Perhaps the signing of 35-year-old free-agent offensive tackle Andrew Whitworth was simply part of Sean McVay’s initiation.
The Los Angeles Rams raised some eyebrows when they announced in January that they hired McVay, the former Washington Redskins offensive coordinator who at the time was 12 days shy of his 31st birthday, as reported by NFL.com.
He took the mantle of youngest head coach ever hired away from Lane Kiffin, who was 31 years and eight months old at the time he agreed to become the Oakland Raiders’ head coach in 2007, according to ESPN.
Now, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that McVay has heard his share of comments about his age during his two-plus months on the job in Los Angeles:
Sean McVay isn’t bothered by the age jokes. They have come from all directions, even from people he has hired on his Los Angeles Rams coaching staff.
Such as grizzled defensive coordinator Wade Phillips, who sent out this zinger via Twitter in early February: ‘Rams have the only staff with DC on Medicare and HC in Daycare.’
McVay takes the ribbing in stride, even participation in the humor. The Post-Dispatch recalled a meeting he had with a group of people that included the Board of Directors at California Lutheran University, site of the team’s year-round practice facility.
“As surprised as you might be, I am not a student at ‘Cal Lu,’ “ McVay said.
More nuggets from the Post-Dispatch:
McVay graduated from Miami-Ohio less than 10 years ago.
He was in high school the last time the Rams franchise had a winning record.
The Rams’ front man says he has taken every opportunity that he can to learn from the other 31 head coaches in the league, has sought and has received counsel from several of his peers.
And it’s a good bet that if McVay can lead the Rams back to the prominence they enjoyed in the early 2000s, the jokes will stop.
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