Tag: Taylor Rapp

A Rams player burned 10,000 calories in one day with an insane 17-hour workout

Taylor Rapp did not enjoy a lazy Sunday.

Rams safety Taylor Rapp is coming off a rather impressive debut season in the NFL. The 2019 second-round picked racked up 100 tackles, intercepted two passes and defended another eight.

As impressive as last year was for Rapp, he’s already added a far more impressive feat to his resume in 2020. On Sunday, the 22-year-old attempted completed the #10kCalorieChallenge.

No, he did not consume 10,000 calories. That’s something I could have done. Instead, he BURNED 10,000 calories with one day-long workout that included biking, running and swimming. I’m exhausted after just reading all of the things Rapp did during his Sunday.

Check it out…

He even posted the receipts…

I don’t think I’ve moved that much during this whole quarantine thing. This is ridiculously impressive and I wouldn’t recommend doing it unless, like Rapp, you are also a professional athlete. In that case, have fun!

Rapp is a hard-hitting safety who needs all the mass he can get, so I don’t know if the Rams are going to be thrilled with their player doing an intense workout like this. And I don’t know how healthy it is to burn that many calories in such a short period of time. But I’m also writing this blog from my bed and I’m trying to finish it quickly so I can get back to the bowl of mac and cheese I just heated up in the microwave. So what do I know?

Good job, Taylor.

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Look: Taylor Rapp exercised for 18 hours in one day, biked 125 miles

Taylor Rapp tried to burn 10,000 calories in one day, but it wasn’t easy.

During this time of isolation with gyms and NFL facilities closed, players are taking different approaches to staying in shape. Some are working out at home, while others are training with a select group of teammates.

And then there’s Taylor Rapp, who went all out this weekend with an 18-hour marathon of exercise.

The Rams safety shared a tweet Sunday night showing his workout, in which he attempted to burn 10,000 calories. He got there, but it obviously wasn’t easy. He biked 125 miles – 103 miles of which was in one ride – swam 1.25 miles, hiked another four miles and ran three more miles.

The end result was 10,521 calories burned, 18 hours and 21 minutes of exercise and three awesome maps of his routes.

Rapp is gearing up for a big second season in the NFL after a successful rookie year in which he was one of the best young safeties in the league. He’ll be a surefire starter in 2020 with Eric Weddle now retired, lining up with John Johnson at safety.

Like so many other players, Rapp is staying in shape this offseason, but not just by lifting weights and running on a treadmill. He’s out here doing triathlon workouts.

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Terrell Burgess’ versatility will give Rams endless options on defense

The Rams have three dynamic safeties in the secondary, which gives Brandon Staley countless options on defense.

When the Rams selected Terrell Burgess at No. 104, he was announced by Roger Goodell as a defensive back out of Utah. And that’s exactly how he should be described. Not as a safety, not as a cornerback, but as a defensive back.

That’s because Burgess is more than just a safety, which is how he was categorized by many draft analysts after playing that position for the most part last season. But if you look at how his playing time was distributed on defense, you’ll begin to see just how versatile he is.

Last season at Utah, Burgess played most of his snaps near the line of scrimmage as a box safety or nickel cornerback, according to Pro Football Focus. He also lined up at outside cornerback some, and even on the defensive line in Utah’s sub-packages.

That sort of versatility is extremely valuable in a defensive back.

Burgess’ arrival as the No. 3 safety will surely provide depth at that position. However, he’ll also compete at nickel cornerback, where Nickell Robey-Coleman has played for the last three seasons. But with Robey-Coleman gone, the Rams could lean on Burgess in the slot, as he’ll compete with David Long Jr. – last year’s third-round pick.

The best part about Burgess’ game is that he shouldn’t be pigeonholed to one spot. The Rams shouldn’t treat him like a traditional safety, and they’re not expected to. Defensive coordinator Brandon Staley stressed the importance of versatility in the secondary, and that’s something Burgess certainly provides. Not to mention, he’s pretty darn good in coverage.

With Burgess, John Johnson and Taylor Rapp in the mix, the Rams can play a lot of “big nickel” packages, which substitutes a safety for a cornerback in nickel groupings. In those instances, the Rams would have one inside linebacker and five defensive backs on the field. With Burgess, he’s a blend of cornerback and safety, which can make things tough on opposing offenses when they break the huddle.

He can play deep, but so can Rapp and Johnson. He can match up with tight ends and backs, but so can Rapp and Johnson. The Rams have three safeties who can do a variety of things in the secondary, which will keep teams on their toes.

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Taylor Rapp: ‘Expect a big year’ from John Johnson in 2020

Taylor Rapp can’t wait to see what John Johnson will do in 2020.

