Rams safety Quentin Lake tackles some playoff Q&A with Post columnist Steve Serby.
Q: You played against Jaxson Dart when he was quarterback at USC and intercepted him in a 62-33 UCLA win.
A: He was a good player. … I didn’t think he was gonna be like that when he got into the league, but he ended up showing out and had a fantastic rookie season this year at the Giants. But anytime anybody’s on USC, I try to capitalize on ’em, so if we play the Giants, I hope to capitalize on that again.
Q: You were surprised by his success this year?
A: Well, when I was in college, I didn’t see it, to be honest. I didn’t necessarily see exactly what people saw in him when he was playing at USC. I mean, obviously he had a great career at Ole Miss, but when I saw what he was doing, I was like, “Wow, he proved a lot of people that necessarily … proved me wrong too.”
Q: Do you remember your interception?
A: Yeah, I remember, it was good. A little tip to myself over the middle of the field. It was nice. It’s one of the better ones I’ve had in college.
Q: Describe the USC-UCLA rivalry.
A: I hate the boys in red over there. Yeah, don’t like ’em at all. It’s a longtime rivalry, but I’ll say this: I had pretty good games when I played against them.
Q: You’re playing against a former USC quarterback, Caleb Williams, when you face the Bears on Sunday night.
A: Caleb’s one helluva quarterback. He can make any throw on the field, him and [coach] Ben Johnson have been doing an outstanding job getting them obviously to the playoffs, but really over the course of this season you just saw him progress. Caleb’s dangerous, there’s a reason why he won the Heisman, there’s a reason why he was the No. 1 pick [in 2024], ’cause he can make every throw and he’s very elusive. People understand his athleticism, but when you get into the game, it’s even more than what you see on film, so just being ready for that. But like I said, he went to USC, I went to UCLA. Think I had a sack against him last year, so hopefully I can make something shake this game, too.
Q: How does your playing style differ from the playing style of your father, former Steelers defensive back Carnell Lake?
A: My dad was a little bigger than me. But I think it’s really hard because I do a lot of the same things he did. I would just say I have a little bit more finesse. He was a brawler, he was a dude that if you had people coming across the middle, he was gonna lay ’em out, just send ’em out of the game. I wouldn’t say that I don’t have that, but I would just say I have a little bit more finesse than him.
Q: Describe your on-field mentality.
A: When I step in between those white lines, how can I be the best version of myself, but also be the best, be the best at my position, be the best player on the field? And I think I have a relentless mindset, never stopping, never ending, playing physical, playing fast, playing tough … just try to be everything that guys look at me and say, “Hey, that’s a guy I want to be like, that’s a guy who I can follow.”
Q: Why did you last until the sixth round of the 2022 draft?
A: (Laugh) That’s a great question. I always tell myself this: I said there were just a lot of options that year. It was the year after COVID, a lot of people stayed, there was a big pool, and sometimes you don’t get the luck of the draw. I thought I was a higher draft pick, but lucky enough, the right people found me in [coach] Sean McVay and [GM] Les Snead and really the whole Rams organization. They got the right one.
Q: What drives you?
A: The biggest thing for me is I want to prove everyone that poured into me, that believed in me, right, and prove to everyone that didn’t believe in me and everybody that thought I couldn’t make it to this point wrong. How can I go out there and show people that hard work and effort and just the mentality of trying to be your best will show — especially when I’m out there playing football? It’s THE biggest part of my life, outside of my family, my faith. I take it to heart and I just want to be the best.
Q: What’s special about Sean McVay?
A: Amazing human being. Amazing coach. And really cares for his players.
Q: Defensive coordinator Chris Shula?
A: Bloodline. It’s interesting when you get guys, same with Sean McVay, but grandson of Don Shula, born for it, very smart, intelligent, and just loves the game of football.
Q: How would you describe his motivational style?
A: I like it. I think the biggest thing is, he just really gives you a chance to speak your mind as a player. He loves the feedback, loves the input, but at the same time, he demands so much about you. And you see his leadership through the position that he puts you in. To know that you’re gonna be put in the best positions to make plays, and he trusts everybody that’s out there in between those white lines and out on the football field.
Q: McVay has a different style, right?
A: Coach McVay has been in it a long time, and there’s different things in terms of the demand that he wants in terms of the things that he wants, very technical. But at the same time, when he comes to getting to know you as a person, and as a man, always wants the best for you. So I think, to be honest, their coaching styles are very similar and their leadership styles are very similar. There’s a reason why eventually one day Chris Shula, for sure, will be a head coach one day.
Q: What makes Matthew Stafford, Matthew Stafford?
A: One, I would say he just has like a dawg mentality, a Mamba mentality. He’s a guy that wants to go out there, even though he’s been in the league for 17 years, prove to the world that he’s the best, and go out there and really do it for his teammates. He’s such a selfless person. A guy that wants to be the best version of himself not only FOR himself, but for everybody that has been along the journey with him. And he’s just a dawg. He has a toughness as a quarterback that you don’t really see too much, taking hits, fighting through the echo of the whistle, all that stuff. And when you have a guy like that, especially at the quarterback position, all you want to do is just go to war with him.
Q: Does Puka Nacua think he’s linebacker?
