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After making impact play in Super Bowl LIII, Franklin-Myers looking to improve for 2019 season
https://www.therams.com/news/after-...owl-liii-franklin-myers-looking-to-improve-fo
By Myles Simmons
If you followed the Rams throughout the 2018 season, you likely know that Los Angeles’ rookie class didn’t really have too much to do throughout the year.
And that’s not a knock on the team’s 2018 draft class, which began with two offensive lineman in tackle Joe Noteboom and center Brian Allen — both of whom are set up for success as their careers go forward.
But fourth-round pick John Fanklin-Myers played in all 16 of Los Angeles’ regular-season games this year, utilized in a rotational role on the defensive line. In 30 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps, Franklin-Myers recorded 2.0 sacks with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery — earning the team’s Rookie of the Year award for his efforts.
And then came Super Bowl LIII, where Franklin-Myers was to be essentially the only rookie scheduled to be on the field as a contributor on offense or defense. He said during the week before the game that playing against quarterback Tom Brady would be surreal to him.
“That’s what you look forward to as a kid. So you finally get this opportunity, and as a rookie I think it kind of means more to me being able to do it so soon in my career, and just getting that chance to play him — a guy who’s the best quarterback to ever play the game,” Franklin-Myers told therams.com.
The rookie played only seven snaps on Sunday, but he made the most of them — becoming the first player to sack Brady in the postseason. Plus, he got the ball out, giving Los Angeles a chance at a takeaway.“It felt good,” Franklin-Myers said of the play on Tuesday. “Again, that was a dream that I’ve been having since I can remember. So I got a chance to do that and I think everybody was happier than I was. Sucks that we didn’t get the outcome, but that was a positive in the game.”
Really, Franklin-Myers’ entire season was full of positives. But this was a play that could launch him into a potentially larger role in his second season with L.A. He knows he still has a lot of work to do, though.“I think it’s a start. You’ve got to start somewhere and making a play like that I think, again, it helps show the coaches that I kind of — maybe I belong here. Maybe I mean business — I don’t know,” Franklin-Myers said. “What ever it does, I think it helps me. It’s not a negative.“But, I mean, I’ve got a lot to learn, a lot to improve on. So I’m not going to really focus on that sack as much as I am just improving every day.”
There’s just over two months until the offseason program begins in mid-April. So what would Franklin-Myers most like to improve in that time?“Maybe my physicality. Maybe get stronger, quicker,” Franklin-Myers said. “But for sure just work on just that grit, that determination that maybe I didn’t have as much of. So I think that’s the biggest thing for me.”
As long as the Stephen F. Austin product continues to work and improve, he should be making plays like the one he made in Super Bowl LIII for years to come.
https://www.therams.com/news/after-...owl-liii-franklin-myers-looking-to-improve-fo
By Myles Simmons
If you followed the Rams throughout the 2018 season, you likely know that Los Angeles’ rookie class didn’t really have too much to do throughout the year.
And that’s not a knock on the team’s 2018 draft class, which began with two offensive lineman in tackle Joe Noteboom and center Brian Allen — both of whom are set up for success as their careers go forward.
But fourth-round pick John Fanklin-Myers played in all 16 of Los Angeles’ regular-season games this year, utilized in a rotational role on the defensive line. In 30 percent of the Rams’ defensive snaps, Franklin-Myers recorded 2.0 sacks with a forced fumble and a fumble recovery — earning the team’s Rookie of the Year award for his efforts.
And then came Super Bowl LIII, where Franklin-Myers was to be essentially the only rookie scheduled to be on the field as a contributor on offense or defense. He said during the week before the game that playing against quarterback Tom Brady would be surreal to him.
“That’s what you look forward to as a kid. So you finally get this opportunity, and as a rookie I think it kind of means more to me being able to do it so soon in my career, and just getting that chance to play him — a guy who’s the best quarterback to ever play the game,” Franklin-Myers told therams.com.
The rookie played only seven snaps on Sunday, but he made the most of them — becoming the first player to sack Brady in the postseason. Plus, he got the ball out, giving Los Angeles a chance at a takeaway.“It felt good,” Franklin-Myers said of the play on Tuesday. “Again, that was a dream that I’ve been having since I can remember. So I got a chance to do that and I think everybody was happier than I was. Sucks that we didn’t get the outcome, but that was a positive in the game.”
Really, Franklin-Myers’ entire season was full of positives. But this was a play that could launch him into a potentially larger role in his second season with L.A. He knows he still has a lot of work to do, though.“I think it’s a start. You’ve got to start somewhere and making a play like that I think, again, it helps show the coaches that I kind of — maybe I belong here. Maybe I mean business — I don’t know,” Franklin-Myers said. “What ever it does, I think it helps me. It’s not a negative.“But, I mean, I’ve got a lot to learn, a lot to improve on. So I’m not going to really focus on that sack as much as I am just improving every day.”
There’s just over two months until the offseason program begins in mid-April. So what would Franklin-Myers most like to improve in that time?“Maybe my physicality. Maybe get stronger, quicker,” Franklin-Myers said. “But for sure just work on just that grit, that determination that maybe I didn’t have as much of. So I think that’s the biggest thing for me.”
As long as the Stephen F. Austin product continues to work and improve, he should be making plays like the one he made in Super Bowl LIII for years to come.
