Chris Garrett and the LA Rams are ready for Super Bowl LVI
LOS ANGELES (BVM) 鈥� Around this time last year, Chris Garrett was fresh off of an appearance in the Hula Bowl and was gearing up for the NFL Draft. Now, the outside linebacker out of Concordia University, St. Paul and a Milwaukee native is preparing for Super Bowl LVI with the LA Rams.聽
鈥淚t鈥檚 unbelievable when you think about it,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淭hen to come in and make the team after sitting out a year, that was a blessing. The team saw what I could do in the preseason and then to grow throughout the season and now be in the Super Bowl. It’s really indescribable.鈥澛�
鈥淛ust random moments it hits me like, 鈥榃ow I鈥檓 really in the NFL and in California no less,鈥� it鈥檚 just an amazing experience and I鈥檓 truly blessed to be allowed to do this.鈥�
Garrett鈥檚 journey just to get to the draft last year was incredible. A potential DI walk-on from Wisconsin Lutheran High School, he opted to go to DII CSP on a full scholarship. From there, he became one of the best pass rushers in DII history and caught the attention of the NFL.聽
Projected as a late-round pick, the Rams grabbed him in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL Draft with the 252nd pick.聽
Garrett had to compete for a roster spot in OTAs and training camp having played only one legitimate game of football since 2019.
鈥淭o start, I was not doing that well,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淚鈥檒l be honest with you and it definitely helped that I was drafted and they had somewhat of a belief in me already so my mentality just had to be, which it always is, is just one day at a time, one snap at a time, one practice at a time, get better and better.鈥澛�
That mentality set him up for success. In the second preseason game for the Rams against the Las Vegas Raiders, Garrett had four total tackles, 1.5 sacks, three QB hits and two pass breakups.聽
Throughout that time, he kept focusing on the moment, not looking too far ahead and as the roster cuts began, he was ready for them.
鈥淚 didn鈥檛 allow myself to jump ahead, not a single day鈥 couldn鈥檛 allow all that extra pressure on me,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淎t the end of the day when it came down to those couple of days where I鈥檓 waiting to see if I made the team, I could be somewhat at peace and like, 鈥極K I did everything I could to make this team, so whatever happens now, I know I gave it my all.鈥欌��
Garrett made the final cut and was officially an LA Ram. However, soon after that, he contracted COVID and was put on the reserve/COVID-19.聽
鈥淚t was tough,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淚t was really tough because you make the team and then you expect to contribute on special teams or hopefully get a couple snaps in on defense. I feel like I was really taking huge strides before COVID. Then when it hit, it hit hard.鈥�
Luckily for Garrett, he has the mentality needed to overcome those setbacks and for the first time in a long time, he had the resources at his disposal to thrive. At Concordia, Garrett constantly had to go above and beyond to make up for the lack of resources he had around him at a small DII school.聽
Garrett was able to get to the NFL by doing that, but once he was in the NFL, it was almost overwhelming how much was at his disposal.聽
鈥淚t was unbelievable honestly,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淛ust so many things just handed to you that you know a smaller DII school won鈥檛 be able to offer and it was just more of me accepting it and taking those and just listening when they鈥檙e like, 鈥楬ey you should come in and get some extra rehab or prehab or whatever it is.鈥欌�澛�
Along with the facilities and trainers, there were also the coaches, the players and the culture. Between head coach Sean McVay, defensive coordinator Raheem Morris and assistant linebackers coach Thad Bogardus, he has been able to absorb so much.聽
The notebook he had used to write down things he wanted to remember from his time in high school soon turned into notebooks, and then the Rams traded for Von Miller.
鈥淚鈥檝e been through so many notebooks,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淚 was taking a lot of notes before Von and then
Von got on the team. Because he鈥檚 in the meeting room with me, it鈥檚 just tons of notes. He鈥檚 just constantly bringing new stuff to me and a lot of it is just his mentality, too, and I鈥檓 just like, 鈥榃ow he thinks about the game in a totally different light than I do.鈥� I鈥檓 just trying to learn for as long as I鈥檓 on the team.鈥澛�
Garrett has learned from Aaron Donald, Jalen Ramsey and others as well but having Miller in the linebackers room with him has made all the difference. Teaching Garrett and the rest of the room how to set up their moves, play to their strengths and approach film study.聽
According to Garrett, his addition was so important to what the Rams have been trying to do. Since day one, it has been about playing for a Super Bowl. Garrett has watched everyone become a leader in their own way and buy into that type of mentality but in particular, to see the big names lead the way has been incredible.
鈥淗e鈥檚 (Miller) been teaching a lot of us how his mind thinks,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淭hen AD (Aaron Donald) and Jalen Ramsey and now we got Weddle (Eric Weddle). Just unbelievable leaders that I鈥檓 just watching and it鈥檚 just like, 鈥業s this real? This many hall of famers on one team, I don鈥檛 know.鈥� It鈥檚 pretty unbelievable.鈥�
鈥淚t鈥檚 huge because these guys, they don鈥檛 miss a moment. They don鈥檛 blink when the lights are on for sure and they don鈥檛 miss a moment to speak up.鈥�
That has been so important for the Rams in the postseason. Garrett talked about how everything went to a whole new level once the playoffs began. The intensity increased, the speed was different and the focus was off the charts.聽
Now the Rams are preparing for a Super Bowl appearance in their home stadium and the excitement is palpable.聽
鈥淲e got the city behind us and we鈥檙e going to do this thing,鈥� Garrett said.聽
With a matchup against the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals and their budding superstar quarterback Joe Burrow, Garrett and the Rams know what they need to do to get the job done and keep the Lombardi Trophy in Los Angeles.聽
鈥淚 think, and a lot of guys are saying we just got to play within ourselves,鈥� Garrett said. 鈥淲e have so much talent鈥f we can play within ourselves and do what we鈥檙e capable of doing. If our stars are our stars and our role players are our role players, we鈥檙e going to win this game and we all know that.鈥�
