Samuel Lester Snead (born January 19, 1971) is an
American football
American football (referred to simply as football in the United States and Canada), also known as gridiron, is a team sport played by two teams of eleven players on a rectangular field with goalposts at each end. The offense, the team with ...
executive who is the
general manager
A general manager (GM) is an executive who has overall responsibility for managing both the revenue and cost elements of a company's income statement, known as profit & loss (P&L) responsibility. A general manager usually oversees most or all of ...
of the
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) West division. The Rams play ...
of the
National Football League
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the ...
(NFL), a position he has held since 2012. Prior to joining the Rams in 2012, Snead served in the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
and
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
front offices from 1995-2011.
Early years
Snead was born and grew up in
Eufaula, Alabama
Eufaula is the largest city in Barbour County, Alabama, Barbour County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census the city's population was 13,137.
History
The site along the Chattahoochee River that is now moder ...
and was an all-state offensive guard at
Eufaula High School. He switched to tight end at
Troy State before attending the
University of Alabama at Birmingham
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a Public university#United States, public List of research universities in the United States, research university in Birmingham, Alabama. Developed from an academic extension center established i ...
and earning a varsity letter for playing on the first NCAA-sanctioned Division III
UAB Blazers football
The UAB Blazers football team represents the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) in the sport of American football. The Blazers compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and America ...
team. He then transferred to
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
. After Snead served as a graduate assistant at Auburn, he became a scout.
Professional career
In 1995, Snead was hired by the expansion
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
as a pro scout, where he worked until 1997, when he was hired by the
Atlanta Falcons
The Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta. The Falcons compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) South division. The Falcons joined th ...
to the same position. In 2009, he was promoted to director of pro/player personnel, where he remained for the following two seasons.
St Louis Rams
On February 10, 2012, the Rams announced that they had hired Snead to become the team's new general manager.
On March 12, 2012, Snead made his first big deal as general manager, as the Rams agreed to a trade with the
Washington Redskins
The Washington Commanders are a professional American football team based in the Washington metropolitan area. The Commanders compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) N ...
that would exchange their No. 2 overall selection in the
2012 NFL Draft
The 2012 NFL draft was the 77th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players for their rosters. The draft, which is officially called the "NFL Player Selection Meeting", was held ...
for the Redskins' sixth and 39th overall selections. The Rams also received Washington's first round selections for the 2013 and 2014 drafts. In the draft the Rams traded the sixth pick for the
Dallas Cowboys
The Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. The Cowboys compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's National Football Conference (NFC) East divisi ...
' 14th pick, and selected defensive tackle
Michael Brockers
Michael Seth Brockers (born December 21, 1990) is an American football defensive tackle who is a free agent. He played college football at LSU. He was considered to be one of the best defensive tackle prospects in the 2012 NFL Draft, where he w ...
. Snead used the Rams' second round pick (39th overall) to select cornerback
Janoris Jenkins
Janoris Jermain Jenkins (born October 29, 1988), nicknamed "Jackrabbit", is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Alabama and Florida and was draft ...
. In the sixth round, Snead and the Rams used the 171st overall pick to select future All-Pro kicker
Greg Zuerlein. Snead also signed rookie free agent
Johnny Hekker
John Robert Hekker (born February 8, 1990) is an American football punter for the Carolina Panthers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oregon State and was signed by the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free age ...
, destined to become a perennial All-Pro punter.
In the
2014 NFL Draft
The 2014 NFL draft was the 79th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players to the league. The draft, officially the "Player Selection Meeting", was held at Radio City Music Hall in New Y ...
, Snead had two first round picks, in which he selected
Auburn
Auburn may refer to:
Places Australia
* Auburn, New South Wales
* City of Auburn, the local government area
*Electoral district of Auburn
*Auburn, Queensland, a locality in the Western Downs Region
*Auburn, South Australia
*Auburn, Tasmania
*Aub ...
offensive tackle
Greg Robinson with the No. 2 overall pick and then
Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...
defensive tackle
Aaron Donald
Aaron Charles Donald (born May 23, 1991) is an American football defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh, where he received unanimous All-American honors, and w ...
at No. 13. While Robinson was traded away after three disappointing seasons, Donald quickly emerged as one of the
NFL
The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league that consists of 32 teams, divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The NFL is one of the major ...
