LOS ANGELES — Sean McVay looked a lot like someone who stayed up all night celebrating his first Super Bowl victory on Monday when he showed up to discuss the Los Angeles Rams crowning.
“It’s an incredible honor to be here,” McVay said. It’s also torture to win a championship and have a press conference so early the next day. »
With the Rams’ 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, McVay reached the culmination of a journey that began in early 2017, when he became the youngest head coach in modern NFL history.
Just over five years later, the 36-year-old is also the youngest coach to win a Super Bowl. The journey left him exhausted, but thrilled.
Prone to burnout, McVay hasn’t said anything about possibly quitting football soon, as he’s hinted before.
He didn’t look like he’d completed the job at a now-championship club, though.
“I was surrounded by great people,” McVay said. When you are around great players, great coaches who are going in the same direction, good things can happen.
“When you have a good foundation, the successes of these guys make other people flourish. »
Aaron Donald also reached the peak of his career by making the final defensive play, leading Joe Burrow to make an incomplete pass.
Author of two sacks in the match, he won his first championship ring.
The 30-year-old Donald also avoided questions about retirement after the win.
Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff said the team will wait to determine whether McVay and Donald really want to move on.
He is, however, optimistic that they will be back.
“When you get to this point, the gas tank is empty and you’re there with a trophy,” Demoff said. It’s daunting to wake up and realize you have to do it all over again – you don’t have the energy. So it’s natural to talk about things like that.
“With Sean’s current work rate, I don’t think it can be sustainable, if he wants to have a family.
“But I think if there’s one thing, it’s that these guys love football. They love to be around each other. (Move on or not), these are questions that are difficult to answer right away. »
The Rams would continue the party at Disneyland on Monday.
The parade in their honor will be held on Wednesday in Los Angeles.
