LOS ANGELES _ On a late-January evening in Miami Beach, Fla., two days before the Super Bowl, Jalen Ramsey owned the spotlight.
The Rams' star cornerback was not in an NFL stadium; he stood alone before a rapt audience in an upscale store on South Beach's trendy Lincoln Road. The shop had been converted into a dimly lit performance space and quasi nightclub replete with bar, DJ and band.
Ramsey, draft prospect Tua Tagovailoa and former league most valuable player Cam Newton were on the bill for a "More Than a Football Player" storytelling event sponsored by Uninterrupted, a digital platform started by business partners LeBron James and Maverick Carter.
"On the field, my life is literally on the line," Ramsey began. "When I'm all alone on an island with whoever your favorite receiver is, I'm sure as hell not calling out an SOS."
In the next five minutes, Ramsey delivered a monologue as smoothly as he shuts down receivers.
Ramsey is a three-time Pro Bowl pick, considered by many the best player in the league at his position. And, as one of the NFL's elite trash talkers, he has no problem reminding opponents of his abilities.
But on this night he spoke playfully of adopting an alternate persona.
"Kind of like a shield or a mask," he said. "I kind of become somebody else. ... A Monstar, like in the movie 'Space Jam.' "
Ramsey earnestly recounted his parents' and older brother's influence. He spoke of his desire to become a businessman and to help friends succeed. He shared goals of becoming an expert traveler and virtuoso musician. And of his love of being "a girl dad" to two daughters.
In six months, he would report to Rams training camp.
At age 25, he is likely on his way to becoming the highest-paid player at his position in NFL history.
And, perhaps, more than a cornerback.