's most dominant defensive players, earning
NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year
Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official ...
in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and being named
NFL Defensive Player of the Year
Several organizations give out NFL Defensive Player of the Year awards that are listed in the ''NFL Record and Fact Book'' and ''Total Football II: The Official Encyclopedia of the National Football League''. The Associated Press (AP) has been givi ...
in both
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
and
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
. Later in the draft, Snead and the Rams drafted defensive end
Michael Sam
Michael Alan Sam Jr. (born January 7, 1990) is an American professional football defensive lineman for the Barcelona Dragons in the European League of Football. A defensive end, Sam played college football for the Missouri Tigers and was drafted ...
of
Missouri
Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...
, the first openly gay player to enter the NFL draft, with their first sixth-round draft pick (No. 249 overall). Ultimately, Sam did not make the team's regular season roster. Despite lingering concerns over a surgically repaired knee after a
torn ACL
An anterior cruciate ligament injury occurs when the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is either stretched, partially torn, or completely torn. The most common injury is a complete tear. Symptoms include pain, an audible cracking sound during inju ...
, Snead gambled and selected
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
running back
Todd Gurley
Todd Jerome Gurley II (born August 3, 1994) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at Georgia, where he recei ...
with the 10th overall pick in the
2015 NFL Draft
The 2015 NFL Draft was the 80th annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible football players. It took place in Chicago at the Auditorium Theatre and in Grant Park, from April 30 to May 2. The previous ...
. The gamble paid off, as Gurley earned
NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year
Various entities present a National Football League Rookie of the Year Award each season to the top rookie(s) in the National Football League (NFL). The NFL considers the (rookie) of the year awards by the Associated Press (AP) to be its official ...
honors by rushing for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns despite missing three full games and most of another. Offensive tackle
Rob Havenstein
Rob Havenstein (born May 13, 1992) is an American football offensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He was drafted by the St. Louis Rams in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft. He played college footbal ...
was also selected in the second round (No. 57 overall) and has been a Rams starter since his rookie season.
Los Angeles Rams
![LesSneadRams](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/LesSneadRams.jpg)
Following the approval of the Rams' relocation to Los Angeles, Snead and his family settled in
Malibu. Just prior to the
2016 NFL Draft
The 2016 NFL Draft was the 81st annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. As in 2015, the draft took place at the Auditorium Theatre and Grant Park in Chicago. The draft beg ...
, the Rams announced a blockbuster trade with the
Tennessee Titans
The Tennessee Titans are a professional American football team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The Titans compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division, and play their h ...
, in which Los Angeles acquired the No. 1 overall pick from Tennessee along with fourth and sixth round selections in exchange for the Rams No. 15 overall pick, two second-round picks, and a third-round pick. The Titans also received the Rams' first- and third-round picks in 2017. With the first pick in the draft, Snead and Rams head coach
Jeff Fisher
Jeffrey Michael Fisher (born February 25, 1958) is an American football coach who is the head coach and general manager for the Michigan Panthers of the United States Football League (USFL). He is a former cornerback and return specialist. He ...
selected
Cal Cal or CAL may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* ''Cal'' (novel), a 1983 novel by Bernard MacLaverty
* "Cal" (short story), a science fiction short story by Isaac Asimov
* ''Cal'' (1984 film), an Irish drama starring John Lynch and Helen Mir ...
quarterback
Jared Goff
Jared Thomas Goff (born October 14, 1994) is an American football quarterback for the Detroit Lions of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at California, where he set the Pac-12 Conference season records for passing ...
, later to become a Pro Bowler for the Rams. Fourth round pick
Tyler Higbee
Tyler Higbee (born January 1, 1993) is an American football tight end for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Western Kentucky and was drafted by the Rams in the fourth round of the 2016 NFL ...
, a tight end from
Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky is the western portion of the U.S. state of Kentucky. It generally includes part or all of several more widely recognized regions of the state.
;Always included
* The Jackson Purchase, the state's westernmost generally recogniz ...
