Despite rushing for 2,096 yards and 25 touchdowns and passing for 1,020 yards and 11 TDs as a senior, Bethany (Okla.) High quarterback Chris Chamberlain was generating almost no interest among NCAA Division I-A colleges.

Tulsa finally made Chamberlain an offer, but the coaches there weren't interested in him as a signal-caller. They planned to move the 6-foot-1, 225-pounder to linebacker.

That was fine with Chamberlain, who just wanted a shot. He brought the same attitude with him to the Rams, who drafted him in the seventh — and final — round (No. 228 overall) last year after he set a Tulsa record with 165 tackles his senior year.

His shot would come on special teams.

"I knew that was going to be my niche early on," said Chamberlain, who will turn 24 on Wednesday. It earned him a spot on the 45-man active roster for all 16 games his rookie season, and Chamberlain exploited the opportunity.

He posted a team-high 19 special-teams tackles — four more than veteran Gary Stills, a fellow linebacker who carved out a 10-year NFL career as a special-teams ace.

Although he certainly wants to have a role on defense, too, Chamberlain is aware that, like Stills, his special-teams value could keep him employed for some time. "I'm just glad to have a job and play for as long as I can," he said.

Chamberlain has added just five pounds since high school and is a bit undersized for linebacker. But he brings the physical tools necessary for an effective special-teamer, coach Steve Spagnuolo pointed out.

"It's about speed and athletic ability," Spagnuolo said. "If you have those things, you can develop yourself into a good special-teams player."

But it also takes a mental approach that requires a large dose of derring-do, a willingness to endure high-speed contact, and a relentless craving to reach, and drop, the ballcarrier.

That's Chamberlain, special-teams coach Tom McMahon said.

"The bottom line with Chris is, it's self-pride, it's desire," McMahon said. "He goes out there every single time and he feels like he's going to make the play. You see that in his production, you see it in his effort."

Chamberlain describes his attitude as "reckless abandonment ... You've just got to go out there, trust your keys, trust your eyes, and let it loose."

It sounds simple enough, but Chamberlain emphasized that adjusting to the speed and size of NFL players didn't come easily. Trying to fend off 300-pound blockers and track down lightning-quick sprinters can be a daunting task.

"I found out real quick how hard it was to make a tackle on special teams ... there are a lot of big collisions," Chamberlain said. "A lot of guys don't realize how hard it is to play special teams or how tired you get playing special teams."

Chamberlain proved that he was willing his freshman year at Tulsa, when he was knocked cold on a kickoff at Oklahoma State in what Keith Patterson, then the team's linebackers coach, described as one of the most vicious hits he'd seen.

Less than 24 hours later, Chamberlain was in the film room, analyzing the play to try to determine exactly what happened.

The core of most special-teams squads includes linebackers, "guys that can run, guys that can tackle," punter Donnie Jones noted. Chamberlain participates on all four units and again is the Rams' top tackler, with three, heading into Sunday's home-opener vs. Green Bay.

Overall, the team's coverage has been solid. "It's big for us; field position is huge," Jones said. "Any time you've got guys like (Chamberlain) who really take pride in going down there and covering and making a play, it's a great asset."