The Los Angeles Rams have a new voice to lead their most problem inducing unit
WOODLAND HILLS, Ca. The Los Angeles Rams have hired Bubba Ventrone as their new Special Teams Coordinator. Here’s what you should know about him.
Ventrone has spent around seven years in total with the New England Patriots during Bill Belichick’s tenure. Belichick had one of the most consistent Special Teams units in the NFL, often using undrafted free agents to fill out his roster, something the Rams do as well.
Belichick saw something in Ventrone as a player and it’s carried with him into his career as a coach.
“Ray is fast and he’s tough,” stated Belichick. “No one works harder than Ray. He’s a smart football player. He puts his heart and soul into it every time he steps onto the field. It doesn’t matter if it’s regular season or postseason game or a walkthrough practice. He has that same intensity and same level of competitiveness on every single play. You’ve got to love that about Ray. He’s a tough kid. He’s got good speed. He’s got good quickness. He’s strong for his size. He’s not a real tall guy, but he’s well put together. He’s got good power and he plays very aggressively. That stuff will carry a long way.”
Ventrone entered the NFL after a solid career at Villanova in 2005, where he spent the next two seasons on the New England Patriots practice squad, in NFL Europe, and on the New York Jets before returning to the Patriots in 2007.
Ventrone would then become a member of the Patriots’ Special Teams Unit before embarking on a career that would last until the 2014 season, where Ventrone earned the respect of multiple franchises before embarking on a coaching career.
Ventrone began his coaching career as a Special Teams assistant in 2015 before becoming a coordinator in 2018.
For much of the postseason and in it’s aftermath, I’ve written about how the Rams’ lack of investment into the Speical Teams, especially with a player who isn’t a long snapper, punter, or kicker, has stunted the unit’s growth. Good teams have that player who holds the standards of the unit. For a long time, the Patriots had Matthew Slater and now Brenden Schooler.
Other examples in the past include Mosi Tatupu, Devin Hester, Larry Izzo, Steve Tasker, and more. While the Rams don’t have that player (Troy Reeder has taken a massive step towards being that guy), they have a Special Teams Coordinator who was one.
A four-year Special Teams captain with the Cleveland Browns and San Francisco 49ers, he ended his playing career being voted Special Teams Player of the Year by his teammates and coaches in 2014. Perfect person to find the keeper of the standards.
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