Sports

A secret to Quentin Lake's Rams success? Having his All-Pro dad as a role model

Published

1 year ago

January 13, 2025

A secret to Quentin Lake's Rams success? Having his All-Pro dad as a role model

Quentin Lake got the news on the field after practice, so there was no other place he wanted to pass it along.

The Rams’ safety trotted into the locker room, picked up his phone and waited until teammates had filed in and left the field empty.

Then he quietly made his way back outside, took a deep breath and placed the call.

“Dad,” he said, trying to hide his excitement, “I was elected a team captain.”

Carnell Lake choked up a bit.

“You’re only in your third year!” he told his son, pride rippling through the connection. “‘I didn’t get elected captain till I was 10 years in. Man, I’m proud of you.”

The emotional August exchange, on the eve of the Rams’ season, was another bonding moment for father and son.

Carnell, a star at Culver City High and UCLA, played safety and cornerback for 12 NFL seasons, 10 with the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1989 to 1998. He was an All-Pro, a five-time Pro Bowl selection and was named to an NFL 1990s All-Decade team.

Quentin, who also played at UCLA, is a leader and something of an ironman for a Rams team that rebounded from a 1-4 start to make the playoffs.

“Football,” Quentin said of his relationship with his father, “is our love language.”

Quentin’s lineage comes through in his approach, his maturity and his play, Rams coach Sean McVay said. A love for the game, understanding of nuances and “emotional intelligence,” as McVay put it, enables the 25-year-old to navigate situations and connect with other players.

Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Carnell Lake warms up before the AFC championship game against the Colts in January 1996.

(Mark Duncan / Associated Press)

“You definitely feel that pedigree based on the love that he has and that relationship that he has with his father,” McVay said.

Carnell played in 17 playoff games, including a Super Bowl XXX defeat by the Dallas Cowboys in 1996.

On Monday night, Quentin will start his second postseason game when the Rams play the Minnesota Vikings in an NFC wild-card game at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

Because of safety concerns related to the wildfires in Southern California, the NFL moved the game from SoFi Stadium.

“You want to remind guys that when stuff like this happens, it’s bigger than the game of football,” Quentin said of his role as a captain, “but at the same time we can use this game to give L.A. hope.”

By design, Quentin’s journey to the NFL was made without a push from his father.

Despite Quentin’s request for his father to coach him in youth sports — “I wanted to learn all the tricks of the trade,” he said — Carnell declined.

“If you grow up enjoying it without feeling pressure,” Carnell said, “I think it’s going to be more about him.”

Carnell never pushed football. He told his son that if he wanted to be an engineer, be an engineer. If he wanted to be a doctor, be a doctor.

“He always said, ‘It’s your life, and you’re going to have to one day make a decision of what you want to do,” Quentin said. “Luckily, he was such a good role model that that’s exactly what I wanted to do was be a football player and go to the NFL.”

Quentin played at Santa Ana Mater Dei before following in his father’s footsteps to UCLA. Carnell, who had coached for seven seasons with the Steelers, left his position so he could watch.

“I said, ‘I don’t want to miss that,’” Carnell said.

Carnell, though, continued to keep his distance.

“He never wanted to overstep,” his son said.

But in 2018, after watching a Bruins practice where Quentin played a coverage incorrectly, Carnell offered a bit of unsolicited advice.

“He was kind of listening like, ‘Hey Dad, you played a long time ago,’” Carnell said, laughing. “So I looked at it like, he’s not listening to me.”

Not much changed after USC receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown burned the Bruins for a long touchdown late in the season.

Quentin Lake warms up before a game between UCLA and Fresno State at the Rose Bowl in September 2021.

The next week, however, St. Brown’s brother, Osiris, scored on a similar play for Stanford.

“At that point, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got to listen — he knows what he’s talking about,” Quentin said, chuckling. “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.

“So from that point on, we started really diving into the film and how can I improve my game — and my game took off.”

The Rams selected Lake in the sixth round of the 2022 draft. He was sidelined for much of his rookie season because of a knee injury, but last season his versatility helped the Rams rebound from a 3-6 start to make the playoffs.

As the Rams prepared for this season, first-year defensive coordinator Chris Shula regarded Lake as a building block for a unit making up for the loss of retired star defensive lineman Aaron Donald. After linebacker Troy Reeder suffered a hamstring injury, Lake assumed signal-calling duties.

“We had that vision of being able to move him around and play wherever we needed to fit the defense,” Shula said. “He’s excellent in coverage. He’s a physical player. He is obviously really smart, so he is a guy that you can do a lot of different things with.”

Quentin, 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, said he has benefited from the expertise of Rams coaches as well as his sessions with his father.

Carnell recalled one they shared during Quentin’s down time.

Rams safety Quentin Lake, left, and cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon celebrate an interception.

“We stayed up till 2 in the morning watching film, and he showed me his notebook,” Carnell said. “I was like, ‘You gotta be kidding me.’ He’s already ahead of me. His penmanship and his notetaking skills are impressive.

“Mine is like chicken scratch.”

