Ram Digest

WATCH: Rams WR Van Jefferson Shares Emotional Moment With Father/Opponent

The Los Angeles Rams' latest loss was capped off with an emotional moment between Van Jefferson and his father, who was patrolling the Arizona Cardinals' sideline on Sunday.

Geoff Magliochetti

Shawn Jefferson and the Arizona Cardinals earned a pivotal victory on Sunday in Inglewood.

Behind two scores from James Conner, Arizona took a 27-17 victory from the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday afternoon, keeping their fleeting postseason hopes alive in the NFC playoff picture. DeAndre Hopkins and Rondale Moore, two proteges of the receivers' coach Jefferson, united for 192 yards on 19 receptions in the win.

The thrill of victory, however, was far from enough to force Jefferson from remembering his first and likely most fulfilling job: a father.

Descending upon Glendale for the Cardinals' starring role in the in-season edition of the long-running "Hard Knocks" television series, the cameras of HBO and NFL Films captured an emotional moment between Jefferson and his son Van, a Los Angeles receiver. Though the Rams' latest loss, their third in a row and fifth in the last siix games, might've served as a dagger to their chances at a return trip the playoffs, much less the Super Bowl, Van managed to earn a personal triumph before all was said and done. 

The final 10-point margin was created when Van caught a three-yard touchdown pass from quarterback John Wolford with seven seconds remaining. Though meaningless in the grand scheme of both the game and season, it was a special score for the younger Jefferson, his first after knee issues sidelined him for the first half of the year.

Understandably emotional when all was said and done, Van immediately found his father after the game, the two sharing a hug at midfield at SoFi Stadium before Shawn shared paternal advice.

"Stay in the fight, right?" Shawn says as Van wipes away tears. "That's what it's about. You've got to grind it out, right? Keep grinding. You'll be good, you'll be all right."

"Nobody said this wouldn't be hard, man. I'm telling you, it's going to be hard. You got to keep battling. Keep battling, that's it."

The elder Jefferson's coaching counterpart, Eric Yarber, joins the proceedings and ensures the father that his son will continue to do so. 

"When you keep battling, after you come out of this test, you're rewarded with another test, so keep going," Shawn says before the two share one final high-five before parting ways. 

Each Jefferson had no way of knowing at the time, but Van will likely be called upon to assume a bigger role in the Rams' offense with Cooper Kupp set to miss significant time after sustaining an ankle injury in Sunday's loss. 

Van has a significant source of inspiration to look toward: Shawn, who also serves as Arizona's associate head coach, spent 13 seasons in the league and is likely best known for his four-year term with the New England Patriots (1996-99). Working with Drew Bledsoe, Shawn led all qualified receivers in 1998 with a 22.7-yard average reception. Prior to embarking upon his coaching career in 2006, Shawn also spent time with San Diego, Atlanta, and Detroit.

The Rams (3-6) will look to get back on the right track on Sunday afternoon when they hit the road to face the New Orleans Saints (10 a.m. PT, Fox). New episodes of the Cardinals' "Hard Knocks" series air Wednesdays at 10 p.m. on HBO and are available to stream on HBO Max. 

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Geoff Magliochetti
GEOFF MAGLIOCHETTI

Geoff Magliochetti

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