THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Kobie Turner and Byron Young trained together for months before the Los Angeles Rams drafted them 12 picks apart in the third round.
They’ve been two of the league’s best defensive rookies, and now they’re neck and neck in the NFL rookie sacks race down the stretch of the Rams’ playoff-bound season.
They even live in the same apartment complex, separated only by the pool.
As you might expect, there’s already a tight bond between nose tackle Turner and edge-rushing linebacker Young. Beyond their professional connection, beyond their similar backgrounds as well-traveled collegiate players who had to fight to the top, Turner and Young have gotten along famously ever since they met.
“No bad things to say about him,” Young said with a smile. “Never gets mad. Always happy, always singing. That’s the best part about him, just the soul he’s got. He’s a caring person. He will check on you at your house. That’s how he always do. It’s kind of crazy how all this is falling together.”
Their competition for the rookie sacks title is decidedly friendly: Turner leads all rookies with nine sacks after racking up 2 1/2 last weekend against the Giants, while Young is tied with Houston’s Will Anderson in second place with seven. Los Angeles (9-7) finishes its regular season at San Francisco (12-4) on Sunday.
Turner and Young both laughed this week when they finally saw in-game tweets describing the way they leapfrogged each other for the rookie sacks lead on consecutive drives at New York.
“We haven’t talked about it a ton before the games, but I think we both definitely check in after the games and see where we stack up,” Turner said.
“It’s a good little healthy competition. Byron is my guy, and he’s been killing it so far. I’m super excited to just be his teammate, and I know he’s excited for me as well, so it’s really cool to chase after that goal with a really good friend and keep going back and forth.”
They’re also competing for the Rams’ rookie sacks record: Turner’s nine sacks have tied the mark set nearly a decade ago by Aaron Donald, the seven-time All-Pro.
Turner gives ample credit for his success as a pass-rushing interior lineman to Donald, the gold standard of that profession. Donald’s peerless presence on Los Angeles’ defensive line annually creates the double-teams and opportunities for his teammates to shine, but he doesn’t think his presence should be a reason to discount Turner’s achievements.
“He’s supposed to do that then,” Donald said. “You get that opportunity, that’s what it’s for. (An opponent) wants to focus on one guy, the next guy is supposed to step up and make plays, and he’s doing that. He’s just doing the job how he’s supposed to do it at a high level. He’s just got to continue working, continue to get better and not be satisfied, but right now he’s having a pretty good season.”
Turner has even barged into the competition for the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award. Anderson and Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter have much bigger names and reputations, but Turner has more tackles (57), sacks and even passes defensed than both first-round picks while not missing a game all season.
Turner has even picked up a nickname — “The Conductor” — from his post-sack celebration, in which he conducts an invisible orchestra.
“We’ve battled all our life,” Young said. “Being underdogs, being overlooked, and now it’s just paying off, especially for Kobie. I’m working with him, and he’s got so much to prove, and he proves it. A lot of naysayers, he just proved everybody wrong. I love that guy. We’re just building together.”
Turner and Young already knew each other before they arrived on the West Coast because they had been preparing for the draft at Exos outside Pensacola, Florida. Young played two seasons at Tennessee after transferring from Georgia Military College, while Turner finished his college career with one year at Wake Forest after initially walking on to the team at Richmond four years earlier.
Turner and Young have been boosted by Donald’s presence and by Rams defensive coordinator Raheem Morris’ schemes, but they’ve still achieved more than even the most optimistic talent evaluators expected. Los Angeles’ defense has also been better than almost anyone expected after the team’s offseason talent purge, and these two rookies are a major reason.
“They’ve really gotten better since they’ve been here,” Morris said. “Kobie came in super smart, super intelligent with an unbelievable motor. Byron came in and showed us some stuff off the bat with his explosiveness, just a violent rusher. They have been so much fun to work with and be around. Couldn’t be happier with the two young guys.”
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