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Chargers rookie wide receiver Ladd McConkey has had to address life on the NFL field and living in sprawling Southern California. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
Compared to the countryside of Chatsworth, Ga. — population of 4,871 — Los Angeles might as well be another planet for rookie Ladd McConkey. He is a Southern-twanged Martian adjusting to a new frontier in this sprawling metropolis.
“Chatsworth is a small town, and everybody knows everybody,” McConkey said. “Here, you have a lot more people, and I was not expecting everything to be on top of each other.”
A rural Georgian through and through, all he’s known is the Peach State.
A second-round pick, McConkey grew up in Chatsworth — two hours north of Atlanta. He played at North Murray High before spending four years in Athens at the University of Georgia.
McConkey visited L.A. before as a Georgia Bulldog, when they capped off back-to-back national championships at SoFi Stadium in 2022 against Texas Christian.
Read more: Chargers’ J.K. Dobbins is back, and Aaron Rodgers is one of his biggest cheerleaders
This is much different.
Life as an NFL rookie comes with immense pressure. High draft picks, such as McConkey, look to justify the draft capital spent on them. Then there are practice squad rookies, who carry the anxiety of being one organizational decision away from unemployment.
The transition off the field, however, is just as challenging.
To help, McConkey is living with his fiancée, Sydney Horne, in Redondo Beach, a much more manageable spot than living in the heart of L.A. The couple found a place where McConkey opted for an open-floor plan, steering clear of the cramped living spaces often typical of older homes in California.
Having his fiancée by his side has made McConkey’s move to the NFL much smoother, offering him support to help combat the grind of an NFL season.
“It’s awesome,” McConkey said. “After practice, whether it’s a good or bad day, I get to go home and just talk and…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/complex-world-chargers-rookies-adjusting-100139518.html
Author : LA Times
Publish date : 2024-09-12 10:01:39
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