Quentin disagrees. His father had “multiple notebooks for one team,” when he was a player, and now offers “full Power Point presentations” to his son.

“My notes are good,” Quentin said, “but his notes are far and beyond.”

Lake has applied the lessons. He went into the final week of the season as one of only four NFL players to play every defensive snap. The streak ended only because McVay rested or minimized snaps for starters in the season finale.

Lake’s success does not surprise defensive backs coach Aubrey Pleasant.

“He’s such a stickler for the details that sometimes I have to tell him to give himself some grace, allow himself to be a little more kind to himself,” Pleasant said. “That’s something you want as a coach. You want to be able to pull back on the reins, as opposed to feeling like you’re always pushing them to move forward.”

Lake, a role model for teammates on the field, he also strives to lead by example in other areas.

This season on his off days, Lake was on hand for the dedication of a football field the Rams installed at the Nickerson Gardens housing complex in Watts. He also was among a number of Rams players that pitched in at a construction site in North Hollywood that will eventually be homes for military veterans.

Rams safety Quentin Lake helps with construction of homes for multiple military veteran families in North Hollywood.

Rams safety Quentin Lake instructs a youngster during the dedication of the Rams football field in Watts.

“It’s being able to take a step back really from football and saying I’m a human first, how can I help other people,” he said after mixing and moving wheelbarrows full of cement.

Rams rookie safety Jaylen McCollough attempts to follow Lake’s example.

“You want to be an all-around pro, and that’s on the field and off the field,” McCollough said. “And so any nuggets you can take or just learn from Q, you just got to be a sponge.”

That is how Quentin approaches the lessons his father passes along.

In honor of Carnell, Quentin has always worn jersey No. 37, the number his father wore.

“I thought about changing it when I got drafted,” Quentin said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m on my own journey.’ But you know what, 37 is just me.”

Former Steelers coach Bill Cowher, a studio analyst for CBS, apparently recognizes the similarities between father and son.

After Quentin and Rams defensive lineman Kobie Turner taped a television segment this season, Cowher sent Lake a video message, relaying a story about a sideline conversation he had with Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu.

“Troy was having a tough time, and Troy came back to the sideline and coach Cowher was like, ‘Troy, you’re good. You’re good,’” Quentin said. “And Troy said, ‘I’m just trying to be like Carnell Lake.’

“I was like, ‘Wow. That’s crazy.’”

Now Quentin hopes to one-up his father.

He wants to not only play in a Super Bowl but be a captain for a team that wins a ring.

“I’d come home and be like, ‘Yeah, I’ve got this,’” Quentin said, shaking his ring finger. “That would be cool.”

And another proud moment for father and son to share.

Sports

Deion Sanders mourns loss of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder: ‘One of my favorites’

Published

4 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Deion Sanders mourns loss of Colorado quarterback Dominiq Ponder: ‘One of my favorites’

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Colorado Buffaloes quarterback Dominiq Ponder died this weekend, the team’s head coach Deion Sanders confirmed on Sunday with a social media post.

“God please comfort the Ponder family, friends and loved ones,” Sanders wrote on social media. “Dom was one of my favorites! He was Loved, Respected & a Born Leader. Let’s pray for all that knew him & had the opportunity to be in his presence. Lord you’re receiving a good 1. Comfort us Lord Comfort us.”

Ponder was 23 years old.

Details of Ponder’s death are not yet known.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his team warm up before an NCAA college football game against TCU Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025, in Fort Worth, Texas. (Tony Gutierrez/AP Photo)

Ponder, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound signal caller, joined the Buffaloes and “Coach Prime’s” program in 2024 after spending time at Bethune-Cookman before making his way to Boulder.

Last season, Ponder played just two games for the Buffaloes while serving in his backup role. He recorded two rush attempts and one pass attempt.

The Opa Locka, Fla., native also received tribute from a fellow quarterback with the Buffaloes, Colton Allen.

Bethune-Cookman QB Dominiq Ponder takes a snap during the Wildcats’ spring game Saturday, April 22, 2023, at Daytona Stadium. (IMAGN)

“Dom, you were a blessing to so many people,” Allen wrote on Instagram. “You had a presence about you that just made everything better. You brought so much joy to me and everyone around you. I’m grateful for every lift, every practice, every rep, every conversation we got to share. I’ll carry those with me for the rest of my life.”

Ponder was going to be a part of Colorado’s spring practices, which are set to begin on Monday. It’s unknown if Sanders will postpone the start due to Ponder’s passing.

Ponder also received a tribute from the University of Central Florida.

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders watches his players warm up before an NCAA college football game against Utah, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, in Salt Lake City. (Tyler Tate/AP Photo)

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“Our prayers are with Dominiq and the Ponder family along with all in the Colorado football program,” the university’s football account on X wrote.

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Scott Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

No. 2 UCLA women dominate rival USC to finish Big Ten play undefeated

Published

5 hours ago

March 1, 2026

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No. 2 UCLA women dominate rival USC to finish Big Ten play undefeated

Sunday was “Senior Night” for the USC women’s basketball team at Galen Center, but it was the other team’s seniors who stole the show.

