ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - The Rams may longer have a whole lot of fans or support left in St. Louis, but a legend of the franchise is set to make a return to the city in the next coming weeks.
Dick Vermeil, the head coach of the 1999 St. Louis Rams, dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf" is set to make his return to the St. Louis-area on Oct. 12. Vermeil will be part of Rockhurst University's St. Louis Leadership Series Luncheon at the Ritz Carlton.
The most recent Pro Football Hall of Fame coach discussed the 1999 season with Tom Ackerman on Total Information A.M., with Vermeil saying that he knew that the team was going to be special somehow even before Kurt Warner came into the fray.
"I felt very good about it, and so did my coaching staff," said Vermeil, "The first two years we invested a lot of hours and hard work on the field, in full-pads and double-days, sweat. humidity, and a lot of b..ching and moaning about everybody." said Vermeil.
Vermeil said what took the team into another level was the additions on the coaching staff, which included adding Mike Martz, who would eventually becomes Vermeil's successor after Vermeil intially retired from coaching after Super Bowl XXXIV.
"I bring Martz in, Al Saunders, their like two first-round picks, along with John Matsko and Dana LeDuc, so I had four first-round picks along with Torry Holt," Vermeil joked, "What a difference that was. We were able to take advantage of those first few years beyond my expectations."
Vermeil also discussed his initial retirement from football before he eventually unretired to travel stateside to coach the Kansas City Chiefs, saying he felt like he made a mistake in retirement when he started giving out rings to players and then-owner Georgia Frontiere at a ring ceremony in May 2000.
"Sometimes I'm too emotional, and I get too involved in certain things and I felt that drive me a little bit," said Vermeil, "I don't have any regrets but if I had a do-over again, I probably stay. It's not a big negative. It's a process in maturity as you get older and go back and recognize maybe a few things that you would've done differently."
The lunch event that Vermeil will attend is set to take forth at the Ritz Carlton and will start at 11:30 a.m. on Oct. 12.