Jalen Ramsey eager to show Los Angeles Rams 'the type of swag that I bring' - USA TODAY

Joe Curley Ventura County Star

Published 12:23 AM EDT Oct 17, 2019

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Jalen Ramsey is “not too familiar” with Los Angeles.

Similarly, Angelenos might not know much about Southern California’s newest sporting star.

But that’s all about to change, the all-pro cornerback — acquired by the Los Angeles Rams from the Jacksonville Jaguars on Tuesday for three draft picks — said upon his arrival at the Rams' facility at Cal Lutheran University on Wednesday night.

“You’ll just have to see the type of swag that I bring, I guess,” Ramsey said. “I think, for the most part, a lot of people know the type of player that I am on the field. Not a lot of people know who I am off of it.

“Me being here ... you’ll learn who I am more and kind of learn my personality a little bit, see the guy I am. I’m very confident. I love the game of football. I love to have fun.”

Ramsey, who joins former Jaguars teammates Blake Bortles and Dante Fowler in LA, is especially looking forward to joining the Rams’ locker room.

“I heard the culture here is dope,” Ramsey said. “I can’t wait to be a part of it. I can’t wait to be able to be myself on and off the field, and just help the organization in every way that I can.”

Rams head coach Sean McVay echoed the sentiments.

“I think you want guys with some swag, some personality, different things like that,” McVay said. “As long as those guys love football, they love competing every single day, I think usually this is a building that I think will suit him well.”

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Ramsey played alongside Fowler on a defense that spurred the Jaguars to the 2017 AFC Championship Game, but he’s familiar with a few of his other new teammates.

“I know Dante, of course,” Ramsey said. “I know Aaron Donald is on this defense, the best player in the NFL. Eric Weddle is back there. I’ve got to get to know the guys a little bit more, of course, just now getting here."

Having traveled all day on Wednesday from Florida, Ramsey wasn’t sure if he would be able to take the field for the Rams on Sunday at Atlanta.

“If it’s smart for me to go out there on Sunday, then I will,” Ramsey said. “I’ve been missing football. I love football. So I would love that, but at the end of the day, we do have to be smart as well.”

Ramsey was at home in Jacksonville when he received word that the Rams dealt cornerback Marcus Peters to Baltimore.

“Of course, my phone started blowing up when that happened,” Ramsey said. “Shortly after that, I got a call.”

Jacksonville had traded the two-time Pro Bowler to Los Angeles for first-round picks in 2020 and 2021 and a fourth-rounder in 2021.

“I was overjoyed,” Ramsey said. “I was super, super excited. A fresh start and a fresh start in a place like LA, with the culture that I’ve heard about here. I’m a young guy still, everybody around here is kind of young. I feel like it’ll be a little bit more understanding.”

Ramsey, who has nine interceptions and 45 pass breakups in 51 career games, had been inactive the last three games for Jacksonville with a back injury suffered after requesting a trade.

Ramsey said he wasn’t “really worried” about a contract extension that was such a thorny issue with the Jaguars.

“It’ll happen in due time,” Ramsey said. “I have full confidence in myself and my abilities. I think I’ll continue to be the best corner in the league for years and years and years to come. So it’ll handle itself.”

Follow the Ventura County Star's Joe Curley on Twitter @vcsjoecurley.

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