Right balance of humility, confidence helps Stafford quickly establish himself as a Rams leader

Right balance of humility, confidence helps Matthew Stafford quickly establish himself as a Rams leader

May 28, 2021 at 12:00 PM

Stu Jackson
Staff Writer

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – It comes naturally as a 12-year veteran of the NFL playing one of the league's most communication-heavy positions, but the title of leader – like respect – still must be earned, even on a new team.

Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford has done so in a short amount of time, and effortlessly at that.

"I think one of the unique things about Matthew as you'll get to know when get to know him is, he's just being himself," Rams head coach Sean McVay said during a video conference Thursday. "I saw (former Lions teammate and current ESPN analyst) Dan Orlovsky had a quote, and I thought it really epitomized what I've gotten to know over the last couple of months, where (Orlovsky said) he's got a great way about when he walks into a room, you know he's the man, but he can also be one of the guys. And he's got a great confidence, but a humility that comes with that. He just has a great feel for people and that's just who he is."

What Orlovsky saw over the three seasons he and Stafford were teammates in Detroit (2014-16), Los Angeles players are witnessing first-hand during organized team activities this spring.

Those workouts at the Rams' facility have afforded them their first chance to get on-field work in with Stafford, as well as develop a rapport with him and get to know him better in a non-virtual setting. Making that connection is a two-way street, but Stafford is doing his part, according to wide receiver Robert Woods.

"Just his attention to listen to receivers, wanting to still get better at his level and at his year (in the NFL) is super big," Woods said during a video conference Tuesday. "I think from a receiver standpoint, your quarterback asking you, 'What do you want from this? Or what do you see in this route?' is super big, because he's coming into our offense with some receivers who made plays, but really just trying to make us feel comfortable in year (13)."

At the same time, Stafford isn't afraid to speak up. Running back Cam Akers said Stafford is a great communicator and leader, and it's not difficult to understand what he's trying to say or what he's trying to accomplish as a result.

[www.therams.com]



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/28/2021 05:27PM by RamBill.