Rams' offensive linemen teammates: Pace defied logic

ST. LOUIS — What made Orlando Pace a special left tackle?According to his interior line teammates in St. Louis who knew him best, 'The Big O' simply defied logic."A guy that size isn't really supposed to be that athletic, you know?" said Andy McCollum, the starting center for the Rams alongside Pace from 2000-06 and also a former standout at the University of Toledo. "He's not supposed to be that fast and strong. There's other guys like that, but he might have been one of the first, especially playing that left tackle spot."Pace, a 1994 Sandusky graduate, was officially enshrined into the Pro Football Hall of Fame Saturday night. He spent 12 of his 13 years in the NFL with the Rams, dominating opponents as the team's left tackle from 1997-2009. Several of his offensive line teammates were in attendance Saturday, including Adam Timmerman — the Rams' right guard from 1999-2006."Orlando was just one of those special people, the thing I remember the most is just his feet," Timmerman said. "He must have been good at basketball back in the day, because he could move his feet like nobody else. He'd just glide. And for a big human being like Orlando to move his feet the way he could, it was just unbelievable."I remember (offensive line coach) Jim Hanifan telling our right tackle 'just set like Orlando.' Well, he had some God-given ability that some other people didn't have — it's great to see him going into the Hall," Timmerman added.Timmerman appeared in four Super Bowls in a six-year span with both the Green Bay Packers and St. Louis Rams, winning one and losing one with both teams. He was voted a Pro Bowl alternate over four consecutive seasons with the Rams, while Pace was a Pro Bowler for seven straight years (1999-05).In all, Timmerman started 172-of-187 career games in the NFL, including 124 in St. Louis with Pace."Orlando going in the Hall, it really couldn't happen to a nicer guy," Timmerman said. "Just a really sweet spirit, he was just great to have on that line. You could always count on him, that was another thing, he was always there … it was great to see him have that success and be honored for it."McCollum, who played center for 15 seasons with Saints (1994-98), Rams (1999-2007, and Lions (2008), added that Pace was one of the most revered teammates in the locker room."Orlando was the best. A great leader and a great guy who obviously had an exceptional talent on the field," McCollum said. "He was a great guy to have as a teammate. I have a lot of memories of stuff in the huddle and the locker room that I'll never forget."McCollum, who started 159-of-199 NFL games that included every game for six straight years (2000-05) for the Rams, noted that perhaps the best trait of all from Pace was assumption."You knew week after week, whoever was out there across from him was going to be shut down," McCollum said. "It didn't matter who it was, from the best in the league right down the line couldn't get by him. You never really gave it a thought to worry about the left side."Obviously, that's what got him in the Hall, but again, what we remember as teammates was the guy you could count on, the leader in the locker room and really at the end of the day — just a great guy," he added.Adam Timmerman signs autographs prior to the Legends of the Dome game on Saturday, July 23, 2016 in St. Louis.Orlando Pace smiles with his oldest son Justin during the halftime of the Legends of the Dome game in St. Louis on Saturday, July 23, 2016. Pace will be officially inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in less than two weeks and will be introduced by Justin.