Taylor Rapp was viewed as one of the best safety prospects in last year’s draft class, so it’s no surprise that by season’s end, he was among the top rookies in the NFL. He didn’t crack the starting lineup until Week 7, though, which was one week after John Johnson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury.

From that point forward, Rapp improved with each passing week. He finished the year with two interceptions and 99 tackles, playing 74% of the defensive snaps as a rookie. As good as he was in Year 1, it didn’t happen without hard work and some help from his mentors at safety, Eric Weddle and Johnson.

But now with Weddle retired, Rapp will be a full-time starter next to John Johnson next season. Whenever football returns, he’ll be running with the starters on defense as one part of a versatile safety tandem.

And he can’t wait to see what Johnson is going to do in his return from injury.

“J.J. is such a good player and he really doesn’t get the praise or respect he deserves, but just expect a big year from him this year,” he said. “He’s been working and rehabbing every day and he’s itching to get back more than ever. He’s a very versatile player. I think he can do everything a coach can ask a Safety to do on a defense. He can play deep, he can match up any tight end, he can drop down, he can play in the box, he can play linebacker, he can really do everything.”

Johnson is entering a contract year, but that’s not something he fears. He said recently that he’s excited about the idea of playing for his next deal, and he’s going to let his play speak for itself. As long as he continues on his current trajectory, he’s going to land a lucrative new contract, be it from the Rams or another team in free agency.

With Rapp and Johnson healthy, the back half of the Rams’ secondary is looking like one of the best in football.

Rams cancel trip to China with Taylor Rapp over coronavirus concerns

The Rams and Taylor Rapp had planned to go to China next week.

Taylor Rapp has quickly become a role model for the Los Angeles Rams, specifically in the Asian community. Being a Chinese American, Rapp wants to “show that Asians can play,” encouraging young athletes to pursue their dreams.

That campaign was supposed to continue abroad in China next week, with the Rams and Rapp traveling to Beijing and Shanghai for nearly two weeks. However, due to concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, that trip has been canceled.

The trip could take place at some point, but now plans have been set.

Here was the original announcement from Rapp and the Rams on Twitter.

It’s disappointing, but it’s simply impossible for the Rams to take this trip. The U.S. has closed travel to China and airlines have canceled flights there in hopes of containing the virus.

There are more than 24,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus around the world with nearly 500 deaths reported as a result of it. Only two of those deaths have been outside of China.

The Rams have been rumored as a team that could play a game in China in the future, and this planned trip increased speculation that a game could happen at some point. For now, those plans will be put on hold until the virus is contained.

Taylor Rapp talks path to NFL as Asian-American, Jeremy Lin inspiration

Taylor Rapp used Jeremy Lin as inspiration on his path to the NFL.

Taylor Rapp was viewed as a potential first-round pick in the 2019 draft, but he wound up slipping all the way to the second round where the Rams scooped him up at No. 61 overall. This wasn’t the first time he’s been overlooked on his path to the NFL, though.

Being an Asian-American, Rapp says he’s been overlooked throughout his football career, from his younger days all the way through college, too. Despite only being a rookie, Rapp has taken on a leadership role with the Rams as he tries to inspire other Asian-Americans and encourage them to pursue their dreams as he did.

For Rapp, former Knicks guard Jeremy Lin provided that inspiration eight years ago when he became a sensation in New York during his “Linsanity” run. Rapp was in high school at the time, and seeing Lin have so much success in professional sports really pushed him to pursue his dream of playing in the NFL.

Rapp was a guest on the “Fung Bros” YouTube podcast where he talked about who inspired him most in sports.

“I would say Jeremy Lin,” he said. “During that ‘Linsanity’ era, those couple months, he was probably the biggest deal in pro basketball and all of sports. And that’s when I really was like trying to go on to the next level.”

Rapp was asked if Lin’s emergence really helped push him as an athlete.

“I think so, for sure,” Rapp replied. “I kind of use that – you don’t have anyone to look up to. When you’re thinking about the future and you’re like, ‘Can I really make this happen?’ There’s no one out there. But for me to be able to see Jeremy do that on a national stage, obviously pro sports, that kind of gave me a little hope to go after it and attack it.”

Making it to the NFL isn’t easy for anyone, but Rapp says he had to overcome additional hurdles because of his race. He was overlooked by coaches because he’s Asian, which made his path to the pros difficult.

“I would go to college camps and stuff like that and just because I didn’t look like the typical football player – what is out in the real world right now in the NFL, what looks like a typical football player – I think I was not given the chances and as many looks from college coaches. Which I don’t really blame the college coaches because they’re just doing their jobs,” he said.

Rapp doesn’t want other players to go through what he did as they progress through their football careers, which is why he’s set out to help and inspire them.

“I didn’t have (expletive). And that’s kind of why I took on this role to be this role model or figure for kids who are in my position when they’re growing up, who I didn’t have growing up to look up to someone,” he said.

