University Of Delaware: UD Grad Gets LA Rams Super Bowl-Ready

Wilmington DE

11 February, 2022

10:54 AM

Description

Press release from the University of Delaware: Article by Amy Cherry February 11, 2022 UD athletic training alum makes 2nd Super Bowl appearance with Rams Jon Hernandez deliberately paced back-and-forth on the sidelines as the Los Angeles Rams played their rivals, the San Francisco 49ers, in the NFL Conference Championship. Seconds feel like hours. He takes a sip from his water bottle, his face stern, almost angry. He didn't want the 49ers to beat them for a seventh straight time—this time—on their home turf. "For me, there was so much on the line. Until that clock hits all zeros, anything can happen," he said. When the clock did finally zero-out, the Rams had rallied in the fourth quarter to overcome a 10-point deficit and beat their division rivals 20-17. That win meant the Rams were officially going to Super Bowl LVI, marking the team and Hernandez's second appearance at the big game in three years. He'd have no voice the next day. "I had not yelled that much in my life, and I had not jumped around that much in my life. So, I was pretty excited when we ended up getting that win," he said. "It was a lot of relief, and a lot of excitement, pure happiness, pure joy." The Los Angeles Rams face the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif., on Sunday, Feb. 13, and have a rare chance to play on their home field. They're only the second team in NFL history to play a Super Bowl in their home stadium. "I'm very blessed to be able to do something that not a lot of people in their careers have had the opportunity to do, and I've done it in a very short amount of time," he said. Hernandez has been an athletic trainer and physical therapist for the Rams since 2016. He graduated from the University of Delaware's Athletic Training Education Program (ATEP) within the College of Health Sciences in 2010. He went on to get his doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Southern California, giving him strong dual credentials. Before working for the Rams, Hernandez was employed as an athletic trainer and physical therapist for the Buffalo Bills for two years. Hernandez isn't the only UD grad involved in this year's Super Bowl. Former standout UD football player Troy Reeder, a starting linebacker for the Rams, will also play in the Super Bowl. Zach Kerr, a former UD football player who's now a nose tackle for the Bengals, might get some gametime Sunday. While Reeder and Kerr credit time playing UD football with launching their professional careers, Hernandez attributes his education to propelling his. In addition to his education, he said the school's extensive network helped him land in the NFL professionally. He interned with the Carolina Panthers just before his senior year in the summer of 2009. This press release was produced by the University of Delaware. The views expressed here are the author's own.