- Los Angeles Rams safety makes dumplings with his Chinese grandparents in behind-the-scenes series
- Former University of Washington player hyped as ‘potential star’ in professional game
There are not many NFL rookies who get their own behind-the-scenes video series but there are not many rookies like the Los Angeles Rams' Taylor Rapp.
The second-round draft pick is Chinese-American and has set out to become the role model he did not have growing up.
He lays that out in the first episode of Un-Rapp'd, a web series on the Rams' website. Entitled "Who is Taylor Rapp?", the six-minute video joins the former University of Washington player from draft day to meeting up with the team, while showing his home life back in Bellingham, Washington state.
"For me it's bigger than making history or anything like that. It's just trying to break that stereotype and no matter what you look like, no matter who you are, you can play professional sports or college sports at a high level, if you work hard," Rapp said.
He has worked hard to get to the NFL and his family " Shanghai-born mother Chiyan, father Chris and elder brother Austin " speak in the video of their pride in him for his drive and success so far.
Rapp told the Rams in a later interview that his mother was embarrassed by her accent. He told her, "That's what makes the piece," he said. For other people it was Rapp making dumplings with his mother and her parents and their secret recipe might be the star of the show.
"A lot of people have been hitting me up about me making the dumplings. It's good," he told the Rams website.
In Un-Rapp'd, the safety explained how, when he was growing up, he didn't realise how few Asian Americans were in professional sport, let alone American football, and that he only came to understand the situation when he was looking to move from high school to play in college.
He expanded on this theme in his video interview with the Rams website.
"It's more just trying to inspire kids who you know might have been in my position growing up and didn't necessarily have someone to look up to, someone that they could relate to, someone that they looked like. It's more about inspiring those kids.
"I was once that kind who had no one to look up to. It's a pretty lonely feeling. I just kinda want to fill that role for those kids that might have been in my position growing up.
This is something he has already experienced, despite not yet making his debut in the NFL.
"Oh, yeah. All over social media and stuff. I've had little Asian boys, their parents actually reaching out saying how much of an inspiration I am to them. It's my whole goal. It's what I'm trying to do. That's what keeps me going."
It's a message that Rapp has reiterated in other media interviews, telling ESPN earlier in preseason that he hopes to make a difference.
"I'm trying to change the narrative," Rapp said. "Show that Asians can play and try to inspire young kids."
He might get to do that sooner than anticipated. Rapp has been described as a "bright spot" of the Rams preseason and pundits can see him getting minutes in his rookie season.
Former NFL wide receiver Nate Burleson also called Rapp a "potential superstar" after seeing him in the first preseason game. He told NFL Network's Good Morning Football.
The Rams preseason continues with a game against the Denver Broncos (August 25) and the Houston Texans (August 30) before the NFC Champions begin their regular NFL season on September 9 against the Carolina Panthers.
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