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Film study on the Los Angeles Rams helped get a Pro Bowl safety from the AFC to reclaim his swagger — and his big-play capability — back this past season.
Following his stellar All-Pro rookie season in 2018, Derwin James of the Los Angeles Chargers spent his next two seasons away from the Pro Bowl because of significant injuries: One a stress fracture in his right foot in August 2019 that helped limit him to five games and then a meniscus tear in his knee the next year — wiping away his 2020 season.
Then came this next hurdle for James following the ’20 season: Getting a new head coach…via the Rams in former defensive coordinator Brandon Staley.
But 2021 was a different story for the man who once patrolled the secondary alongside Rams star Jalen Ramsey during their Florida State days. James returned to being that hard-charging safety who blew up running backs plus brought the heat on safety blitzes.
And picked off two passes, including one against a playoff quarterback from this past season in Derek Carr:
Rehab was certainly a vehicle in James’ return.
Speaking to Heavy on Friday, February 11 in Santa Monica at the site of the Immersive Roller Skating Experience for the Super Bowl sponsored by Gillette, James revealed another driving force: Watching Rams highlight clips.
Learning From the Rams to Prepare for New Regime
James, who took part in the roller skating event as part of his partnership with Gillette, said the moment Staley was introduced as the Chargers’ newest head coach, he began his film study of all the defenses Staley was a part of, including the Rams.
“I was watching a lot of Rams film and Chicago and Denver — because those were the places where he was at. Just to get our idea of what we were going to be doing and that type of fronts we’ll have, 3-4 or 4-3,” James told Heavy.
The 25-year-old also briefly picked the brain of the Rams’ top defensive back and old college buddy Ramsey.
“Jalen Ramsey kind of gave me a nugget on the coverages and stuff. But he didn’t tip me all of the stuff from the Rams,” James said. “But he was helping me with the broad, general type of coverages.”
That type of studying and note-taking led to this for James: Career-highs in combined tackles and stops for a loss this past season per Pro Football Reference.
“Man I had so much fun playing in Coach Staley’s defense,” James said. “It was new for everybody. It was new for him too in adjusting to the team he had. It was a lot of fun, we had a lot of success but I know next year, we’re going to have even more success — adding pieces and coming back and seeing it again.”
James Energized for his FSU Teammates
James is throwing his support for the Rams for this reason — and not because of the Rams being an L.A. representative.
It’s for his past college teammate Ramsey.
“I wish I was playing, but for him being my brother and me being his little brother, I’m very happy for him,” James said. “I feel like nobody works harder than him. He’s a guy who works hard and is very confident. Just to have his team in the Super Bowl with a chance to bring a Super Bowl to L.A. is pretty cool.”
But it’s not just Ramsey James is throwing his support for. He’s also pulling for running back Cam Akers, who played with James in Tallahassee for two seasons. And he’s the same Akers who fought back from his own devastating injury — a torn Achilles.
“It’s amazing,” James said. “He’s a stud, man. And to be able to bounce back like him, I knew he would because that’s his mentality and the type of person he is. He don’t let nothing bother him. To be able to do what he’s doing off one of the hardest injuries to come back from, it speaks to the kind of person that he is.”
James has made his rounds during Super Bowl week, but his appearance in Santa Monica involved him getting a “new line up” on his face, as part of his new partnership with Gillette.
“It’s one of the best shaves I’ve had in a long, long time and I’m excited because, to be able to have this partnership, everybody knows that I care about how I look and hygiene is very big to me. Look good, feel good, play good,” James said.
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