They say that if it ain't broke, don't fix it. Eric Henderson apparently doesn't believe in such an axiom.

The Los Angeles Rams defensive line coach outlined his plan for the coming season in a feature video provided by the team. Things remain generally the same from a philosophical perspective: Henderson, set to enter his fourth season as the team's defensive line coach (and second in his dual role as the run game coordinator), is reintroducing the "D.A.W.G." plan to his group, which centers upon discipline, attitude, work ethic, and grit. 

But the former professional defensive end wants his proteges to forget the success the Rams' defense enjoyed last season and build their mental psyche from the ground up. 

That might be hard with so many accomplished names on the depth chart ... headlined, of course, by Aaron Donald ... but Henderson appears convinced that he'll be able to instill his view on his retained group, which also includes Greg Gaines and A'Shawn Robinson. 

"I’m hoping to utilize this offseason to be able to just start completely over. You never want to assume that guys remembered anything," Henderson said. "You would think that some guys would have remembered some of the things you just did a couple of months ago, but you can’t ever assume that, so you want to be able to break down the offseason and completely start from ground zero, assuming that no one knows anything. I don’t expect you to remember anything." 

Henderson is a two-time professional champion with the Las Vegas Locomotives of the defunct United Football League, so he knows a thing or two about a title defense. He believes that his players' ability to forget their prior success will serve as a reflection of him as a coach. Injuries ate away at his playing career but he has since embarked on a role on the sidelines, which includes a stop with the Los Angeles Chargers as well as collegiate roles at Georgia Military College, Oklahoma State, and Texas-San Antonio. 

"My job as a coach is to completely build you back up again, whether that be technique, whether that be (in the) playbook," Henderson explained. "Talk about base fundamentals, all of the things that are important to us having success and playing how we want to play, and then also realtering your attitude toward what we’re trying to get done.”