In a sport defined by grit, schemes, and physical toll, Los Angeles Rams defensive lineman Kobie Turner believes the real heartbeat of football lies in something less tangible: connection.
“I think one of the most crucial — and often unspoken — parts of football is the camaraderie you build,” Turner told Rams play-by-play voice JB Long. “The friendships you form. When you get to know someone on a deeper level off the field, it makes a real difference.”
Los Angeles Rams: Kobie Turner, Sean McVay, and the Power of Knowing Someone’s ‘Why’
Turner emphasized how understanding a teammate’s “why” — their motivation, their story, their personal struggles — can become a powerful source of strength in the game’s hardest moments.
“There are times when you’re tired, you’re struggling, you’re fighting through something — and all it takes is looking over at your teammate and thinking, ‘I know what he’s going through, and he’s still pushing.’ That kind of connection motivates you to keep going. Sometimes, you fight not just for yourself, but because you want your brother to succeed.”
It’s a mindset that Rams head coach Sean McVay seems to share.
This year, McVay took the unconventional step of holding the team’s mandatory minicamp in Maui. While the location raised eyebrows around the league, McVay made it clear the trip was as much about bonding as it was about football.
“This is about being able to get some good quality time with each other,” McVay said via ESPN’s Sarah Barshop. “It’s cool to meet a lot of these guys’ families… and to use the platform we’re blessed with to give back to a community that went through some similar things we can empathize with.”
Both Los Angeles and Maui have been impacted by devastating wildfires in recent years. The Rams saw the trip as a way to connect, heal, and invest time in something beyond playbooks and depth charts.
McVay, part of a younger generation of coaches, understands that summer isn’t just for conditioning — it’s for culture. The kind built when players not only practice together, but understand each other.
And as Turner pointed out, that kind of connection can push a team through the toughest moments — and maybe even all the way through January.
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