Inside the Rams Program Showing High School Students a Future Beyond Football

High school football can teach discipline, teamwork and how to perform under pressure. But what happens when those lessons begin opening doors beyond the field?

At Los Angeles Rams training camp, 27 local high school students got a firsthand look at just how many opportunities exist around the game they love — from sports medicine and marketing to finance, media and partnerships.

They are part of the Rams' Pathways to Success Mentorship Program, which pairs Los Angeles-area high school students with members of the organization and introduces them to careers throughout sports and entertainment.

The program isn't exclusively for student-athletes, but football is a common thread among many of this year's participants. Tackle football players and girls flag football athletes arrived with an existing connection to the sport — and an opportunity to discover where that connection might eventually take them.

Now in its sixth year, Pathways to Success has 27 participants this year, the largest group in the program's history.

A Linebacker Looking at the Bigger Picture

For Hawkins High School flag football player London Scott, joining Pathways was a natural extension of something she already loves.

“I joined the Pathways to Success program because I am in flag football, and I just wanted to learn more about football through here,” Scott said. “And then also, I like making new connections with others.”

Scott plays for the Lady Hawks at Hawkins, but her interests extend well beyond what happens on the field. She said she hopes the relationships she develops through Pathways can eventually help her professionally.

That's a major part of the program's mission.

Students participate in sessions covering everything from football careers and financial literacy to leadership development and professionalism. They also interact with Rams employees from departments including finance, marketing, partnerships and sports medicine.

“We pair high school students from around Los Angeles with Rams staff to learn more about the inner workings of sports and entertainment,” said Ellie Greenberg, Coordinator, Community Impact & Engagement for the Los Angeles Rams.

And for students accustomed to seeing an NFL organization primarily through what happens on Sundays, discovering everything happening behind the scenes can be eye-opening.

Serra Linebacker Michael Rasberry Jr. Looks at the Bigger Picture

Junipero Serra High School linebacker Michael Rasberry Jr. knows exactly what draws him to the program.

Football.

“I'm a linebacker myself, so I love football,” Rasberry said.

But Rasberry isn't limiting his aspirations to playing the game. He wants to understand the business surrounding it.

“I hope to get a better understanding of sports connections and just the media itself,” he said. “It's more than just being in the office or being in the tents. It's bigger than that.”

Rasberry also carries a little Serra football history with him.

Asked about his favorite Rams player, he chose former Rams wide receiver and Serra standout Robert Woods. Rasberry pointed to the school's tradition of honoring players who have reached the NFL, including Woods, Marqise Lee and Adoree' Jackson.

And then there's Woods' famous No. 2.

“Whoever wears or dons the iconic number two, they're not just wearing the number,” Rasberry said. “They're representing something. They're representing Robert Woods.”

Would Rasberry like to wear it himself someday?

“I hope so. One year,” he said.

No pressure, right?

Learning From Those Who Have Already Made It

City Honors High School football player Elijah Kinnebrew came to Pathways with a similar goal: put himself around people who can teach him something.

“I really enjoy football. I play football myself,” Kinnebrew said. “And I just wanted to get an opportunity to be around a lot of football players and the people who've made it and been successful in life.”

A cornerback, Kinnebrew naturally keeps an eye on players at his position. His favorite current Ram is Emmanuel Forbes.

“I play corner myself you know, and I like to watch my position on the field,” he said. “And Emmanuel Forbes he's a solid cornerback.”

But Kinnebrew also understands that Pathways is about something much larger than studying defensive backs.

“I'm just here to take in and learn information,” he said, adding that he wants to “be surrounded by greatness.”

His takeaway about the Rams' investment in younger students may be even more important.

“It allows them to give opportunities to the younger generation,” Kinnebrew said. “And then when we grow up, we could teach the younger generation.”

Flag Football Creates Another Pathway

The growth of girls flag football has created another connection between Pathways and high school athletics.

City Honors junior Raya Edwards plays flag football, cheers for football and participates in tall flags. She came into the program understanding that success in almost any profession requires relationships.

“When you go into work, when you go into college, things like that, you have to be able to talk and make those connections,” Edwards said. “So this is my chance to get ahead and try that now.”

Football may have helped bring Edwards through the door, but her career ambitions are far removed from an NFL sideline. She plans to pursue the medical field, with neurology at the top of her list.

And she appreciates having an NFL organization provide opportunities to students.

“Let's start off with I love football,” Edwards said. “So the fact that I'm in something that involves football is really great.”

That contrast speaks to what Pathways is designed to accomplish.

A student doesn't need to dream about playing or working in football forever to benefit from access to the people who make an NFL organization run.

Students Get a Behind-the-Scenes Look at an NFL Game Day

One of the biggest opportunities comes later in the program, when students get to see an NFL game from an entirely different perspective.

“The highlight for most of the students is our game day job shadow, where they get to come to SoFi Stadium, learn from our executives, and then follow their mentor around to see what their game day roles look like,” Greenberg said.

Students get exposure to game-day roles ranging from press-box operations and fan experiences to partnerships and other areas of the organization.

Greenberg said exposure is an important piece of the program. At the kickoff session, students heard from professionals working in sports medicine, providing another example of how many careers exist within the football world.

“Kinesiology is a big interest from a lot of the students, so we want to make sure they had that exposure and visibility into that line of work,” Greenberg said.

For a high school football player accustomed to seeing the stadium as the ultimate destination for the athletes on the field, Pathways reveals something else: There are plenty of ways to build a career around the sport without ever putting on shoulder pads.

The program has now served more than 100 students during its six-year run.

Pathways Graduate Returns Before Heading to College

One of those students, recent graduate Marcel Martinez, returned to training camp this year as a Pathways alumnus before heading to the University of California, Riverside to study finance.

Martinez said one of the most valuable lessons he took from the program was discipline — something high school football players know plenty about.

“I think seeing how these people show up for us every day, and even though if they're busy, they're still able to make time for the students because we are the future, right?” Martinez said.

He also credited the mentorship he received with helping him envision what his own professional future could look like.

“I was really able to connect with them on a deeper level, not just on a personal, but also professional level,” Martinez said.

And yes, Martinez is a Rams fan. His favorite player? Puka Nacua.

“Just watching him play. I mean what he does on the field is amazing,” Martinez said.

More Than a Game

High school football is filled with dreams of college scholarships, championships and, for a select few, reaching the NFL.

Pathways to Success offers another possibility.

The sport can also become a doorway.

For the linebacker from Serra, the cornerback from City Honors and the flag football players from Hawkins and City Honors, being around the Rams provides a chance to see football from another vantage point — not simply as athletes and fans, but as young people beginning to imagine where they might fit into the much larger world surrounding the game.

Some may stay in sports. Others may become entrepreneurs, work in finance or enter medicine.

Either way, football helped start the conversation.

And sometimes the most important pathway created by the game doesn't lead to the end zone.

It leads to whatever comes next.

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