Following the Week 1 loss to the Buffalo Bills which saw him get ridiculed and criticized for his play, Los Angeles Rams All-Pro defender and captain Jalen Ramsey has been on a tear during the Rams’ last two games.
He’s snatched the game-clinching interception against the Atlanta Falcons and was a tackling plus pass breakup machine on Sunday, September 25 down in Arizona.
The cornerback clearly wanted to let it be known that one bad game doesn’t define you…and that was part of his stirring message he sent to a place he surprised — plus a place that has produced its share of NFL talent in a viral video released on social media.
Ramsey’s Tour & Message
“Oh my God…the best DB in the world is here!” shouted out one excited member of Long Beach Poly High’s football team.
The Rams‘ All-Pro Ramsey made a surprise appearance at the nearby state of California high school powerhouse, with the video being released on Ramsey’s Instagram page on the late evening of Tuesday, September 27.
Ramsey pulled up to Long Beach Poly as part of his high school tour — where he plans to give advice and tips to the next generation of gridiron talent in the L.A. region.
Ramsey got the chance to chat and take questions from members of the Jackrabbits football team. One part of his speech: Sharing the most important part of playing defensive back that he takes pride him.
“That’s the most important thing is that confidence and swag as soon as you walk onto the field as a DB,” Ramsey told the Jackrabbits.
Another part of his speech that spoke to the kids: Ramsey revealed how he treats every opponent the same.
“I could be playing whoever y’all think is the best receiver in the league is, or I could be playing a rookie who got drafted in the seventh round…I’m going to treat them the exact same,” Ramsey told the Jackrabbits. “That’s that confidence, that’s the swag and that’s how I respect the game. These are the little things to implement to y’all’s game.”
But along with sharing what his mindset is with teenage talent, Ramsey was asked how he handles adversity.
“I’m not going to make one bad game turn into another bad game and another bad game,” Ramsey answered. “They know, every time he’s across from me, it’s going to be a dog fight. No matter what happens.”
Ramsey is also his own self evaluator after every game, which he shared to the young talent.
“Going into each game, I do my own type of self scout,” Ramsey shared. “I watch myself on film. See where I can find a tip to get. Like I keep telling y’all to play the game in my own terms. They know what they doing, but once I start realizing what they doing, oh we’re on the same level now.”
Ramsey helped end his surprise appearance by encouraging the Jackrabbit players to take care of themselves and stay motivated plus told them to “really take this thing over and have everybody else follow you.” The entire video can be watched below.
LBP Holds This Title Among California Programs
Long Beach Poly is a notable college football hotbed. But the Jackrabbits have produced numerous NFL talent.
Notable alums include former Rams wide receiver DeSean Jackson, who became a five-star prospect by recruiting websites for the 2005 class. Super Bowl champion Willie McGinest is another past Long Beach Poly standout.
But along with one other L.A. high school, Long Beach Poly holds this claim for the 2022 NFL season per MaxPreps: The Jackrabbits are tied with Loyola High with having the most league representation among Golden State representatives with four on current NFL rosters.
Jayon Brown (Las Vegas Raiders), Jack Jones (New England Patriots), Marcedes Lewis (Green Bay Packers) and Juju Smith-Schuster (Kansas City Chiefs) are the four representing LBP in the league. The complete list of NFL alums from the Jackrabbits can be found here.
Ramsey also got the chance to meet and praise the Jackrabbits’ top 2023 prospect Daylen Austin, who not only plays Ramsey’s position on the field but is verbally committed to Southeastern Conference powerhouse LSU.
Ramsey added “They got some players over there! Hope I was able to give them DBs some good wisdom and game.”
Comments
Jalen Ramsey Gives Stirring Speech to Place That’s Produced NFL Talent