WOODLAND HILLS, Calif. – When Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie held his introductory press conference in mid-March, he expressed his excitement about the closer proximity to home and family, which has included the ability to see his nieces and nephews more often.
Family members would no longer have to hop on a plane to Kansas City to see him play, now just a short drive away from Orange County to Inglewood.
Los Angeles' upcoming Monday Night Football game against the New York Giants at SoFi Stadium will be their first chance to see him play for the hometown team.
"Yeah, it's special," McDuffie said. "I mean, I'm able to see my niece and nephew more than I have since they've been born, literally. They're constantly texting me, excited to get to the game. This is the first time a lot of my family has even been to SoFi (Stadium) for a game like this. It's always been an away game, (where) they're sitting somewhere randomly in the stadium. It's been a long time since I felt like I've been ready to play football again. I think my last game was like December 7 of last year (before suffering his knee injury) – I know everybody's excited about Australia, but they were like, 'it kind of feels different because you guys are away.' So I feel like it's the first game that everybody's like, 'all right, this is like a real game, we get to watch you play.' I know for my fiancée, we brought her parents and her brother out for this game just because it's one of them games where it'll be special for me to finally play in LA for the home team, wear a captain's patch at that, so everything's coming together. I'm excited."
McDuffie wasted no time making the most of being back home this spring, whether it was hosting his annual youth football camp at St. John Bosco in Santa Ana, or more recently donating hundreds of backpacks to Inglewood kids as part of the Rams' Aug. 26 launch of the Inglewood Unified Flag Football League.
"It's special," McDuffie said of that community involvement. "Being in Kansas City when I started my foundation, kind of started my philanthropy and stuff like that, I kind of found like this love for it, and how cool it is to be able to just give back to these kids. I know when I was a kid growing up, seeing like Tony G (former Chiefs tight end Tony Gonzalez) and (former USC quarterback) Matt Leinart and people like that give back to the community, and always being like, 'dang, I wonder if one day I would ever get there,' and never thought that I really would. And now that I'm here – I remember I got traded, and within like the first few weeks, I was like, 'gotta change this, gotta change that. Like, how do I get a part of this community?' Because I just think it's so cool to be a home kid and just to show some of these kids, 'I'm literally what you guys were,' you know what I mean? 'I live the life you're in.' Yeah, we may be from a couple different cities away, but I understand it, and I know what it's like to be in California, play California ball. Just making sure I'm a positive influence on everybody on me."
On the field, McDuffie posted four total tackles, two passes defensed and one QB hit in his Rams debut last week. It didn't take long for his genuine personality to make a positive impression on his new teammates, who voted him a team captain less six months after his arrival.
"Oh, a lot," said defensive coordinator Chris Shula, when asked what he liked about what McDuffie put on tape in his Rams debut last week. "I mean, great tackler, exactly in the right spots all the time. Playing calm. It's really everything we saw all training camp. Really sticky when he was to have those chances when he did play man coverage, and obviously in the right spot in his zones. And on that first drive, you saw two really good tackles, and that was the only thing we hadn't seen in a Rams uniform, obviously, till the first game. So really pleased with what we saw, and expect the same this week."
While there's lots of excitement amongst McDuffie and his fiancée's families, McDuffie is staying focused on the present and doesn't want to think too far ahead about what it will feel like seeing them in the crowd as he comes out of the tunnel Monday night.
"I'm excited, but I can't let myself get there yet," McDuffie said.
Still, he knows how special it will be having everyone there, and will at least allow himself that.
