The Los Angeles Rams shocked the football world this weekend as according to multiple reports, they acquired quarterback Matthew Stafford from the Detroit Lions in exchange for Jared Goff and some draft picks.
Not only does the trade give Stafford a fresh start and new home, but it also reunites him with one of his best childhood friends, Clayton Kershaw.
The two grew up playing sports together in Highland Park, Texas, and in high school, Kershaw served as Stafford’s center on the football field. Stafford was Kershaw’s catcher on the baseball diamond.
The deal cannot be made official until the start of the new league year in March, but once it is, the Rams will have a new quarterback to try to lead them back to the Super Bowl. Since the Rams cannot officially talk about the trade yet, they took to Twitter to hint at it by tagging Kershaw:
Hey @ClaytonKersh22, have you heard from an old friend today? 👀
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 31, 2021
Stafford and Kershaw’s friendship and mutual respect for each other as professional athletes is well-documented, so it will cool to see them both competing for championships in the same city moving forward.
With both the Dodgers and Lakers winning a title in 2020 and having good chances to repeat as well, there will be even more pressure on Stafford and the Rams to do so in 2021.
In addition to their stellar play on the field, both Stafford and Kershaw have done outstanding work in their local communities, so L.A. is lucky to have both in their city as players and leaders.
Stafford uses ‘Kershaw’ audible
Back in 2017, Stafford paid tribute to his childhood friend by using the name ‘Kershaw’ for one of his audibles during a game.
Rams head coach Sean McVay is known for his clever audible calls, so it will be interesting to see what he and Stafford can come up with now that the latter is playing in the same city as Kershaw and the Dodgers.
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