Raised in South Central L.A. before moving to Orange County, going to a game with his dad as a 13-year-old in 1976 led Duval Love to become a Rams fan nine years before he became a Ram.
"I never knew one day I wanted to play there. I just liked football," Love said. "I did the three – baseball, football, and basketball. I was a Rams fan, a Dodgers fan, and when we moved to Orange County, I became an Angels fan. I rooted for my city."
After graduating from Fountain Valley High School, Love stayed in his city and went to UCLA, where he was a three-year starter at guard and twice named All-Pac-10. He'd remained home following the 1985 NFL Draft when he was chosen by the Rams.
"I was kind of shocked because I went in the tenth round. I thought I should have gone earlier," Love said. "But I got drafted to the Rams and I had a great (offensive line) coach in Hudson Houck. He recruited me when he was at USC, and he never said anything negative.
"He didn't care about the tenth round and all that stuff. He just treated me like every other player, 'Just work.' He knew what type of player I was."
The only offensive lineman picked in the Draft by the Rams that year, Love quickly realized what type of players he'd be joining – veterans.
Dennis Harrah and Bill Bain were in their tenth season. Jackie Slater and Russ Bolinger were in their ninth. Doug Smith, his seventh. Kent Hill, his sixth. And Irv Pankey, his fifth.
"When I got drafted, I looked up the roster and went, 'This is not good,'" Love laughed. "We used to have lockers right in the middle and I said, 'This is death row. Everybody here is going to get cut.'
"And when I came in there before the (final) cuts, I go, 'Oh, this is going to be an ugly day. Everybody's getting cut right before the regular roster.' Then I saw my name right next to Jackie Slater's locker. It said, LOVE 67, and I knew I made it."
Playing mostly on special teams, Love's rookie season was bookended by spending time on injured reserve because of a recurring shoulder injury. He continued playing on special teams the following two years as well as seeing spot duty at both tackle positions, and starting four games at right guard in 1987 in place of Harrah after he was injured.
His mindset before taking over the position the next season for the retired Harrah was simple.
"I had to be ready," Love said. "You never want to be embarrassed. I just learned the steps. It just took time."
Love's time with the Rams lasted seven seasons. A hard worker, he helped the team make the playoffs four times and reach the NFC Championship Game twice. Some of his fondest memories from those years, though, occurred before making a single block.
"When they introduced the offense, I loved that," Love said. "You know, when they said, 'Duval Love, in his third year or fourth year out of UCLA,' it was kind of weird, but I just liked that stuff. It pumped me up. Plus, being a hometown guy, I knew people I played against saw me. It was kind of cool."
While it would seemingly be cool to play in front of people from your old neighborhood and who you went to school with, Love discovered that being a "hometown guy" did have one disadvantage.
"With Coach (John) Robinson, when we went around to different cities, if you're from that city, you got to be a captain. And I told him one day, 'Coach, I'm here every day. I'm playing in my hometown every day. I never was a captain.' He didn't really say anything. He just looked at me and said, 'Okay, Duval,'" Love laughed.
An unrestricted free agent in 1992, Love signed with Pittsburgh and spent three seasons with the Steelers, making the Pro Bowl in 1994, and two seasons with Arizona, before retiring in 1997.
What makes him most proud of his career?
"When I was sitting there as a rookie, a tenth-round pick, I'd hear these guys go, 'As long as we get double digits, we're doing good,'" Love said. "So that was my goal. I want to play double digits. I want to play for over 10 years. And I did. I played 12. So I want to say, 'Hey, I played double digits.' That was most important."
Now retired, following his playing days Love tried different things including NFL coaching internships under Andy Reid in Philadelphia and Mike Holmgren in Seattle.
"(Athletic trainer) Rick Burkholder was with me in Pittsburgh and we became friends," Love said. "And so when he went to Philadelphia with Andy, he got me an internship. And Andy Reid, a great guy, one of the nicest persons you ever wanted to meet. He doesn't cuss, he doesn't do anything. He's just a nice man.
"I've just kind of lived my life. I'm just trying to take care of myself. Live day to day. Just try to be a nice person. That's all I try to do."
Making their home in suburban Las Vegas, Nevada, Love and his wife, Mary Catherine, share four children. They enjoy traveling and have made their way to SoFi Stadium.
"I follow the Rams and the Steelers," Love said. "And obviously, the Rams are doing very good right now. I try to go to a game once every other year. My wife and I, we drive or fly out. I don't need to go to 10 games a year. I will go to one game and that's perfect."
