The Los Angeles Rams 2019 season is coming to an end after they host the Arizona Cardinals in Week 17 in what will be the team’s final game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Both the Rams and Los Angeles Chargers will be moving to their new state-of-the-art home, SoFi Stadium, beginning in 2020, meaning Sunday will be the final NFL game at the Coliseum.
The Rams currently have three players in Robert Woods, Nickell Robey-Coleman and Clay Matthews who called the Coliseum home in college as well playing at USC, so it should be an extra emotional game for the especially.
Woods reflected on the memories he has built at the Coliseum over the years, via Stu Jackson of TheRams.com:
“Playing in the Coliseum in college, seeing the stadium go from the mini screen in the corner to the big jumbo screen, to seeing them grow now to the suites that they have,” Woods said, recalling what’ has stood out to him about the Coliseum over time. “The growth of playing in it as a college player and an NFL player, seeing both fan bases, (it’s) really a historical stadium.”
Robey-Coleman certainly has an especially strong bond with the Coliseum as well. Although all players spent a solid chunk of time playing there, Robey-Coleman recently graduated from USC and likely spent even more time around the historic stadium. He expressed some sadness over moving to a new home field:
“It’s a bittersweet feeling,” Robey-Coleman said. “I had the opportunity to come back and play after college, I get here to the league and I was blessed enough to play in the Coliseum a few more times. For it to me my last go ’round, I’m going to make it one for the ages.”
Out of the three USC alumni, Matthews probably has the richest tradition with the school and stadium. He is the third member of his family to attend USC, establishing a strong bond. For him, he has relished in the history that the Coliseum has to offer:
“Playing in the Coliseum, you just got accustomed to the bright lights and selling out at the time (with) 92,000 (fans) when we had the No. 1 team in the nation,” Clay said. “It was probably most fun to come back when I was playing with Green Bay last year because I hadn’t been there in 10 years without a franchise in LA. But to go back there, I just remember it being so much bigger, it was all put in perspective. It was fun to be back in Southern California playing. Fortunately for me, a few months later I was playing for the Rams and having my home games at the Coliseum.”
“It truly has come full circle,” Matthews said, “and it’s been a fun ride.”
The Rams certainly are leaving behind a lot of history in the Coliseum. Hopefully, the new SoFi Stadium will provide a lot more memorable moments for the organization.
Before moving though, the Rams will celebrate their final game at the Coliseum with a firework show at the conclusion of Sunday’s game against the Cardinals.
