In the third quarter of a 37-7 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars this past week, Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Van Jefferson hauled in a two-yard touchdown. But perhaps sweeter than the score itself was his immediate exchange with head coach Sean McVay.
As Jefferson headed toward the sideline, he was greeted by McVay, who had some encouraging words.
Love this exchange between Sean McVay and Van Jefferson:
McVay: "Great job, man! Awesome job! Great decision. Love you, buddy."
Jefferson: "Appreciate you believing in me. That gives me confidence."
Player-coach relationships matter so much. This is 💯pic.twitter.com/GxdPEgkgb9
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 8, 2021
“Great job, man! Awesome job! Great decision. Love you, buddy,” McVay told Jefferson.
A few moments later, Jefferson sought out McVay on the sideline and the emotional exchange between the two continued.
“Appreciate you believing in me. That gives me confidence,” Jefferson told his coach.
That sort of coach-player relationship is what the NFL is all about. And when it comes to Jefferson and McVay, the bromance goes back a ways.
Back in July, McVay expressed optimism that Jefferson, the team’s 2020 second-round pick, could become something special.
“You can see he’s really put the work in,” McVay said, via ESPN. “He’s come back establishing himself as a legitimate dude, a guy that we’re counting on for big things and I think the future is so bright for this guy.”
Despite an underwhelming rookie campaign, McVay has remained firmly in Jefferson’s corner and never waivered on his potential. Now things are beginning to come together.
In 12 games this season, Jefferson has hauled in 39 receptions for 621 yards and five touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns have come over the previous two weeks and with Robert Woods out for the season with a torn ACL, Jefferson is only going to see more opportunities in the coming weeks.
