Rams shout out Clayton Kershaw after trading for his little league teammate
By Scott Rogust
After acquiring Matthew Stafford on Saturday, the Los Angeles Rams’ official Twitter account gave Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw a shoutout.
Saturday was a slow news day in sports, specifically in the NFL. But leave it to the Los Angeles Rams to give everyone a shot of adrenaline late at night. The Rams opted to trade quarterback Jared Goff, two future first-round picks and a third-round pick to the Detroit Lions in exchange for signal caller Matthew Stafford.
The Rams, feeling great about the move they made, started going on a tweeting spree. Late in the night, the official Twitter account of the Rams decided to give Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw a shoutout, asking if he’s heard from his friend, Matthew.
Hey @ClaytonKersh22, have you heard from an old friend today? 👀
— Los Angeles Rams (@RamsNFL) January 31, 2021
Kershaw and Stafford were little league teammates
In case you were perplexed by the tweet, Stafford and Kershaw were childhood friends in Texas. The two were teammates on a variety of sports teams, such as baseball and soccer. In fact, the two played for the Highland Park High School baseball team in University Park, Texas.
The two would go down different paths. Kershaw was selected seventh overall in the 2006 MLB Draft by the Dodgers before making his professional debut in 2008. Stafford, on the other hand, played quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs for three seasons, where he was eventually selected by the Lions with the first overall pick in the 2009 NFL Draft.
Fun fact: Stafford actually named an audible call after his buddy Kershaw during a 2017 game!
This past year, Kershaw finally broke his postseason curse and won the World Series for the first time in his career. As for Stafford, he participated in what would be his final season with the Lions. With a new regime and head coach, Stafford let it be known that he’d like to play elsewhere in 2021. Given that he was the cornerstone of the franchise ever since Calvin Johnson retired, the Lions rewarded him by trading him to the Rams to work with offensive genius Sean McVay.
And, after nearly 15 years, Stafford and Kershaw are reunited in the same town. You have to admit, this is pretty awesome.
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