, was also selected in the draft and has become a regular starter. However, as the Rams' return to Los Angeles unraveled into a 4-12 mess, the relationship between Snead and Fisher began to deteriorate publicly. Fisher, who was fired with three games to go in the season, chided Snead for losing defensive backfield starters
Janoris Jenkins
Janoris Jermain Jenkins (born October 29, 1988), nicknamed "Jackrabbit", is an American football cornerback for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at North Alabama and Florida and was draft ...
and
Rodney McLeod
Rodney McLeod Jr. (born June 23, 1990) is an American football safety for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League (NFL). McLeod played college football at Virginia and signed with the St. Louis Rams as an undrafted free agent in ...
in free agency. Following the end of the
2016 season, it was uncertain if the Rams would retain Snead, who, like Fisher, had signed a two-year extension in early December.
Snead was among the team executives who interviewed
Sean McVay
Sean McVay (born January 24, 1986) is an American football coach who is the head coach for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He became the youngest NFL head coach in the modern era when he was hired by the Rams in 2017 ...
for the vacant head coaching position, and was the first to speak following McVay's impressive interview, declaring "I'm buying stock in Sean McVay." In
2017
File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...
, Snead signed key veteran free agents including wide receiver
Robert Woods and offensive tackle
Andrew Whitworth
Andrew James Whitworth (born December 12, 1981) is a former American football tackle who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 16 seasons. He spent his first 11 seasons with the Cincinnati Bengals and his final five with the Los Ange ...
, and had a very productive
2017 NFL Draft
The 2017 NFL Draft was the 82nd annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible American football players. It was held in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art on April 27–29, returning to Philadelphia f ...
selecting tight end
Gerald Everett
Skarino Gerald Rashard Everett (born June 25, 1994) is an American football tight end for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at South Alabama, and was drafted by the Los Angeles Rams in t ...
, wide receiver
Cooper Kupp
Cooper Douglas Kupp (born June 15, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Washington, where he won the Walter Payton Award as a junior, ...
, safety
John Johnson, wide receiver
Josh Reynolds Josh Reynolds may refer to:
* Josh Reynolds (American football) (born 1995), American football wide receiver
* Josh Reynolds (rugby league) (born 1989), Australian rugby league player
* Josh Reynolds (rugby union) (born 1998), Welsh rugby union pla ...
, and linebacker
Samson Ebukam
Nnamka Samson Ebukam (born May 9, 1995) is a Nigerian–American football defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Eastern Washington and was drafted by the Los Angeles Ra ...
. Rebuilding the roster was instrumental in the Rams' 11-5 season, which included their first
NFC West
The National Football Conference - Western Division or NFC West is one of the four Division (sport), divisions of the National Football Conference (NFC) in the National Football League (NFL). It currently has four members: the Arizona Cardinal ...
title since
2003
File:2003 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The crew of STS-107 perished when the Space Shuttle Columbia disintegrated during reentry into Earth's atmosphere; SARS became an epidemic in China, and was a precursor to SARS-CoV-2; A des ...
and a trip to the playoffs. The success continued in
2018
File:2018 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2018 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in PyeongChang, South Korea; Protests erupt following the Assassination of Jamal Khashoggi; March for Our Lives protests take place across the United ...
, as the Rams improved to 13-3, with their second straight NFC West title, an
NFC Championship
The NFC Championship Game is the annual championship game of the National Football Conference (NFC) and one of the two semi-final playoff games of the National Football League (NFL), the largest professional American football league in the world. ...
and a berth in
Super Bowl LIII
Super Bowl LIII was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2018 season. The American Football Conference (AFC) champion New England Patriots defeated the National Football Confe ...
. Key personnel acquisitions by Snead before and during that season included trades for wide receiver
Brandin Cooks
Brandin Tawan Cooks (born September 25, 1993) is an American football wide receiver for the Houston Texans of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Oregon State, where he received consensus All-American honors, a ...
, cornerbacks
Marcus Peters
Marcus Peters (born January 9, 1993) is an American football cornerback who is a free agent. He was drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft and was also a member of the Los Angeles Rams and the Baltimore Raven ...
and
Aqib Talib
Aqib Talib (born February 13, 1986) is a former American football cornerback. He played college football at the University of Kansas, where he received consensus All-American honors, and was drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first ro ...
, and linebacker
Dante Fowler
Dante Antwane Fowler Jr. (born August 3, 1994) is an American football defensive end for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida. Fowler was selected third overall by the Jacksonville Jagu ...
