Rams LB Ernest Jones – Draft Day Media Availability – April 30
Rams LB Ernest Jones – Media Availability – April 30, 2021
(On how he is feeling after being drafted)
“Disbelief. It was just months, years of hard work, just all came down on me at one time and I just couldn’t believe it for a second. I just looked at my phone while it rang a few beeps and once I heard that it was the L.A. Rams, man, just a bunch of emotions just let go.”
(On if he had any idea that the Rams would draft him)
“I did. Just having talks with them and when we would communicate, it was always very positive. They were always really high on me. So, just knowing that they stuck with their word and came and got me, it’s just great. It’s just great.”
(On what role he sees himself playing on the Rams defense)
“Well, I’m going to do whatever they come in there and ask me to do. I’m going to deliver whatever they tell and the tasks they put in front of me, it’s going to get handled on my end. I’m going to come in and work hard, learn what I need to learn, so I can be productive for this team in any aspect.”
(On leading South Carolina in tackles the last two seasons and what’s the key to produce those statistics)
“I would just say relentless effort and just studying. Just knowing, just studying the game, and just watching your opponent and watching what they do. It’ll put you in the right spots a lot of times if you just watch film.”
(On how he processes the game from the linebacker position)
“I feel like mentally, I approach the game a lot different than a lot of people. I just feel like that’s the most important part of the game, watching film and watching your opponent and learning from your mistakes as well. Just overall, I feel like I have an edge once I’m prepared, I feel like the physical aspect of the game will come easy. Just knowing that I’m prepared will do the job.”
(On who he spoke to at the Rams leading up to the draft)
“A lot of the times it was me and the linebacker coach, Coach (Chris) Shula. We were always communicating, having a good time on the phone and just getting to know each other a lot better.”
(On who he models his game after)
“As far as who I model my game after, I try to mimic kind of the best guys in the league – (Colts LB) Darius Leonard, (Buccaneers LB) Lavonte David, (Buccaneers LB) Devin White – those guys right there are guys that I try to take its and bits from their game and add it to mine. But just the tackling part, I’ve always just had a goal in my mind and nobody can’t have more tackles at the end of the game than me because that just doesn’t look right for the middle linebacker not to have the most tackles. So each game, I’m coming in there, knowing that I’ve got to beat everybody to the ball, so that I can just do my job and make sure everything’s right on that end.”
(On what he knows about Defensive Coordinator Raheem Morris)
“Not too much on my end, but I’m pretty sure I’ll get to know him real well. We’ll get real acquainted with each other.”
(On who he is looking to learn from at the Rams)
“Each of those guys, each and every one of them will add something different – whether it’s how you go about taking care of your body, how do you go about staying in the league for the longest and how do you go about approaching just each and every week with a different mindset. So I feel like I’ll be able to learn something from each and every guy, regardless of what it is, I’ll learn something from them all.”
(On if he spoke to other teams and if he thought the Rams would draft him)
“All day today, I woke up with the Rams on my mind. I’m just like, they’ve got to come get me. I’ve just got to come do my job there. So, the whole day today I was just waiting on a call from a California number, waiting on the Rams. So, all day I’ve been waiting on this call.”
(On who made the call from the Rams)
“To be honest, I was already emotional. I can’t even remember. I can’t remember. I think it was Coach Shula though. I take that back. I’m not sure yet.”
(On why he was so eager for the call to come from the Rams)
“Just having talks with them throughout and then the more I would go – for me, it’s all about just finding that right fit and I felt like just from talking with them and just communication and the talks we were having and how well we were getting close with each other, I just felt like that was the right fit. Like that was the right place for me to go, so I was excited about them all day today.”
(On if he has been exclusively an inside linebacker throughout his whole career or if he has ever player outside linebacker)
“I did my freshman year of college. I played outside.”
(On if he sees himself as an inside linebacker)
“I see myself just doing what I can do for this team. I’ll go play inside, outside, under the center, anything. It don’t matter. I’m going to play ball.”