The Los Angeles Rams made a huge splash this offseason with their blockbuster trade for former Detroit Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford. Not only will he have an opportunity to compete on a bonafide contender in the Rams, but he will also be reuniting with a childhood friend in L.A. Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
Both have come a long way since their humble beginnings growing up playing baseball, basketball and soccer together in University Park, Texas. Their chemistry carried all the way through high school when Stafford was taking snaps from Kershaw in the fall before serving as his catcher in the spring during baseball season.
Despite eventually going their separate ways, their paths to stardom mirrored each other in many ways after they were each taken in the first round of their respective drafts to become the face of a major sports franchise. The pair are now back together again in L.A. for what could be the final stretch of their stellar careers.
Kershaw revealed during an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live that their friendship spans all the way back to when they both played on the same team for youth soccer:
“We played soccer together when we were 8 years old, so yeah, it’s been a while.”
Kershaw added that he is admittedly excited to have his old friend in town and is expecting big things for his new chapter with the Rams:
“Yeah, I’m super excited. I texted him when he got traded and just said, ‘I hope this is what you want.’ He was so fired up. This is exactly where he wanted to be. The Rams are a great situation for him, and I get to watch close. So it’s going to be awesome.”
Los Angeles emerged as the new Titletown, U.S.A after both the Lakers and Dodgers won world titles during an unprecedented year in 2020. While Kershaw was finally able to capture the championship ring that eluded him all these years, Stafford is hoping the move gets him one step closer to adding his hardware.
There is certainly good reason to be confident since the Rams have been pegged as one of the favorites to contend for a Super Bowl in the 2021 NFL season. Kershaw’s comments indicate that a visit to SoFi Stadium to see his old buddy play could also be in the works.
Of course, the Dodgers are currently in the midst of their own title defense. It will be interesting to see if Stafford makes the trip to Chavez Ravine first at some point this season.
