DALLAS — There’s so much in life we can’t choose: our families, our names, where we come from or even where we’re drafted. But we can choose where we are going. For Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, he chose the West Coast over the Midwest, and that’s made all the difference.
What You Need To Know
Matthew Stafford’s football journey spans over two decades at three different levels on four different teams — all to reach the pinnacle of the sport
- Stafford led the Highland Park Scots to a state championship in 2005
- During his tenure with the Detroit Lions, Matthew was 0-3 in the postseason. During his first season with the Rams, he is 3-0 with a chance to clinch a Super Bowl championship
Matthew Stafford’s football journey spans over two decades at three different levels on four different teams — all to reach the pinnacle of the sport
“I came [to LA] for a new beginning,” Stafford said when asked about his departure from the Detroit Lions. “I wanted to go out there and play football with a great team.”
His team is now Super Bowl bound for the second time in four years. For Stafford, however, it’s his first championship appearance in his 13-year NFL tenure. The entire world will be watching the Rams compete, especially the ones back home in Dallas, Texas.
“Our first encounter was when we started playing Pee Wee football together,” said longtime friend and Highland Park teammate Reid Prince.
Prince and Stafford met in third grade. The two would grow up to be Highland Park Scots, where they won a state championship in 2005. Prince was Stafford’s blindside.
“One thing I remember with Coach Wells, our O-line coach, is that we’d have film sessions after games. He’d replay this play over and over again. He said, 'Guys, I don't think you know what y’all have here. This guy is special. You give him enough time, you’re going to be able to do special things,’” Prince recounted.
But no one could foresee the phenom Stafford would soon become better than his high school head coach Randy Allen.
“When I came here, all I heard about was this young man named Matthew Stafford and how he can throw the ball 70 yards in seventh grade,” Coach Allen said. “I’ve texted Matthew after his last two wins with the Rams and he texts back, which makes me feel good as a coach that we still have that relationship.”
The feeling is well reciprocated.
“It means a lot. Those are guys I started my football journey with,” Stafford said. “They knew me way back when.”
The Super Bowl carries more weight than anyone can imagine. But is there pressure for Matthew Stafford? Not in the slightest.
“As far as pressure goes, we say it around here all the time: pressure is a privilege,” said Stafford. “That means when something is expected of you, we expect that out of ourselves anyways. So the biggest thing is the overall excitement and knowing what it took to get here."
According to Prince, that’s been his mentality since high school.
“He was always so calm and collected. Nothing rattled him. Nothing,” Prince said. “We could get behind in a game but he knew what we needed to do."
Prince plans to host his entire Highland Park offensive line with all their kids to watch the Super Bowl and support their former teammate. Come Sunday, the nerves will start to kick in.
“I didn’t think I would be nervous, but watching him against San Francisco when it came down to the end really got me,” Reid said. “My wife and I were so nervous and excited during that final minute. But him being able to drive down the field to score was pretty magical to watch."
The world will see if that magic continues against the Bengals. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m.