mark barron.jpg

St. Louis Rams safety Mark Barron breaks up a pass intended for Oakland Raiders wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins during an NFL game on Nov. 30, 2014, at the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis.

(AP Photo)

When Mark Barron arrived at Alabama in 2008, the Crimson Tide hadn't won the SEC championship since 1999, the longest title drought in the Crimson Tide's history. In Barron's sophomore season, Alabama won the conference championship as well as the BCS national title. By the time, Barron left, he was a three-time All-SEC safety and the Tide had won another BCS national crown.

"People felt like my class that came in, the 2008 class, turned it all around," Barron told the St. Louis Rams' official web site. "But even when we first came in, we didn't just win a championship that first year because it's a process. You have to come here and learn certain things and develop a certain mentality. It took time."

Barron joined the Rams in a midseason trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2014, with the Bucs getting St. Louis' fourth- and sixth-round choices in the 2015 NFL Draft.

St. Louis hasn't been to the NFL playoffs since 2004. The former St. Paul's prep star is hoping to be part of a turnaround with the Rams, too.

"I'm very excited about it," Barron said. "Believe it or not, I really didn't even want the season to end, I was having so much fun playing. I just wanted to keep playing because I was having so much fun. So I'm looking forward to next year, and, hopefully, that same feeling continues."

FOR MORE OF AL.COM'S COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE

The Rams traded fourth- and sixth-round picks in the 2015 NFL Draft to the Bucs for Barron, even though St. Louis coaches liked the Rams' starting safeties, T.J. McDonald and Rodney McLeod. But they had an idea of how to use Barron beyond strong safety in what St. Louis calls its big nickel package. Barron came on the field and strongside linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar came off in the scheme, bringing him closer to the line of scrimmage.

"We were just getting started looking at it, but very, very impressed with what he did," St. Louis coach Jeff Fisher said. "Sacks and tackles and all the things that he does well. So, yeah, there's a chance to expand some things with him. He's not much smaller than most linebackers, and he's pretty talented and great to coach."

In its seven games without Barron, St. Louis had a 2-5 record, gave up an average of 30 points and 376 yards per game and came up with eight takeaways. In their nine games with Barron, the Rams had a 4-5 record, gave up an average of 16 points and 333 yards per game and came up with 17 takeaways.

Barron had two sacks in 37 games with Tampa Bay. He had three sacks in nine games with St. Louis.

"That's what Mark gives us, that flexibility to play around the line of scrimmage, cover big tight ends and just all those things and blitz," Fisher said. "He's just a very instinctive player."