It's been more than a decade since wide receiver Torry Holt last graced the field in a Rams uniform. But he'll be in blue and white this week, serving as a coaching intern for the team's final week of OTAs.
Head coach Sean McVay said after practice that Holt will be with the club through the end of OTAs as part of the NFL's Bill Walsh Diversity Fellowship. The annual program is designed to expose talented minority college and high school coaches to the methods and philosophies of NFL OTAs, minicamps, and training camps.
Not only was Holt able to work with various players throughout on-field drills, but he was also present in the
team meeting room — providing insight and advice to the offensive unit as a whole.
"I think he brings a unique perspective from a player that's had as much success as anybody, understanding the nuances of the receiver position, how to separate," McVay said. "You talk about a guy that had ownership and a mastery of the system that he was playing in, that they had so much success in for so many years, he's got a nice way about himself in communicating with the players."
But McVay wasn't the only one happy to see Holt back at the Rams facility and working with the offense. Current wide receiver Robert Woods also expressed his excitement at getting the chance to work with one of his childhood inspirations.
"It's big, especially because it's him. I grew up watching him, know his game," Woods said. "It's not someone just talking because you've seen him do it, you see the experience. You see he wants the best for us. He wants us to win and he's here helping us do it."
Through 10 seasons with the Rams (1999-2008) Holt established himself as one of the most dynamic playmakers
Check out photos from Day 7 of the Los Angeles Rams OTAs.
in franchise history, earning seven Pro Bowl nods, while leading the league in receiving in both 2000 and 2003.
Plus, the wideout also played a critical role in one of the most prolific offenses in NFL history — dubbed "The Greatest Show on Turf" — that went on to win Super Bowl XXXIV.
And it's Holt's incredible playing history, McVay said, that makes the Rams legend a natural supplement to the club's coaching staff.
"I've gotten to know Torry really over the last year and a half or so," McVay explained, "and it's always great to be able to have great players, but also great communicators come in and be around your players and you can learn from them as well."
