EXCLUSIVE: Talking Crawfish and Cornerback Play With Rams' Emmanuel Forbes

LOS ANGELES, CA. Mississippi food or L.A. food? "Mississippi food any day," stated Rams cornerback and former first-round pick Emmanuel Forbes Jr in a recent exclusive interview with Rams On SI. Forbes, a native of Grenada, Mississippi, was gracious enough to speak to me on Saturday after the Rams concluded their first week of training camp practices.

Throughout our conversation, Forbes showed who he was beyond the helmet as we spoke about football, cuisine, family, and his journey out to Los Angeles.

Once upon a time, Forbes was the number one recruit in Mississippi, eventually committing to the Mississippi State Bulldogs. Staying at home was always going to be the path he walked and while he was heavily recruited by Ole Miss, Forbes revealed his decision came down to the fact that he visited Oxford a lot as a child and wanted to go to someplace new.

Emmanuel Forbes j — Nov 19, 2022; Starkville, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi State Bulldogs cornerback Emmanuel Forbes (13) returns an interception for a touchdown against the East Tennessee State Buccaneers during the second quarter at Davis Wade Stadium at Scott Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Bush-Imagn Images | Matt Bush-Imagn Images

However, before he became a star for the Bulldogs, he had some business to settle with a member of the Rams. Back in their high school days, Forbes and running back Jarquez Hunter played each other, with both men shining for their respective schools during Forbes' senior season.

"I played against Jarquez twice my senior year," stated Forbes. "So we actually beat them in the first game of the season, and I had like two pick-sixes and like two touchdowns as a receiver, so we beat them pretty good."

"Then we played the first round of playoffs my senior year. We were the number one team in our division, 5A, and we were the number one team in Mississippi at the time, too, and they beat us. They came back and beat us in the fourth quarter. We were up 22 points, and they came back and beat us in the fourth quarter.

Auburn Tigers running back Jarquez Hunter (27) is stopped as he runs the ball as Auburn Tigers take on Vanderbilt Commodores at Jordan-Hare Stadium in Auburn, Ala., on Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Forbes admitted Hunter still brings that game up to him.

"He had a long touchdown run and a pick-six on the next drive. It was crazy. He played well that game. So yeah, you gotta love bragging rights, because he beat us in the playoffs."

Forbes played for Grenada while Hunter played for Neshoba Central.

Forbes continued talking about his life in Mississippi, and we got to cuisine. Forbes takes his home state's food any day of the week over Los Angeles, citing the seasoning as the difference maker for him. Forbes traveled a lot to Los Angeles in the past, so it's not culture shock; he loves what he grew up on, especially crawfish boils.

Forbes stated that if there's one thing to have, it's that. Crawfish boils are a staple throughout the South due to the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. However, when asked what is the worst thing to put in a boil, Forbes stated it's orange juice.

"They boil them in orange juice. I've never in my life seen that until I saw on TikTok."

Forbes made his stance on orange juice clear: he does not want it in his favorite dish. That might not go over well in Louisiana, but that's his truth.

It was at that point in our conversation that we turned to his NFL career and got into the sensitive topics. There's no other way to put it except as bluntly as possible. Forbes is considered a bust in Washington and was a player who was failed by a regime heading out the door.

Despite all that, not once in our conversation did Forbes place blame on anyone. He accepted what happened, he recognizes it for what it was, and now that he's in a new place, he's looking towards the future with an honest perspective on his past.

Back on November 30, 2024, a little over a year since the Commanders drafted Forbes, the new regime of Adam Peters and Dan Quinn decided to release Forbes, ending what was a challenging 19 months. When asked what the first 24 hours looked like for him following his departure, Forbes stated how his family, especially his mother, rallied around him and came through in his darkest moment as a professional.

"It's rough. Nobody wants to get released from a team, especially when I was a first-rounder. I thought I'd be there for a little minute, but things didn't go in my favorite so I had to clear my head honestly and talk to the people that's closest to me, and they helped me out a lot, just like maybe you needed this fresh start, and honestly, I did."

Forbes also mentioned how at that time, his mom told him exactly what he needed to hear, so when the call came through that the Rams were claiming him off waivers, he was ready, and the only thing on his mind was proving to his new teammates he was good enough to play alongside them.

The problem was that the Rams were in the middle of a tense division race at that time, so Forbes would only see the field in the regular season finale, once the team could rest their starters.

However, the Rams made it clear from day one that they didn't care about the past and it was about moving forward with a clean slate for Forbes, a message that Associate head coach Aubrey Pleasant, the man behind the success of the secondary, hammered home.

"Coach AP told me, look me in my eyes, and as soon as I walked in the building, he said, 'I don't give a damn what the other team did to you, you got a fresh start here, and it's up to you to prove it. So, yeah, it is a great feeling."

Jul 29, 2024; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Rams assistant head coach Aubrey Pleasant during training camp at Loyola Marymount University. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

And to Forbes' credit, he's taken the bull by the horns in practice, though OTAs and into training camp, making multiple plays on the ball, recording interceptions, and playing with the style and confidence that once made him a first-round pick.

Forbes credits the secondary as well, calling it a brotherhood. Forbes stated he's close with the Rams' other defensive backs, and they actively work to make each other better. For Forbes, that hit home with him due to a lesson his father instilled in him.

"One thing my father always told me is winners win, and if you're a winner, then you can better people around you and just help out the whole thing."

Forbes is bringing the energy in 2025, and if he continues to play at the level he's been displaying in training camp, the Rams may have a true first-round cornerback on their hands.

Having just turned 24 in January and now in a place that has allowed him to learn, to fail, to grow, and to now go out there and compete, he's turning a new leaf and ready to show the NFL exactly what he can do.

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