From tears to cheers: LA Rams sense of urgency rocked the NFL

The answer was around him all along

Funny, but the answer to that question was exactly what he did. He let his emotions get the best of him. And at that moment, the entire LA Rams organization lined up to stand beside him. The future was as uncertain then as it is now.  And yet, the vulnerability of one man was all that was needed to prove the invincibility of the team.

The LA Rams watched as Aaron Donald cried at Lambeau Field. Some were delighted at that moment, enjoying the anguish of a highly competitive professional football player at a safe distance. Others shared his despair. But some of us took notes and realized that the LA Rams organization had come to a fork in the road. The organization could play it safe and in doing so lose the trust of the players. Or the organization could act.

The Rams chose action.

Action plan

That set a chain of events into effect that would rock the NFL. It became a ‘sense of urgency,’ that the entire organization adhered to all year.  The team would stumble through injuries, a COVID-19 outbreak, a lack of physicality, and even the inability to defeat the rival San Francisco 49ers. And each time the organization stumbled, another component would stand and steady the rest.

The team that had benefited from Aaron Donald stepping up in big games, learned how to step up for Aaron Donald in big games. With each new challenge, the team learned a new way to overcome challenges.

The journey ended with a Super Bowl victory, and on the last play where Aaron Donald stepped up for the team once more:

This game ended in tears as well. But this was a different flavor of tears. And the message was a bit different as well.

The circle became complete when Aaron Donald burst into tears for the second time in a year. But this time, it was tears of joy. He had helped to lead his team to a Super Bowl LVI victory. At that moment, he learned that he was never alone. God is indeed great. But the LA Rams organization isn’t that bad either.