Raheem Morris is in his first season with the Rams.
IRVINGTON, NJ — The Los Angeles Rams reached the NFL pinnacle after beating the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, to win the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 13, at their home SoFi stadium.
The championship was helped in part by Irvington High School alumnus Raheem Morris, who directed the Rams’ defense as their first-year defensive coordinator.
A 1994 IHS graduate, Morris called a great defensive plan that slowed down quarterback Joe Burrow and the Bengals’ high-powered offense. The Rams’ defense was sparked by lineman Aaron Donald, who is widely considered the best defensive player in the league. Donald recorded four tackles and two sacks.
The game-winning touchdown came with 1:25 left in the fourth quarter on a 1-yard pass from quarterback Matthew Stafford to wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who was named the Super Bowl Most Valuable Player, two days after being named this season’s NFL Offensive Player of the Year.
After Kupp’s go-ahead TD, the Bengals went on a desperation drive, but Burrow was pressured and threw an incomplete pass on fourth down in the closing seconds. The Rams took over on downs and then joyously celebrated the Super Bowl victory.
In all, the Rams sacked Burrow seven times, tying a record for most sacks of a quarterback in Super Bowl history.
For Morris, this was his third Super Bowl appearance as a coach. He now has two Super Bowl rings. His first Super Bowl win came in 2003 was when he was the defensive quality control coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
After later becoming the Buccaneers head coach from 2009 to 2011, Morris was an assistant coach/wide receiver coach/pass game coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons that went to the Super Bowl in 2017. The Falcons lost to the New England Patriots in the first-ever Super Bowl that was decided in overtime.
But Morris now gets to revel in another Super Bowl victory.
This is a glorious time for Irvington football. The IHS Blue Knights won their first-ever state sectional and regional championships under head coach and Irvington native Ashley “Smoke” Pierre this past fall, and now Morris is a Super Bowl champion.
Photo Courtesy of Los Angeles Rams.
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