Taylor Rapp doesn’t enter the NFL with the expectation of being an immediate starter for the Los Angeles Rams. They already have Eric Weddle and John Johnson in line to start Week 1, but Rapp hopes to have an impact in another way.
Rapp, whose mother is from China and dad is Canadian, wants to inspire a younger generation of Asian-American athletes – specifically football players. When he was selected 61st overall, he was the second Asian-American player drafted in 2019, the other being Kyler Murray at No. 1 overall.
Rapp wants to be a role model for younger athletes, showing that you can accomplish even your biggest goals if you work hard enough.
“Growing up, there’s not a lot of Asian-Americans — especially Chinese athletes — in major sports, let alone football,” Rapp said via the Rams’ official site. “So growing up, I never really had a role model, or someone to look up to, in football or sports. So I just want to be able to try to break that stereotype as much as possible, and let people know that Asian-Americans — no matter what you look like, you can play football no matter what. If you have a dream, and you put enough work in, anything is possible.”
Leading up to the draft, Hines Ward shared a message with Rapp about disproving the stereotype that “Asians can’t play football.”
When it comes to passion for the game of football, Rapp certainly doesn’t lack any. He believes he was born to play football and fell in love with the sport at a young age the first time he played.
“I don’t know if I have anything specific, but I think just the first time that I was out on the football field playing flag football — when I stepped out on the football field for the first time, I immediately fell in love with it and knew that I was almost — that I was meant to play this game. You know? I was put on this earth to play this game,” Rapp said. “I’m very passionate about the game. It’s just something I take pride in every time I step on the football field, that I’m giving maximum effort, doing everything I can.”
On and off the field, Rapp is hoping to be an inspiration for all.
