The Los Angeles Rams will be led by two Southern California natives in their secondary this season, as team captain Quentin Lake is now joined by new starting cornerback Trent McDuffie. Both standout DBs are hoping to deliver a championship performance this year, especially with Los Angeles hosting the Super Bowl.
On Monday, Lake took to the podium to speak about McDuffie and why he's excited to represent his home alongside him.
“I loved it," Lake said. "That’s the guy. We crossed over, so when he was a freshman at Mater Dei [High School], I was a senior. We crossed over in football. We crossed over in track and field. In track and field, I got to really get to know him a lot more. I’ve been seeing him from afar and he's a fantastic player. You look at his body of work; he was able to get two Super Bowls. I mean, that's just huge within itself because of the experience. There are very few players that get to be at that level and not only go there but win it too. To bring him into the room, fantastic person and a fantastic player. Obviously, I'll get to know him more at this stage in our lives, but I’m very happy to get to work with him again.”
After their prep ball careers ended, Lake went to his father's alma mater, UCLA, while McDuffie joined Jimmy Lake and company in Washington. Now reunited with the Rams, Lake is ready to go to war with someone he knows he can count on.
“It's awesome," stated Lake. "Keep the hometown where it's supposed to be in LA, it's awesome. You know what you're getting. I think with Trent, he's the true embodiment of a Ram. He’s a player that is from here, knows the environment and knows everything within LA. Like I said, he's going to be a great addition and when we get on the grass, I think that's when it'll really shine. But from my talks, he’s been great.”
During his opening press conference last month, McDuffie mentioned knowing Lake briefly from high school before stating how happy he is to play for the Rams, as his family will be able to regularly attend games.
Representing more than themselves, McDuffie and Lake look to usher in a new era of outstanding secondary play in the City of Angels.
This article originally appeared on Rams Wire: Rams' Quentin Lake can't wait to play alongside Trent McDuffie again