Rapp is expected to be a full-time starter for the Rams next season after putting together a solid first year in the NFL. And as his popularity and success grow, so too will his ability to help a younger generation trying to follow his path.

Rams shut out from PFWA All-Rookie Team for 2nd straight year

Taylor Rapp wasn’t named an All-Rookie at safety by the PFWA.

The Los Angeles Rams haven’t made a first-round pick since Jared Goff was taken No. 1 overall in 2016, and they aren’t slated to pick in the top 32 again until 2022 (barring possible trades). As a result, their draft classes haven’t typically been impactful in Year 1. That was certainly the case in 2018 when John Franklin-Myers was really the only one to play meaningful snaps.

This past season, the Rams got contributions from a bunch of rookies, led by Taylor Rapp, Bobby Evans and David Edwards. But for the second straight year, the Rams were shut out from the Pro Football Writers Association’s All-Rookie Team. They didn’t have a single player selected, with Rapp being the only legitimate candidate.

At safety, the PFWA selected Darnell Savage of the Packers and Juan Thornhill of the Chiefs.

The last time the Rams had a representative on the All-Rookie Team was in 2017 when Cooper Kupp was selected. In 2015, Todd Gurley and Rob Havenstein were honored. And the year before that, Tre Mason, Aaron Donald and E.J. Gaines made the All-Rookie Team.

In fact, since 2010, the Rams have had 12 players selected by the PFWA. From 2012-2015, multiple Rams players were named All-Rookies in each of those three seasons.

It’s difficult to find impactful rookies when you don’t have a first-round pick, but the Rams are making the most of their situation. They have promising young players entering Year 2 with Rapp, Darrell Henderson, Evans, Edwards and David Long Jr.

Taylor Rapp has a lot to build on from impressive rookie season

Taylor Rapp finished among the NFL’s best safeties in several categories.

Disaster seemed to hit the Rams when John Johnson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 6 against the 49ers. They still had Eric Weddle, but replacing a Pro Bowl-caliber safety like Johnson was not going to be easy.

Fortunately, they got a steal in the draft with Taylor Rapp, who fell to the second round. He stepped in and while there were some rough patches, especially early on, he finished the year as one of the bright spots for Los Angeles.

He ranked third on the team in tackles (108), tied for the lead in interceptions (2) and second in passes defensed (8). Here’s where he finished among all qualified safeties in the NFL, according to Pro Football Focus, which puts his rookie year in perspective.

Rapp’s biggest mistake was the blown coverage against the 49ers in Week 16, allowing a conversion on third-and-16. But there weren’t many other gaffes in Rapp’s game this season. He consistently found himself around the ball, lining up all over the field.

He played deep safety, strong safety and even lined up as a hybrid linebacker in the box at times, showing off his instincts and shiftiness in traffic. Assuming he continues this trajectory, he and Johnson are going to be a formidable duo for a long time – if the Rams choose to keep them together.

Taylor Rapp felt like a ‘completely different player’ in Week 17 vs. Week 1

Taylor Rapp discusses how far he came from the season opener to Week 17.

In a season full of disappointment, one of the positive developments that took place throughout the year was the progress made by Taylor Rapp. The rookie safety began the year as a backup and role player, but when John Johnson suffered a season-ending shoulder injury in Week 6, Rapp was thrust into a starting spot.

He finished the year with an overall grade of 64.5 from Pro Football Focus, at one point ranking as one of the best safeties in football. He allowed only 38 catches on 62 targets, breaking up eight total passes with two interceptions.

It was easy to see him gaining comfort as the season went on, and in his final session with the media last week, he explained just how far he came.

“I’m looking forward to next year, not being a rookie,” he said. “I’m looking forward to being out there and being more comfortable with the system. I felt like I’m a completely different player from Game 1 to Game 16, so just looking forward to getting out there and just being more comfortable and letting loose and playing fast.”

Rapp figures to be a starter next season alongside Johnson, giving the Rams one of the best safety tandems in the league. They’re both playmakers, tying for the team lead with two interceptions each.

That likely leaves Eric Weddle on the outside looking in, making it probable that the Rams will decline his 2020 option and save $4.25 million in cap space.

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Watch: Taylor Rapp picks off second pass of rookie season

This one was much easier for Rapp than his first.

Taylor Rapp’s rookie season will be remembered by some for his blown coverage in Week 16 against the 49ers, allowing San Francisco to convert on third-and-16. However, he’s been solid for the Rams this year, contributing in a big way as a rookie.

With one pick-six already on his stat line this season, Rapp added a second interception in Week 17 to give him two on the year. He picked off Kyler Murray in the fourth quarter and returned it 23 yards to set the Rams up with good field position.

Robert Woods turned the takeaway into points, scoring a touchdown on the ensuing drive.