3 reasons for LA Rams to hire LT Andrew Whitworth as coach

Reason III:

Big Whit is a natural for coaching. The LA Rams have been able to use later round draft picks to add talented rookie offensive linemen to the pipeline to develop into future NFL players because the team has had the guidance of one of the best-left tackles in the game, willing to help their transition and point them in the right direction.

Which is an easy thing for the sage veteran to do, because his compass is always pointed to the north.

His dedication to remaining fit is leadership by example. His willingness to work with the LA Rams organization to navigate the challenging financial white waters of the annual NFL salary cap was voluntary and conciliatory. He took every setback as a challenge to rise once more. And he did, oftentimes faster and taller than anyone could have expected.

His teammates were his family, and that meant opening up his home, his heart, and his life to set the tone for everyone else who lined up around the guy. When the Rams offensive line struggled in 2019, and then COVID-19 hit and the NFL and NFLPA restrictions prohibited his teammates from working out at the Rams facility, he opened up his own training room to his teammate.

Andrew Whitworth’s ‘Gold’s Gym’ not only allowed the many rehabbing offensive linemen to return to NFL playing shape but the camaraderie and shared experience brought everyone on that offensive line closer together.

But he has also been involved in more than weight training. He has been a go-to mentor for the LA Rams’ younger offensive linemen. He has been a vital resource for the Rams personnel and scouting department when it has come to analyzing and assessing potential offensive linemen, and he has even been the veteran sounding board to Head Coach Sean McVay’s inner circle.

Whitworth has meant so much to so many within the LA Rams organization. Rather than try to deal without his influence ‘cold turkey’, the Rams would be better served by keeping him on staff.

After all, the team will still need his leadership. It can simply come in the form of coaching players up, instead of mentoring them.