'Pit Bull!' Rams Coach 'Loves' Rookie Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson

Praise for rookie corner Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson continues to pour in from Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay with the regular season right around the corner.

Los Angeles Rams rookie cornerback Tre'Vius Hodges-Tomlinson made headlines this preseason after being ejected for a facemask penalty against the Denver Broncos ... but he made similarly big waves for his on-field performance in the eyes of his coaches.

Across three exhibition games, Hodges-Tomlinson, a sixth-round pick in April's draft, recorded eight tackles and defended two passes while drawing steady praise for his toughness from coach Sean McVay.

The winner of the Jim Thorpe Award given annually to the top cornerback in college football, Hodges-Tomlinson starred at TCU, with McVay noting he "did a lot of great things" that now have him well-positioned to make an impact on Los Angeles' secondary sooner rather than later.

Despite standing just 5-9, 180 pounds, Hodges-Tomlinson plays big ... because he simply refuses to be out-worked, and his feistiness resulted in McVay comparing him to a pit bill amidst a vast array of praise.

"I love the competitiveness of Tre Tomlinson," McVay said. "He's a super tough competitor. He's a pit bull. He is not afraid to be able to stick his face in there and I really love the way that he's continued to mature and progress through the offseason program."

McVay added that Hodges-Tomlinson's facemask penalty "wasn't intentional" and proved to be unfortunate as he wasn't able to take valuable snaps prior to entering the season.

But still, what the 22-year-old showed during both training camp and the preseason fostered significant confidence in what's to come - and he should have a real chance at playing time behind fellow corners Cobie Durant, Derion Kendrick and Ahkello Witherspoon.

The Rams' secondary is filled with youth and inexperience, which is a microcosm of the entire team as Los Angeles is in the midst of a transition just over a year and a half after winning the Super Bowl.

But there's belief that a chance to get back to that stage may come once more ... and Hodges-Tomlinson, with his tough, competitive, pit bull-esque mentality could just be at the forefront.