, as well as signing veteran stars
Todd Gurley
Todd Jerome Gurley II (born August 3, 1994) is an American former football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for six seasons, primarily with the Los Angeles Rams. He played college football at Georgia, where he recei ...
and
Aaron Donald
Aaron Charles Donald (born May 23, 1991) is an American football defensive tackle for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Pittsburgh, where he received unanimous All-American honors, and w ...
to long term contracts. In
2019
File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, Snead made a blockbuster trade, sending a 2020 first-round pick, a 2021 first-round pick, and a 2021 fourth-round pick to the
Jacksonville Jaguars
The Jacksonville Jaguars are a professional American football team based in Jacksonville, Florida. The Jaguars compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the American Football Conference (AFC) South division. The team play ...
for star cornerback
Jalen Ramsey
Jalen Lattrel Ramsey (born October 24, 1994) is an American football cornerback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Florida State Seminoles football, Florida State and was drafted by the ...
Finding a close alignment in their respective football philosophies, Snead and McVay have since had a harmonious relationship. In May 2019, they attended the
Kentucky Derby
The Kentucky Derby is a horse race held annually in Louisville, Kentucky, United States, almost always on the first Saturday in May, capping the two-week-long Kentucky Derby Festival. The competition is a Grade I stakes race for three-year ...
together. In July 2019, the Los Angeles Rams signed Snead to a contract extension that will keep him with the franchise through the 2023 season.
Snead tested positive for
COVID-19
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a contagious disease caused by a virus, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The first known case was COVID-19 pandemic in Hubei, identified in Wuhan, China, in December ...
during the
2021 NFL Draft
The 2021 NFL Draft was the 86th National Football League Draft, the annual meeting of National Football League (NFL) franchises to select newly eligible players for the 2021 NFL season. The draft was held in Cleveland from April 29 to May 1, 2021 ...
and was forced to self-isolate for the remainder of the draft.
After the Rams were eliminated in the
2020-21 NFL playoffs, Snead faced some criticism for the massive contract he signed Goff to after their Super Bowl berth. Facing pressure to win now, Snead swung a blockbuster trade, sending Goff, a 2021 third-round pick, a 2022 first-round pick, and a 2023 first-round pick to the
Detroit Lions
The Detroit Lions are a professional American football team based in Detroit. The Lions compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) North Division. The team play their home games at Ford ...
for quarterback
Matthew Stafford
John Matthew Stafford (born February 7, 1988) is an American football quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia, where he was a first-team All-American, and was selected f ...
. During the offseason, Snead signed wide receiver
DeSean Jackson
DeSean William Jackson (born December 1, 1986) is an American football wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the California Golden Bears, where he was recognized as a con ...
and traded a 2022 fifth-round pick and a 2022 sixth-round pick to the
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
for running back
Sony Michel
Sony Michel (born February 17, 1995) is an American football running back for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at Georgia and was selected by the New England Patriots in the first round o ...
. As the season progressed, Snead became well-known league-wide for his tendency to make big moves. In November, Snead made another blockbuster trade, sending a 2022 second-round pick and a 2022 third-round pick to the
Denver Broncos
The Denver Broncos are a professional American football franchise based in Denver. The Broncos compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) West division. The team is headquart ...
for star pass rusher
Von Miller
Vonnie B'VSean Miller (born March 26, 1989) is an American football outside linebacker for the Buffalo Bills of the National Football League (NFL). Miller played college football at Texas A&M, where he earned consensus All-American honors and ...
. And when Jackson was released shortly after, Snead quickly signed star wide receiver
Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American football wide receiver who is a free agent. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Beckham played college football at LSU and was drafted by the ...
These moves resulted in the Rams winning
Super Bowl LVI
Super Bowl LVI was an American football game played to determine the champion of the National Football League (NFL) for the 2021 season. The National Football Conference (NFC) champion Los Angeles Rams defeated the American Football Conference ...
, earning Snead his first championship as an executive.
Personal life
Snead married sports media personality
Kara Henderson in the fall of 2012 and the couple currently resides in Malibu, California. Snead has two children, Cannon and Logan, from a previous marriage.
References
External links
Los Angeles Rams bioFootball Record Book
{{DEFAULTSORT:Snead, Les
1971 births
Living people
Auburn University alumni
University of Alabama alumni
Los Angeles Rams executives
Atlanta Falcons executives
Atlanta Falcons scouts
National Football League general managers
Players of American football from Alabama
People from Eufaula, Alabama
UAB Blazers football
Auburn Tigers football players
Troy Trojans football players