L.A. Rams hold first open practice of training camp at UC Irvine
IRVINE — Maria Lopez had never smoked a cigar before.
When her favorite football team won its first Super Bowl in 22 years, though, it seemed like a good time for the Bellflower resident to light one up.
Her friend offered her a victory cigar after the Los Angeles Rams won Super Bowl LVI in February, topping the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23-20.
“I was in tears,” she said. “It was very exciting.”
Lopez, wearing the No. 9 jersey of Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, was one of hundreds of Rams fans who descended on UC Irvine on Friday afternoon. She said her job as a supervisor for a grocery store chain means that she works all day Sundays and doesn’t get to attend many games, but making it to training camp was a definite priority.
The Rams held their first open practice of training camp Friday, and everyone wanted to get a look.
The team will have 10 more practices open to the public at Crawford Field before training camp ends on Aug. 10. Fans must register for free tickets online.
Friday’s practice gave the Rams the opportunity to put pads on for the first time, and coach Sean McVay predictably said he saw some good things and some bad things.
“A lot of things that we need to get cleaned up,” said McVay, entering his sixth year in charge, after the 150-minute practice. “I expect better from our team, but there were some positives. It’s the old cliché, you go back and look at the film … but I expect us to be a sharper outfit and [Saturday] will be a step in the right direction. I don’t want to minimize, there was a lot of really good plays from some younger players. Some high-level ball on defense and offense, in a lot of different situations.”
The team is not lacking in star power, with Stafford throwing to quality receivers like Cooper Kupp and free agent-signee Allen Robinson II. Tyler Higbee, a tight end on the mend from a knee injury he suffered in the NFC Championship Game that forced him to miss the Super Bowl, said training camp means all football all the time.
“I joke with people that it’s eat, sleep, poop football for 18 days straight,” Higbee said. “We just have to hone in on everything and make sure that we’re peaking at the right time in Week 1.”
Seven-time All-Pro defensive tackle Aaron Donald undoubtedly has many fans, with dozens donning his No. 99 jersey on Friday. Eleventh-year linebacker Bobby Wagner, a former member of the vaunted Seattle Seahawks defense who signed with the Rams in the offseason, also has an obvious chance to make a big impact.
“He’s very active, he’s got great command and communication,” McVay said. “When you have the green dot [on your helmet, indicating the coach can talk to you via radio], it’s really important for you to have a steady poise about yourself, with the amount of different things that can take place. This is what he’s been doing for a really long period of time … I’ve really enjoyed working with him so far.”
Michael Torres of Fresno said he enjoys the Rams so much, he and his brother Victor made the roughly four-hour drive to Orange County on Thursday. They stayed in a motel in Santa Ana on Thursday night before heading to training camp Friday.
Torres wore the No. 5 jersey of star cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who was on the field but did not practice after undergoing shoulder surgery last month. He said he is optimistic that the Rams can win the championship again this year, despite the fact that no team has won back-to-back Super Bowls since the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004 (Super Bowls XXXVII and XXXIX).
Torres said the presence of McVay, who became the youngest head coach in history when he was hired at age 30 in 2017, makes a big difference. The Rams have won three division titles and made two Super Bowls in his tenure.
“It’s not hard [to go back to back],” Torres said. “We’ve got this. We’ve got McVay, come on. He pulls the rabbit out of the hat, you know? Busts his magic like it’s nothing.”
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