Fueled by Faith: LA Rams DB Jalen Ramsey believes in God and himself

Jalen Ramsey’s faith was tested

When Jalen Ramsey first burst into the NFL scene with the Jacksonville Jaguars, he was inserted into an NFL defense and immediately showed his capabilities. He was elite in more than just his physical abilities, and that was both the boon and the bane to his chapter of playing for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

He was selected out of Florida State by the Jaguars with the fifth overall pick of the 2017 NFL Draft. Even as an NFL rookie, there was no question that he was going to be an NFL star. The only question was how quickly would he dominate, and for how long.  That answer came quickly, as he was named the runner-up to the NFL Rookie Defensive Player of the Year.

Setback? No. Just more motivation.

In 2017, second-year defensive back Jalen Ramsey was even better than the rookie version. Much better, to be brutally honest. He recorded four interceptions while only allowing 54 percent of passes thrown in his direction to find their mark. Ramsey’s play propelled the Jaguars to the AFC Championship Game, where the Jaguars lost to the New England Patriots by the score of 24-20.

The Jags popped up from a 3-13 record in 2016 to a 10-6 record in 2017 but collapsed to a 5-11 record in 2018. At that point, Ramsey had seen enough. NFL Players are drafted, land on a team, and rely upon faith that the organization, from players to coaches, all the way to the top executives, all know and understand how to build a winner. Ramsey no longer believed that the Jaguars could do that.

The fact is that Ramsey never stopped believing in himself. He did lose faith in the Jacksonville Jaguars, to the point where the tension was obvious to the entire NFL. Ramsey wanted out, and the only way to force the matter was to make things so miserable for everyone concerned that a trade was the only option remaining.