THOUSAND OAKS — Through his first two seasons with the Rams, Quentin Lake has earned a reputation as one of the team’s foremost note takers.
It’s a skill he learned from his father, Carnell, himself a former UCLA and NFL defensive back. Lake writes down information once, twice, as many times as he needs to remember that particular morsel. He’s recently gone paperless, abandoning thick notebooks for a sleek iPad that allows for easier organization.
“It just helps me remember and remind myself of what I need to do so when I look back I’m like, ok, I can pinpoint certain things of I need to do that in practice and then take that into practice,” Lake explained. “The more you do it, the more comfortable you get. But if just helps you have that memory of the things you need to do and the improvements you need to do, too. There’s just something in the power of writing it out.”
This technique was particularly helpful during Lake’s second season as he juggled multiple positions. But this year, he’s been allowed a more streamlined approach.
Lake has spent this offseason and training camp preparing to play the “star” cornerback role in the Rams’ defense. Originally a safety coming out of Westwood, Lake played more and more at star as 2023 progressed, even holding onto the starting job after an injury cost him three games.
Through two weeks of training camp, Lake has been one of the standouts on the defensive side of the ball. He’s made notable plays in the passing game and has remained active in run defense, shedding blockers to make plays at the line of scrimmage.
“They really trust me at that position and I’m able to do it well, gets me around the ball so a lot more playmaking opportunities which has been fantastic,” Lake said. “And the biggest thing is you can still have that communication aspect at that position, which helps the defense. Seamless, flawless transition into that position.”
Lake’s teammates have noticed that his focus on the position has helped him have a strong start to the preseason.
“He knew the plan coming in. His mind is a little calmer now. Last year was kinda like, I don’t know where I’m going to play, I just gotta do my best. Now it’s I know my role, I know what I gotta do and he’s doing it at a high level,” safety John Johnson III said. “He’s seen everything. He’s calloused. Can’t trick him anymore. He’s looked good, athletically, moving well. He had a great offseason. I’ve seen him up here all offseason. I think he was doing double duty.”
Lake’s preparation for training camp began with workouts with other NFL players in Orange County. He found himself going one-on-one with Detroit Lions receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, and the two joked about keeping some tricks stored away ahead of their Week 1 matchup.
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By nature of his position at star, which lines up as an inside corner, Lake has matched up frequently with receiver Cooper Kupp. And on many of the plays, Lake has come out on top, from a couple of pass breakups early in camp in man-to-man coverage to punching the ball out of Kupp’s hands on a reception attempt.
“It keeps you prepared every day. There’s no drop off in terms of the competition that you’re getting,” Lake said. “Especially going into the season, it’s like you get ready for guys at the elite-caliber level. Cooper’s one of the best receivers in the league, he’s so savvy, so smart.”
So Lake is settled into his role, but the Rams also understand that, if needed, he can step in elsewhere on the field. And he’ll have his notes to fall back on.
“He’s a guy that seamlessly can from safety to star, whereas other guys it’s hard to switch positions,” defensive coordinator Chris Shula said. “He allows us to get our best 11 on the field and he knows going to be on the field in some form or fashion. As long as he’s out there, he’s happy.”
