Rams Stage Rookie Orientation

  • To unlock all of features of Rams On Demand please take a brief moment to register. Registering is not only quick and easy, it also allows you access to additional features such as live chat, private messaging, and a host of other apps exclusive to Rams On Demand.

den-the-coach

Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
22,425
Name
Dennis
Rams Stage Rookie Orientation

By Myles Simmons

[www.therams.com]

People often refer to the speed of the game as the biggest adjustment NFL rookies must overcome in order to be successful. But there is more to making the jump from the college to professional level, especially when it comes to off-the-field matters.

That’s why the Rams are staging an orientation before the club kicks off OTAs next Tuesday. Led by Director of Player Engagement La’Roi Glover, Los Angeles’ rookies are attending a speaker series during afternoons this week in order to help them get prepared for everything they’ll face as an NFL player.

“They will be getting tidbits on mindfulness, of getting into a zone state as an athlete, learning about topics and issues that typically occur off the field,” Glover said. “Obviously, their coaches go through the Xs and Os of what they need to do on the field to be successful. My role is to fill in the blank of some of those opportunities that may present themselves off the field — as far as life skills, managing money, and managing fame.”

The timing of orientation — before the Rams’ draft picks sign their rookie deals — is an important aspect of the process. While it isn’t the first time the organization has put on the program, Glover said it’s even more critical this year as the Rams return to Southern California.

“Understanding the gravity of what we’re about to encounter in the new marketplace is important,” Glover said. “And the most important piece is, there are resources. If you need help, don’t be afraid to ask for them. Not just help on the football field from a football perspective, but help navigating life. Help navigating family, help navigating finances, help navigating anything that comes about on or off the football field.”

To that end, on Wednesday afternoon, the rookies heard from Dr. Tim Benson, author of Surviving Success: 7 Critical Skills Needed To Thrive Under The Pressures of The Athletic, Academic, and Professional Spotlight. Benson’s presentation centered around how the young men can develop support systems in order to accomplish their goals — not only as a player, but also in life.

“I really try to emphasize the fact that what it takes for some people to get to certain places is not what’s necessarily going to keep them there,” Benson said. “It’s also important to know that there are going to be things that are going to come at you in terms of the unknown that can actually turn your dreams into disasters. So that’s why I help prevent that as best as I can.”

It was an interactive presentation, with Benson emphasizing he wanted to run through his powerpoint mainly to provide jumping off points for discussion. And once it was complete, the rookies engaged, asking enough questions to last nearly an hour.

“I think that they responded to the importance of setting boundaries and how that can be difficult to do. Saying ‘no’ is often equated to, for some people, saying that ‘I don’t love you,’” Benson said. “I say, ‘Where there are no boundaries, there can be no progress.’ So it’s important to kind of set those boundaries, say no, in order to kind of continue to go forward. But it can be very, very difficult.

“There’s a lot of guilt that’s behind that,” Benson continued. “But it’s necessary in terms of people kind of going forward and being able to stay focused on what’s most important.”

Glover — who played 13 years in the NFL for the Saints, Cowboys, and Rams — was able to add his own perspective to the questions as someone who has direct experience with what the rookies are about to face.

“He always comes in right after one of the [speakers]. He’ll piggy back off of them, kind of relate it to sports … to make us understand it a lot more,” wide receiver Pharoh Cooper said. “It’s always great for him to be right there in our corner.”

“Oftentimes presenters give it in big chunks and many times, you may miss one, or two, or three individuals,” Glover said. “What I typically like to do is take it and break it down into little tiny digestible pieces so they can get it, so they can absorb it, so they can take it with them as they move forward in their football careers and in their lives.”

According to tight end Temarrick Hemingway, the entire week has been meaningful as the players begin their first year in the NFL.

“It’s really given us good information on how things are in L.A. — what spots to go to, what spots to stay away from,” Hemingway said. “So it’s been really helpful for us.”

And so while many rookies still have plenty of work to do in order to eventually make an NFL roster, they have been given plenty of tools to aid in their personal and professional development.
 

LACHAMP46

A snazzy title
Joined
Jul 21, 2013
Messages
11,735
I still think...a city like LA will eat about 5% of all pro athletes up....It's just too much to do....and too many to do it with....
 

den-the-coach

Fifty-four Forty or Fight
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jan 16, 2013
Messages
22,425
Name
Dennis
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #4
I still think...a city like LA will eat about 5% of all pro athletes up....It's just too much to do....and too many to do it with....

You take the good with the bad, it's a major market and because of that the Rams will be televised and talked about more add to it that more players will covet Los Angeles as their destination, but as you so astutely point out @LACHAMP46 there are trade offs.
 

Akrasian

Rams On Demand Sponsor
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Jun 18, 2014
Messages
4,918
Every NFL market is big enough to entice rich young men, if they are willing to be enticed. I mean, Cleveland isn't exactly a megapolis, and Manziel couldn't behave.

Look at it this way - in a huge area like LA, it'll be easier for the players who don't want to go spend after hours drinking to find lots and lots of fun, clean things to do. Heck, they will be making enough money to afford season passes to Disneyland, Knott's Berry Farm, and Magic Mountain.
 

DaveFan'51

Old-Timer
Rams On Demand Sponsor
Joined
Apr 18, 2014
Messages
18,666
Name
Dave
I still think...a city like LA will eat about 5% of all pro athletes up....It's just too much to do....and too many to do it with....
Yah BUT!! The Old L.A. Rams handled it pretty well, and Teams are better prepared today to handle it! Fisher and Company are pretty good at it!(y);):D
 

SierraRam

Recreational User
Joined
Mar 17, 2014
Messages
2,254
I think this sort of orientation is a fantastic concept for soon to be wealthy young men.
You can only blame the town so much... A determined guy can find places to party anywhere!
Take it from someone who used to live in Salt Lake City...
johnny-manziel.jpg
 

bubbaramfan

Legend
Camp Reporter
Joined
Aug 7, 2013
Messages
6,759
They can use Johnny Football as an example of how to be successful. :rant: