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https://theramswire.usatoday.com/2018/04/28/nfl-los-angeles-rams-draft-class-academics-awards/
By: Cameron DaSilva
After adding a handful of players with so-called character concerns in Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh, the Los Angeles Rams put a priority on drafting players with academic backgrounds. That’s not to say they put school first and didn’t focus on football, but just about all of the prospects the Rams drafted were great in the classroom and on the field.
Just take a look at this list, which shows how impressive of a group it is.
Joe Noteboom: four-time Academic All-Big 12.
Brian Allen: three-time Academic All-Big Ten.
John Franklin: three-time Academic All-Southland Conference.
Micah Kiser: two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll.
Sebastian Joseph: three-time Academic All-Big Ten
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) April 28, 2018
Les Snead was asked whether the Rams targeted those types of players on purpose Saturday night, and while he didn’t dismiss the idea, he did say that the Rams like finding guys who are good “human beings.”
“I don’t think you ever just start and say, ‘Let’s just get Academic All-Americans,’ but I do think that the human beings that take pride – and they’re student-athletes, right? That human being actually says I’m going to sacrifice somethings to be really good in school,” Snead said. “I think those traits as a human being bleeds over to those guys in the football meeting room and on the field and the preparation they put into all of that. I think we like to call it, sometimes you’re drafting traits, sometimes you’re drafting really good football players. Those guys fall into that, ‘you know what, they’re football players,’ and whatever mixture of DNA leads to that, that’s part of it.”
The Rams are certainly adding high-character players to the locker room, which only bodes well for the chemistry amongst players. Adding guys like Kiser and the impressive players above not only improves the intelligence on the field, but likely the camaraderie off it, too.
By: Cameron DaSilva
After adding a handful of players with so-called character concerns in Marcus Peters, Aqib Talib and Ndamukong Suh, the Los Angeles Rams put a priority on drafting players with academic backgrounds. That’s not to say they put school first and didn’t focus on football, but just about all of the prospects the Rams drafted were great in the classroom and on the field.
Just take a look at this list, which shows how impressive of a group it is.
Joe Noteboom: four-time Academic All-Big 12.
Brian Allen: three-time Academic All-Big Ten.
John Franklin: three-time Academic All-Southland Conference.
Micah Kiser: two-time ACC Academic Honor Roll.
Sebastian Joseph: three-time Academic All-Big Ten
— Joe Curley (@vcsjoecurley) April 28, 2018
Les Snead was asked whether the Rams targeted those types of players on purpose Saturday night, and while he didn’t dismiss the idea, he did say that the Rams like finding guys who are good “human beings.”
“I don’t think you ever just start and say, ‘Let’s just get Academic All-Americans,’ but I do think that the human beings that take pride – and they’re student-athletes, right? That human being actually says I’m going to sacrifice somethings to be really good in school,” Snead said. “I think those traits as a human being bleeds over to those guys in the football meeting room and on the field and the preparation they put into all of that. I think we like to call it, sometimes you’re drafting traits, sometimes you’re drafting really good football players. Those guys fall into that, ‘you know what, they’re football players,’ and whatever mixture of DNA leads to that, that’s part of it.”
The Rams are certainly adding high-character players to the locker room, which only bodes well for the chemistry amongst players. Adding guys like Kiser and the impressive players above not only improves the intelligence on the field, but likely the camaraderie off it, too.
