Earlier this offseason, newly-acquired Los Angeles Rams cornerback Aqib Talib rejected a trade that would have sent him to the San Francisco 49ers. Talib's list of teams for the 2018-19 season was trimmed down to just two: to play for Rams or return for a second stint with the New England Patriots.
He ultimately chose the Rams, but why Los Angeles? Over the weekend, the Pro Bowl cornerback opened up about that decision during his introductory press conference.
Via an article written by Rams reporter Kristen Lago:
“Man, I’m very excited just to be in L.A., the weather, just to be back with coach Wade [Phillips] and be with a nice team like this. This a great team, a great organization. So a competitive team to be a part of a competitive team and make this run towards the Super Bowl is a blessing,” Talib said.
As for his past relationship with current Rams defensive coordinator Wade Phillips back with the Denver Broncos, Talib said that certainly also had a lot to do with his decision to come to Los Angeles.
“He is a future Hall of Fame D-coordinator. So, anytime you get to share a meeting room with him every day, you’re going to gain knowledge,” Talib said of coach Phillips. “He just taught me a lot about being a Pro, how to prepare for the game, and using my strengths on the field. That’s a huge part of the reason why I wanted to come play for him.”
Paired with another Rams' new addition to the secondary, star cornerback Marcus Peters, Los Angeles easily has one of the best secondaries in the entire league.
In 135 career regular season games played since being selected in the first round of the 2008 NFL Draft, Talib has made 424 tackles, made 119 pass deflections, racked up 34 interceptions, and also has 10 defensive touchdowns to his name.
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