Brandon Gibson profie

ST. LOUIS – Not many people experience life-changing phone calls while out shopping for supplies for their apartment.

At the same time, not many people get to experience the thrill of playing football in the NFL.

Brandon Gibson has been able to experience both.

Gibson, a former Washington State wide receiver and sixth-round draft pick of the Philadelphia Eagles, was on his way to Wal-Mart when he received a phone call from a St. Louis Rams representative informing him he had been traded.

“I was pretty shocked,” Gibson said. “I thought I had done enough during training camp and preseason so that the Eagles would give me an opportunity to make the 53-man roster, but there were injuries at linebacker. We had extra depth at receiver and the Rams felt I could come in and help their team.”

After the trade on Oct. 20, Gibson was inactive for his first potential game with the Rams, an Oct. 25 showdown with the Indianapolis Colts. He saw limited action in Sunday’s win against the Detroit Lions.

Gibson said as he grows more comfortable with the Rams’ offense, he expects to see his playing time increase.

“I’m not sure (when I’ll play more), maybe when I gain the coaches trust that I can be in the correct assignment and give maximum effort
,” Gibson said.

The Rams’ offensive coordinator, Pat Schumur, spent eight seasons in Philadelphia as the quarterbacks coach. Because of this, Gibson said the two offenses are almost identical, giving Gibson and edge to play sooner rather than later.

“It’s the same offense so I think I’ll contribute in the same way as I would have at some point in Philadelphia, I hope,” Gibson said. “I really would just love the opportunity to play.”

Gibson said the Rams contacted him during the fifth round of the NFL draft but ended up drafting a different receiver, North Carolina’s Brooks Foster. Foster’s season ended before it could get started after he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in preseason.

On the other hand, Gibson thrived during the preseason for the Eagles. He led the Eagles with 12 catches for 123 yards and one touchdown through four games. Gibson said a lot was going through his mind as he took those first NFL snaps.

“I just tried to remember my coaching, play fast and have fun,” Gibson said.

Gibson said the biggest difference between the two teams is the mentality each has going into games. The Eagles (5-2) are tied for first in their division and considered to be Super Bowl contenders. The Rams (1-7) had not won a regular season game since Oct. 19, 2008.

“Not saying the Rams were expecting to lose but it is just a young team,” Gibson said. “When you’re a young team, you must figure out a way to win games. In Philly, playing at your highest level and winning every game was what was expected.”

Gibson was widely considered one of the best receivers in college following his junior season when he racked up 1,180 yards and nine touchdowns. He struggled to repeat those numbers in his senior season under first-year head coach Paul Wulff and his draft stock fell.

As for heading to a new city, Gibson said he is transitioning well to his new surroundings.

“It (the transition) has been real smooth,” Gibson said. “I don’t get shocked too often. I try to get used to my surroundings and get comfortable as soon as possible.”