McVay Explains How Rams Benefitted From Collaborating With LAFD

Some Los Angeles homeowners are just this week beginning to rebuild from the devastating wildfires that destroyed more than 17,000 houses and businesses in January. They might’ve gotten a bit of inspiration from the Rams.

Before the Rams picked their new players last week, they picked the LAFD’s air operations headquarters in Van Nuys, Calif., as the team’s draft nerve center, to honor the brave firefighters who battled the inferno this past winter.

“I think it was a great opportunity for us to use the platform to honor the real heroes,” head coach Sean McVay said Thursday on the Jim Rome Show. “And you know, I think you talk about everything you want to stand for as a sports organization. Well, these people epitomize it. We talk about being transformational, not transactional. Just by nature of the profession, they chose, they communicated that to us in in their own way. A bunch of special people that you meet.

“I was so proud of our football team in the way that they competed, in the midst of what was going on, against Minnesota, against Philadelphia. But it was because it's easy to look at the inspiration that these people gave us. It was really special.”

After the Rams traded out of the first round on Thursday night, securing an additional 2026 first-round pick, McVay, general manager Les Snead and eight Rams players took time to connect with the firefighters on Friday before drafting Terrance Ferguson in the second round. McVay told Rome the firefighters inspired the Rams, not the other way around.

“Just the way that they move, you listen to some of their stories, the humility that they have,” McVay said. “Everybody throws around the buzzword culture. These people have a great culture, selfless leadership, servant leadership. It's all about connection, the camaraderie, the collaboration, high levels of visual and verbal communication.

“And you just see it, the respect that we had for them, the admiration, and really everything that they represent is what we want to be about when we're at our best as a football team.”

That night, former defensive tackle Michael Brockers wore an LAFD air operations jacket at the Green Bay podium when he announced the team was drafting edge-rusher Josaiah Stewart from Michigan. And as the broadcast shifted to the draft cam in Van Nuys, McVay wore similar clothing as he shook hands with senior personnel executive Ray Farmer, who was wearing an LAFD Rams hoodie, the sideline gear the team wore in the playoffs.

“So, I thought that was really special for our players and our organization to be able to feel what real leadership looks like,” McVay added, “and that selflessness that these people display and exude just based on the nature of what they chose to do.”

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