LOS ANGELES – A triple defensive player par excellence in Aaron Donald; a triple star cornerback in Jalen Ramsey; a spectacular wide receiver in Odell Beckham Jr.; and the NFL’s best wide receiver of the season in Cooper Kupp. Here is a list of names that should attract attention during the Super Bowl and we are still talking only about the Los Angeles Rams.
In the Cincinnati Bengals camp is the young and confident quarterback Joe Burrow. An athlete whose look borders on impertinence, but whose style off the field reminds some of another Joe who once bore the surname of Namath.
So for those who were wondering, yes, there will be plenty of talent on the field during Sunday night’s Super Bowl to hold the attention on the field despite the abundance of celebrities expected in the stands of SoFi Stadium.
“I think if you look up the definition of ‘Cool’ in the dictionary, there must be a picture (of Burrow) with Cartier sunglasses,” Beckham Jr. said of the young quarterback. This guy is comfortable and authentic. He will become one of the greats in my opinion.”
Burrow garnered a lot of attention guiding the Bengals to the Super Bowl in his second season after having a miserable first year.
This is the Bengals’ first Super Bowl appearance since 1988.
In Ohio, Burrow is the center of attention for the entire state. LeBron James reached out to him and rapper Kid Cudi sent him a private message via social media. It is precisely because of this kind of attention that the athlete stays away from online platforms.
“I haven’t connected for a long time,” he says. My phone isn’t too noisy that way and it feels good. I just try to eliminate those distractions. But, yes, the social aspect that comes with my status is crazier than the football aspect for me. »
When it comes to style, Burrow stunned in the AFC Championship game. First wearing an imposing coat when he arrived at Arrowhead Stadium, then sporting a large pendant adorned with gold and diamonds on his usual black turtleneck after the victory.
His teammate, kicker Evan McPherson, admits Burrow’s sartorial audacity is forcing him to raise his own standards for the Super Bowl.
For their part, the Rams live in Los Angeles. Hollywood. So style comes naturally. And their roster reads like an enumeration of star players.
They acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford to significantly improve their offense. Then, mid-season, they added linebacker Von Miller who currently leads the NFL in career sacks among active players. He’s also the Super Bowl 50 MVP. To top it off, they signed Beckham Jr. in November, then retired safety Eric Weddle.
“We’re full of stars here,” Ramsey trumpeted. Confidence comes out of our pores. So don’t forget who we are. We played excellent football in the playoffs and we have players who have achieved great things in this league for years. »
Kupp had the best season among NFL receivers with 145 receptions and 1,947 yards. He credited head coach Sean McVay for his accomplishments, which he credits with playing the best cornerbacks in practice.
“I face Jalen Ramsey every week,” Kupp continued. It’s a huge advantage for me and I’m so grateful that our coach gives us this opportunity to compete with each other to make ourselves better. »
McVay, who led his Rams to a second Super Bowl appearance in four seasons, believes all of his stars share some common traits. In his eyes, they are all football lovers, extremely smart and they want to win. McVay and his coordinators explain to the players why something has to be done and the team delivers the goods on the field.
“One of the biggest things that makes this team special,” McVay said, “is that we have a lot of players who are established as big stars in the league, but they all have in common that they are fierce competitors who want to win. a championship. »
On the side of the Bengals, it’s not just Burrow. We also find a young pass receiver who is promised a bright future in Ja’Marr Chase.
For a team used to playing games outside of prime time, the Bengals are eager to get back into the limelight.
“We have to prove our worth to deserve to be on the big stage and that’s what we managed to do brilliantly,” summed up receiver Tyler Boyd.
Just like the stars do.
