Sebastian Joseph-Day went from a healthy scratch for 16 games as a rookie in 2018 to a starter at nose tackle for the Rams this season. He’s done a great job replacing Ndamukong Suh on the interior, filling the very big shoes left by the former All-Pro defensive tackle.
Sunday night is a big game for the Rams as they host the Bears on Sunday Night Football, but it’ll be an emotional one for Joseph-Day, in particular. It’ll be the first time his parents get to watch him play an NFL game since he came into the league last year.
“Last year, they would come to home games, but I didn’t play at all,” Joseph-Day told Stu Jackson of the Rams’ official site. “They would still come to support me, but now, they could to see everything that they put into me come into fruition. It’s a big thank you to them.”
According to the team, Joseph-Day’s parents live in Pennsylvania, so getting out to Los Angeles is difficult. They were in attendance for Super Bowl LIII, but Joseph-Day was inactive – as he was the rest of the season.
He shared a post on Instagram expressing his excitement for this Week 11 matchup, and it’s easy to understand why.
Joseph-Day will try to put together a solid performance for his family, continuing his high-level play. In nine games (eight starts) this season, he has one sack, 20 tackles (three for a loss) and three quarterback hits. He does only have two tackles in the last three games, though.
“It’s finally starting to hit home because they’re talking about, ‘It’s the first time we actually get to see you start in person,” Joseph-Day said. “It’s going to be a Sunday night game, it’s going to be an amazing game. I’m just amped man, I’m ready to go. I’m ready to say thank you with my play.”