ST. LOUIS, Mo. >> Now that Greg Salas has one year of NFL experience under his belt, the former standout Hawaii wide receiver expects bigger and better things in his second season with St. Louis.
As a rookie, Salas appeared in only six games because of injuries, catching 27 passes for 464 yards. He also returned two punts. And while he didn’t see a ton of action as a rookie, he still learned a great deal, knowledge he carries forward into this season.
“It had some ups and downs,” Salas said of his rookie season, adding that his lessons included “just being more mentally prepared, knowing what it takes now compared to last season, knowing how to take notes, what to really pay attention for and how to hone in on being a good receiver and all-around football player.”
However, if he is to make the Rams’ 53-man roster again, it will likely be due to how well he performs on special teams. But after returning punts last season, the 2011 fourth-round pick has spent much of the preseason playing on the suicide squad or coverage teams for punts and kickoffs.
“I won’t be returning anything this year,” Salas said. “It’s still to be determined where the coaches put me. I’m just not the returner, but I am doing all the special teams out here.”
Playing on both coverage units for the Rams is one of the bigger changes for the 24-year-old receiver since coming to the NFL, especially since special teams weren’t something he was terribly familiar with during his five-year stay at UH between 2006 and 2010.
“At Hawaii I definitely did not do a lot of special teams. I returned a couple of times, but I definitely wasn’t running or blocking on returns,” Salas said. “I enjoy doing it. It’s fun, a way to get on the field, play and contribute any way I can. That’s definitely what I want to do.”
The California native redshirted in 2006, and by ’08 had developed into a top pass catcher at Hawaii, finishing his career with 285 receptions for 4,345 yards and 26 touchdowns.
“That was a great chapter in my life, one of the best times in my life,” Salas said. “I’ll never forget my time at Hawaii with all my friends and all those great relationships I’ve made, the coaches and the people of Hawaii have made it so wonderful for me out there.
“I love to come back whenever I get the chance.”
He’s constantly reminded of his alma mater with former UH linebacker Aaron Brown currently vying for a spot with the Rams as a rookie.
“Yeah, it’s good to have AB out here,” he said. “We joke around a lot, hang out and talk during our down times. So it’s good to have somebody else who you know out here. We always talk about old times in Hawaii.”
One big change from 2011 is that he’s now playing for a new head coach in Jeff Fisher.
“It’s run a lot different than the previous regime. He’s a real player’s coach who has a lot of confidence and we feed off of that,” Salas said. “There’s definitely a new sense of self here at Rams Park. Everybody’s feeling good about themselves. We’ve completely forgotten about the past. We’re on to the future and looking to do positive things this year.”
