By John Ingoldsby, Player Engagement Insider
This year’s Rams rookies will go down in history as the first group in decades to begin their NFL careers in Los Angeles, and their Rookie Transition Program (RTP) reflected this distinction.
From bringing the Pro Football Hall of Fame to Tinseltown, to hearing from the father of a former Rams player, Director of Player Engagement (DPE) La’Roi Glover presented a program to prepare rookies for the reality of life in the NFL.
“Our program went very well and was full of intriguing topics and events to educate our new group,” said Glover, who like the other 31 League DPEs was putting on his first-ever team RTP after it was changed this year from a League event to a team program, also including undrafted free agents for the first time.
As in past years, the program was education-based with creative classes, like the Financial Education module.
“We played a game called ‘Take or Pass,’ where we blindfolded our rookies and placed an apple, Red Bull, and snake on a table, and their teammates advised them to take or pass,” stated Glover, explaining that “this showed them that financial advisors come in all shapes and sizes, from good (apple) and bad (snakes) to high-energy (Red Bull), and they must vet them well before making the decision to trust them with their money.”
Another compelling presentation was from the father of Philip Lutzenkirchen, a former Rams tight end who died as a passenger in a car accident where alcohol was involved.
“Philip’s father gave a phenomenal presentation during our DUI prevention session on the negative effects that mixing alcohol and driving can have, and we supported this topic with representatives from Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD),” according to Glover, who added that domestic violence was also a classroom topic.
Additionally during the three-day event, there were football-related sessions, including a referee presentation focusing on rule changes from college to pro that included coaches emphasizing why they are important.
Glover also mentioned a module on how players can get an edge from a mental performance standpoint by effectively managing stress & anxiety, through, for example breathing exercises, while additionally being taught the importance of time management.
But the week was not all indoors as the Rams saved the best for last with a secret field trip – L.A.-style.
“One of the most important parts of our program was getting out of the classroom with Rams alumni, so we basically brought the Hall of Fame to L.A.,” said Glover, himself a former Ram. “So without telling the rookies where we were going, we surprised them by taking them up to (former Hall-of-Fame running back) Eric Dickerson’s house for a barbecue.”
Thanks to arrangements made by Rams Director of External Football Affairs Kyle Eversgerd, Dickerson and four other former Rams greeted them and ushered them into the house, where there were also members of the L.A. business community.
The evening turned into a meet-and-greet with the team alumni and a networking event with the business leaders, and was a perfect way to wrap up our week,” said Glover, who was quick to say that the event’s success was due to a team effort from League officials, team executives, and the presenters.