Washington Commanders LB Bobby Wagner Talks Shared Connection with QB Jayden Daniels

Linebacker Bobby Wagner and quarterback Jayden Daniels might be playing for the Washington Commanders on the East Coast, but their biggest connection is all the way on the West Coast.

Dec 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner (45 celebrates / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

New Washington Commanders linebacker Bobby Wagner and quarterback Jayden Daniels went to nearby high schools in southern California, just outside of Los Angeles.

Wagner attended Colony High School in Ontario and Daniels attended Cajon High School in San Bernardino. Separated by just over 26 miles the two needed to travel over 2600 miles from those early football fields to play together in the nation's capital.

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One is at the beginning of his career and the hopeful future of the Washington franchise while the other is in the final years of a Hall of Fame career. Separated by more than a decade, joined together by tens of thousands of miles, Wagner feels the kind of pride in his new teammate only someone from their area can fully understand.

"I always like to see people from where I'm from make it to the league," Wagner said on a recent interview with Kay Adams on the Up & Adams show. "So I was excited to see his success from afar and then be able to play with him. When we exchanged numbers, we still had the same area code, so I was definitely proud of that."

Some people, like this writer, would look at the map of the two high schools and simply say, 'Oh, they played in Los Angeles.' Wagner and Daniels know, however, they come from 'the I.E.', or the Inland Empire.

Dec 8, 2022; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner (45 celebrates / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The I.E. is a region of Southern California comprised primarily of Riverside and San Bernardino. But many consider the Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario metropolitan areas to be 'The I.E.'.

It's about 40 miles east of Los Angeles, and didn't always have a reputation for producing NFL talent.

"When I was coming out of college, the scouts didn't even go in that area," Wagner said. "We were an area that nobody even thought about...So I think it's cool to see how far it's (come) and where it's at in development. There's a lot more guys in that area getting looks and a lot more guys in that area getting opportunities to go play in big, big division, big conferences, and so I think it's still going up."

Wagner himself is an example of that former stigma having started his career at Utah State, the furthest East he's had to play until now.

But he turned that opportunity into a second-round draft selection by the Seattle Seahawks, where he met coach Dan Quinn and Ken Norton Jr., both of whom where instrumental in bringing him to Washington. To the East Coast, and to the DMV.

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Those from the DMV will appreciate the pride Wagner feels about having a young quarterback from the I.E.

And if wins follow the two on that 2600+ mile journey to Ashburn, Virginia, and beyond, then those local to this area probably won't look down too sternly if there's a little California Love heard in the Commanders home stadium this season.

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