A: (Laugh) No, I’d say he more so thinks he’s like a running back when he gets the ball. I mean, the dude loves contact, he loves the game of football. Probably one of the most energetic, rigid, rough, all about ball … like, he’s a football guy. He is a baller.
Q: What’s special about Davante Adams?
A: He has the best release package in the game. Like a magician on the line, can’t touch him, has had a ton of years of seeing different coverages … here one time and gone the other. Just disappears all of a sudden.
Q: Linebacker Nate Landman?
A: That’s “Peanut Punch” Landman. I hope I can be like him this game and hopefully get one [punch-out] too. He’s hunting for that, I know. One’s gonna come soon, for sure.
Q: Bears rookie tight end Colston Loveland has been on fire lately.
A: He reminds me a little bit of what we have over here, Terrance Ferguson, a guy that is good at every single position on what they ask for him to do — he can split out, he can run clean routes, he can catch the ball in screens. He’s a mismatch for a lot of defenders. … got good speed. Very elusive, too, when he’s running routes. Ben Johnson and crew, they trust him, they ask a lot for him in terms of what they want to run in the offense.
Q: The other rookie, Luther Burden III.
A: Good speed guy, quickness, elusiveness, very, very smooth route running. He’ll also get in there and do the dirty work, too. They got a lot of young guys that are doing great things over there, but for us it’s how can we limit their explosiveness and just dominate on the defensive side?
Q: D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monongai.
A: Great two-headed monster. Complement each other well. Are workhorses. D’Andre Swift — quick, elusive, great feet, great contact balance. And Kyle Monongai, he can be a bruiser at times, too. He’s also got great feet as well. These guys, when they come downhill, they’re looking for blood. A lot of their really explosive plays and play-action passes and boots, it goes through the run game, it goes through those two.
Q: Favorite defensive players growing up?
A: Yeah, I’m very old-school, though. You look at Rod Woodson … you look at Steve Atwater … any of those guys really back in the day because I just heard all the stories from my dad.
Q: Biggest obstacle or adversity you had to overcome?
A: The injuries. … Just being able to stay mentally locked in and stay mentally prepared, but also the early hours of rehab, and the long days of not being around the team and just trying to get your body right.
Q: Was this year’s elbow injury the most agonizing for you emotionally?
A: It was probably my rookie year, just because a sixth-round pick, a guy coming with an injury [knee], usually they don’t have to take a chance on you. They don’t have to keep you there, they can just cut you and move on to the next guy. You have that mentally weigh on you. That was more mentally stressful than this year.
Q: How gratifying was getting your three-year, $38,250,000 contract at the beginning of the new year?
A: It was probably a big weight off my shoulders just due to the fact that you’re being rewarded for the hard work and effort that you put in each and every day, and I had been through hardships, I had been through tough times. But at the same time, the organization believed in you, trusted in you and wanted to reward you. Me being from [Irvine] California, and having all those things, and me being at home and being in a familiar environment … it was special.
Q: What were the L.A. wildfires like for you?
A: That was huge last year. I think that’s even more so one of the reasons why we wanted to win so bad is because we were giving fans hope. And I hope we can continue to do that even into this year because it’s still affecting a lot of people. The city of L.A. looks for hope, and I feel like for the three hours that the Rams are on the football field and people can watch that, we do give ‘em hope and excitement.
Q: Three dinner guests?
A: Bernie Mac, Michael Jackson, Kobe Bryant.
Q: Favorite movie?
A: “The Prestige.”
Q: Favorite actor.
A: Denzel [Washington].
Q: Favorite actress?
A: Anne Hathaway.
Q: Favorite singer/rapper/entertainer?
A: Bernie Mac
Q: Favorite meal?
A: Any type of soul food.
Q: I saw a yearbook photo of the young Quentin Lake under which you wrote that your dream was to graduate UCLA and play pro football.
A: I might have been in early elementary school when I wrote that down. Manifestation is a real thing, if you write it down and you say it out loud and you pray for it, if you trust in God with the things that you want to do, He’ll have a plan for you. And that’s exactly what it was. To me, it’s: How can I put my best energy and my efforts to accomplish the things that I want to? I’m just a living example of what manifestation can really be true and dreams can really become a reality.
Q: It also said, “I will have three kids and live in Los Angeles.”
A: Yeah, well I’m living in L.A. I’m still working on the three kids.
Q: What would you say you’re most proud of about what you’ve accomplished?
A: The thing I’m most proud of is when I was in hardships, I never lost my faith or my vision of what I wanted to do. I never doubted my faith and really trusted in God and prayed to God for things to overcome. But I also had to meet Him halfway and work at it myself. And when I put my head down and I put my mind to certain goals, or certain things that I wanted to accomplish, it came to life, and the dreams came to reality. It’s not the contract, it’s not any of that stuff. It’s when I was down, and I believed in my core values and God and my morals, my faith was unwavering, things ended up shaking out my way, and that made my faith even stronger.
Q: What would you want your Los Angeles Rams legacy to be one day?
A: I just want my legacy to be that this is a guy who put it all out there. Who was everything that embodies what a Ram is supposed to be — a tough, physical player that gave it his all whenever he got on the field.
