Rams launch scouting apprenticeship program to help minorities and women
The Rams announced Tuesday a new scouting apprenticeship geared toward minority and women candidates.
This follows league-wide discussions of increasing diversity in the coaching ranks and front offices. Scouting is often a first step in advancing to senior player personnel jobs, including general manager.
The apprenticeship, according to a news release, will offer participants experiential learning, mentorship and networking opportunities. The program will start in August and run through the 2021 NFL draft, scheduled for April 29 to May 1, 2021 in Cleveland.
The Rams used the NFL’s programming pipeline to find candidates and conducted virtual interviews in June, the release said. Nine members of the team’s player personnel department will serve as the program’s primary advisors.
The participants will work closely with the team to learn and actively contribute in scouting procedures.
The participants include: Beau Bell, former general manager of the Philadelphia Soul arena football team; Jordan Brown, Pro Camps operations coordinator; James Bullock, director of compliance for Winston-Salem State University; Willie Edwards, outside linebackers coach at Brown University; Mechelle Geeter, director of on-campus recruiting at the University of Maryland; Mickey Grace, defensive line coach at Mastery Charter North High (Pennsylvania); Cory Moore, head coach at Lakewood High School (Florida); AJ Pearson, student at Michigan State College of Osteopathic Medicine; Sherman Wilson, recruiting analyst at the University of Memphis; and Michael Young, a regional scout for the Senior Bowl.
“Our vision with this apprenticeship is to provide access and opportunity to many talented, aspiring, minority scouts and player evaluators,†Rams general manager Les Snead said in a news release.
“We have to be intentional in identifying, developing and advising these young men and women and offer hands-on experience and mentorship from scouts and personnel professionals at the highest level of sports. It is imperative for us to spend the necessary time to build a successful, ongoing program that will widen the pool of candidates to be the personnel leaders of tomorrow.â€
Jalen Ramsey walks out of a videoconference with reporters after fielding several questions about a contract extension — and then returns to explain his exit.
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