When the Los Angeles Rams traded for cornerback Jalen Ramsey, there was some concern that he could miss his first game due to a lower back issue. After all, he had missed his final three games in Jacksonville due to the ailment. However, Ramsey was a full participant in practice, as well as the game, which prompted NFL Network’s Deion Sanders to ask about his back that “got well real quick.”
As he explains, Ramsey says that the training staff in Los Angeles was the real deal, which could be viewed as subtle shade thrown at the Jaguars’ staff. He also said that the back specialist he visited prior to his trade was akin to a martial arts master from cinematic history.
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“The training staff here, they [the] real deal,” Ramsey said to a laughing Sanders. “I got a Mr. Miyagi, Dr. Ho. Shout out to Dr. Ho in Houston, man. He’s like Mr. Miyagi. He get my back right.”
.@jalenramsey filled @DeionSanders in on the recovery of his back injury โฌ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/ku4GGiyJll
โ NFL GameDay (@NFLGameDay) October 21, 2019
Before being traded by the Jacksonville Jaguars, Ramsey missed three games due to his sore lower back. He also missed practices due to the birth of his second daughter, as well as flu-like symptoms.
Considering that these absences came after Ramsey requested a trade from the team, there were many in the media and on social media that viewed the situation as suspicious. This skepticism grew as the cornerback fully suited up for all of his practices with the Rams before ultimately taking the field against the Falcons.
During this 37-10 victory, Ramsey totaled four tackles, as well as a forced fumble. He also followed top receiver Julio Jones around the field. The perennial Pro Bowler in Jones had the early advantage with four receptions for 74 yards in the first half, but Ramsey held him to two catches for 19 yards following halftime.
His back did not appear to be a limiting factor during this game, which only added to the skepticism surrounding his elongated absence from the Florida-based Jaguars. Some analysts referred to this situation as Ramsey having the fastest-healing back of all time while others, such as Sanders, simply laughed.
Either way, Ramsey ultimately got what he wanted. He is now a member of a contender and no longer has to play for the Jaguars. And he has “Mr. Miyagi” to thank for the change of scenery and his healthy return to the football field.
(Photo Credit: Carmen Mandato/Getty)