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The former University of Tulsa linebacker — in his third year with the St. Louis Rams — is also pumped about the new guy joining the team.

In fact, most of St. Louis is pumped, he said.

In case you hadn't heard, the Rams made Sam Bradford, the Heisman-winning quarterback from the University of Oklahoma, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft. .

"The fans are excited. They think he's a great player and fills a need we have," Chamberlain said of Bradford. "He's gonna be the face of the franchise now."

Chamberlain and Bradford played high school football within a few miles of one another in northwest Oklahoma City. Chamberlain led Bethany to a Class 2A title in 2003, and Bradford played at nearby Putnam North, throwing 17 touchdown passes as a senior in 2005.

"We actually did a little quarterback competition my senior year. We went down to the (OKC) fairgrounds and had a little throwing competition," said Chamberlain, who played quarterback and free safety in high school.

"I reminded him about that when he was (in St. Louis) for his pre-draft meeting a couple weeks ago. He remembered us doing that together, and we had a little talk. I'm sure glad to have another local guy on the team. We've got a great group of guys, and Sam's a great guy, so I'm sure he's gonna fit right in."

The Rams are hoping Bradford will elevate them from being one of the worst teams in the league, with only six regular-season wins in the past three years.

Chamberlain isn't sure Bradford will start from Day 1, but wouldn't be surprised if he did.

"I don't think (the coaches) will throw him in there if he's not ready. One of the other quarterbacks we have is (10-year veteran) A.J. Feeley. He's a good guy to learn from and I'm sure he'll help Sam. But I have a feeling that as smart as Sam is, as good a player as he is, he'll pick things up fairly quickly and be ready to go by the time the season rolls around," Chamberlain said.

Chamberlain's situation isn't as secure as Bradford's. Backup linebackers who were seventh-round draft picks out of college don't rate on the same level with first-rounders like Bradford, who expects to sign a contract worth upward of $40 million.

But Chamberlain, who married his high school sweetheart last summer, is coming off a solid 2009 season. He logged 19 tackles and was the Rams' special teams nominee for the Pro Bowl.

He feels like he has a chance to move up in the rotation, since weak side linebacker Paris Lenon signed as a free agent with the Arizona Cardinals. Chamberlain is the only weak side linebacker remaining on the team, but the Rams added one linebacker in the draft and signed three or four others as free agents.

"I'm just excited about a chance to compete for it," he said.

The fifth-leading tackler in TU history, Chamberlain says he feels like he grew under first-year Rams coach Steve Spagnuolo last season and played well in limited opportunities.

"I feel like the coaches trust me a little more, having been with them for a year. And having made some plays when I got in there definitely helps my case. But I know nothing is going to be given to me," he said.

Whatever happens, Chamberlain wants to stay in the league for a long time.

"It's exciting to play against guys you grew up watching and looking up to, and it's fun still being part of a team. When I finished at TU, that's the thing I thought I would miss most, not knowing if I would ever get that chance again. It's fun lifting weights and coming to practice with the guys. I want to do it for as long as I can," he said.