NFL: Asian-Americans Kyler Murray and Taylor Rapp cap scintillating rookie seasons
- Korean-American Kyler Murray, who was the number one draft, starts in all 16 games for the Arizona Cardinals this season
- Chinese-American Taylor Rapp’s performances earn Los Angeles Rams’ rookie of year award
The Los Angeles Rams and the Arizona Cardinals closed their rather underwhelming NFL season in a 31-24 win for the Rams on Sunday.
The game brought an end to an era with the Rams bidding a fond farewell to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, but it also brought a glimpse of the future for both teams.
Cardinals’ quarterback Kyler Murray and Rams’ safety Taylor Rapp are two of the league’s most exciting rookies and both share East Asian heritage, forging ahead in a sport where Asian role models have been few and far between.
Few at the start of the season would have scripted the moment where Rapp intercepted a Murray throw, but the Rams’ Rookie of the Year has quickly proved himself in the NFL. Murray, meanwhile, put in for another multi-touchdown game to enhance the belief that he can be the face of the franchise for years to come.
While both the Rams and the Cardinals were eliminated from this year's play-offs – perhaps more disappointing for the Rams, who made Super Bowl LIII last season – there are reasons for fans to remain optimistic.
Cardinals quarterback Murray – a second-generation Korean-American – has lived up to the hype, having been drafted as the overall number-one pick in the 2019 NFL draft earlier in the year.