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Apparently, the story of Danny Amendola has already been written for him.

Just ask the people who jump to conclusions about the type of football player he is or what he brings to the table and you will likely get two ho-hum reactions.

The comparisons to New England receiver Wes Welker are inevitable considering both are a bit undersized, maybe a step slower than the average NFL receiver, return kicks and punts and were prolific receivers at Texas Tech.

For the more cinematically inclined, Amendola is a special teams ace with an Italian last name and all of the aforementioned traits whose most recent stint in the league came with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Sound familiar? Some might say his story is similar to that of Vince Papale, the man on the street turned football player who inspired the movie “Invincible.”

Amendola neither dismisses nor embraces any of the comparisons or stereotypes that go with his story. No, Amendola doesn’t care much about any of that.

When the Rams signed him to their 53-man roster on Tuesday, it was the culmination of a lifelong dream. And for the time being, it’s fulfilling that dream and turning it into a reality by playing in a regular season game – perhaps as soon as this Sunday against Green Bay – that has Amendola’s full attention.

“I am not the biggest, fastest and strongest guy like the NFL is looking for but I am going to make some plays and I feel like I am a good football player,” Amendola said.

For as likely as it was that he could someday play in the NFL, Amendola might also have turned to golf had he opted to make it his occupation. Growing up in The Woodlands, Tex., Amendola was a course rat who spent plenty of time on the famous golf course bearing the name of his town.

But like most kids growing up in Texas, Amendola was hooked on football. His father, Willie, is the head football coach and athletic director at Dekaney High in Spring, Tex and he has a brother, Matt, who played safety at Baylor.

Needless to say, Amendola had football in the blood. And though this is the part of the story where Disney might put a twist in to say Amendola went unrecruited or overlooked, it simply isn’t the case.

Amendola had a standout career at Woodlands High and committed to play at Texas Tech as a junior.
“It fit what I do best and I started for four years there,” Amendola said.

Indeed, Amendola made an immediate impact in the Red Raiders’ high flying passing attack. The comparisons to Welker would qualify in this part of his journey because Amendola was used by the Red Raiders in many of the same ways.

By the time his career in Lubbock was complete, Amendola was fifth in school history with 198 receptions and posted video game like statistics as a senior when he caught 103 passes for 1,177 yards and five touchdowns.

Amendola’s performance was enough to get him an invite to the scouting combine where he was well aware that he wouldn’t be a workout warrior. Listed at 5’11, 186 pounds, Amendola was far from the biggest wideout there and he clocked a 4.6 40-yard dash time, well below that of his receiving brethren.

What those other receivers didn’t necessarily have was Amendola’s production or his ability to return kicks and punts.

“The thing about me is I don’t say much,” Amendola said. “I like to have my actions speak louder than my words. I like to play hard, that’s the one thing I like to do and play whistle to whistle and see where it gets me.”

Still, Amendola went unchosen in the 2008 NFL Draft. Given the chance to sign with a team of his choosing, he opted to stay local and went to Dallas to play for the Cowboys.

Amendola became a bit of a television star on the HBO series “Hard Knocks” for his scrappy attitude and toughness in Dallas practices. Ultimately, it wasn’t enough and he was relegated to the practice squad.

After spending the entire season on Dallas’ practice squad, Amendola got a call from Philadelphia, where the Eagles were still in the playoffs and in need of practice squad help.

On Jan. 7, Amendola signed with Philadelphia’s practice squad and it’s there where the wheels were set in motion for his first NFL opportunity.

Pat Shurmur was the Eagles quarterbacks coach at the time and was part of an offensive staff that got Amendola acclimated to the West Coast style of offense. When Shurmur took over as offensive coordinator in St. Louis, he stashed Amendola’s name away for future reference.

Amendola spent the preseason with Philadelphia but again just missed the final cut and again signed on to the practice squad.

“A couple plays away, a couple of injuries,” Amendola said of how close he’s been to being on a roster. “If somebody gets hurt, I would have been right in. That hasn’t happened in my career yet.”

It finally happened on Tuesday afternoon when the Rams called Amendola’s agent and informed him they wanted to sign his client. In search of a spark for the return units and someone who might be able to provide some help to the offense, the Rams decided to call on Amendola.

Although his relationship with Shurmur (short as it may be) and knowledge of the offense will help Amendola adapt quickly, it’s in the return game that the Rams are hoping he makes his most immediate impact.

Amendola took to those tasks quickly on Wednesday and even worked some with the first team offense, at one point hauling in a long pass from quarterback Marc Bulger.

“I would think,” coach Steve Spagnuolo said. “Because there is some carry over in the terminology. I mean I’d have to ask him if it’s a little bit more because I don’t know how much (Philadelphia Eagles Head Coach) Andy Reid and (Offensive Coordinator) Marty Mornhinweg have changed there. So instead of West they might have gone East Coast.”

For his part, Amendola says the offense is the exact same as the one he was used to in Philadelphia. He left an immediate impression on Bulger.
 
“He has got some juice to him; littler guy but he’s quick and he was in there with the one’s on a couple plays today and he made a big play so I think he will help us immediately,” Bulger said. “I don’t think he is going to be a guy who we are going to have sitting around. He is starting to learn; he seems to pick things up quick and he wants to be on the field and I think he will help us quick.”

There’s no doubt that Amendola is hoping and planning to do just that as soon as he can. As for the comparisons to the likes of Welker, Amendola says he does try to emulate parts of his game and he hopes he can someday match the production Welker has put forth in the NFL.

And for Papale? Amendola says he’s seen the movie but he doesn’t work at a bar and he’s never met the man.

So for as nice as it might be for Amendola to fit into some pre-determined script or ideal, he has plans on writing his own.

“It’s an opportunity they say everybody gets once in their life,” Amendola said. “I am going to try to make the most of it, try to run with it, try to make some plays and try to help the Rams get better.”