Gabriela Jaquez scored 14 points, Kiki Rice had 11 points and four assists and Lauren Betts had 15 rebounds and five assists as UCLA wrapped up the regular season with a 73-50 victory over its rival and finished undefeated in conference play for the first time since going 18-0 in the Pac-10 in 1998-99 under Kathy Olivier.

Having already clinched the regular-season title, UCLA became the first team to navigate the Big Ten schedule without a loss since Maryland in 2014-15.

“These are two elite programs, we knew it would be different tonight, we knew they’d come with fire,” said UCLA coach Cori Close, who improved to 9-4 against the Trojans since counterpart Lindsay Gottlieb started at USC in 2021. “We knew we’d have to do it with our defense, our rebounding and by taking care of the ball.”

It was the Bruins’ 22nd consecutive win, one shy of the record they set last season. Since their lone loss to then-No. 4 Texas on Nov. 26 in Las Vegas, they have won by 20 or more points 17 times.

Ranked second in the nation in both the Associated Press and coaches’ polls behind defending national champion Connecticut (30-0), the Bruins earned the No. 1 seed for the conference tournament in Indianapolis and got a bye into Friday’s quarterfinals.

Charlisse Leger-Walker, nicknamed “X-ray vision” by teammates, equaled her season high with 20 points for the Bruins (28-1, 18-0) while Gianna Kneepkens added 14 points and five assists.

“Anytime we play together we know we can win,” Leger-Walker said. “We did a good job looking into the scout. Every game we just think about going 1-0. People scouting us know that all five players on the court can score the ball.”

UCLA center Lauren Betts, left, controls the ball in front of USC forward Vivian Iwuchukwu during the first half Sunday.

(Eric Thayer / Los Angeles Times)

UCLA held USC to 27% shooting in the teams’ first meeting — a 34-point Bruins victory at Pauley Pavilion on Jan. 3 behind Betts’ 18 points. It was USC’s most lopsided loss under coach Lindsay Gottlieb. On Sunday, USC shot 39% and was only three for 19 from three-point range.

“Going undefeated [in conference] is a great step in the right direction towards what we want to accomplish,” said Jaquez, who appreciated the flowers she received before the game from USC. “I love this rivalry. It’s super fun to play against them and it was nice that they honored us too.”

UCLA jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first five minutes and carried a 19-11 advantage into the second quarter. The Bruins widened the gap to 18 points by halftime, holding the Trojans scoreless for the last 3:08.

USC (17-12, 9-9) opened the second half on an 11-2 run but gave up 14 second-chance points and allowed 22 offensive rebounds.

UCLA guard Kiki Rice, front, and forward Angela Dugalic celebrate as USC guard Kennedy Smith walks away.

“If we get more possessions than our opponent we’re most likely going to win,” Close said. “We didn’t allow one basket on an out-of-bounds play and they lead the conference in that.”

Freshman guard Jazzy Davidson, USC’s leading scorer, got into early foul trouble but still finished with 12 points. She was held to 10 points on four-for-15 shooting in the first meeting.

“It was a great crowd, we were in the fight but we didn’t rebound or shoot well enough,” Gottlieb said. “We wanted to keep them out of our paint. We swarmed Betts, double-teamed her and got it out of her hands but other people scored.”

Londynn Jones, who spent three seasons in Westwood (playing in 108 straight games) before transferring to USC for her senior year, was held to six points in the team’s first meeting and nine points (on four-of-10 shooting) in the rematch. The Trojans’ other senior, Kara Dunn, was held scoreless in the first half and finished with eight points.

“I love Londynn,” Close said. “We think she looks better in blue, but we love her and I told her that. I appreciate all she gave to our programs.”

Asked if this is the best team she has ever coached, Close had a one-word answer.

“Yes.”

Sports

Israeli national gymnastics team suspends all activities after Iranian counter-attack

Published

16 hours ago

March 1, 2026

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Israeli national gymnastics team suspends all activities after Iranian counter-attack

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Israel’s national gymnastics team has suspended all training and team activities amid the recent Iranian counter-attack on the country following the U.S.-assisted strikes on Iran.

The Israel Gymnastics Federation (IGF) provided a statement to Fox News Digital announcing the violence has caused “unavoidable disruptions.”

“The current security situation in our region has resulted in unavoidable disruptions to our regular training schedule and has created significant uncertainty regarding the national teams’ professional plans, particularly as we are at the outset of the international season,” the statement read.

“At this time, all training activities have been temporarily suspended, pending approval from the relevant authorities to safely resume operations. Naturally, the suspension of training and the closure of airspace are causing considerable stress and concern. However, the safety and well-being of our gymnasts and professional staff remain our highest priority. We sincerely hope for safer and calmer days ahead, when we can focus solely on sport.”

A source within the team told Fox News Digital on Saturday that the gymnasts have been moving between bomb shelters since Iran’s counterstrikes began.

Israel’s gymnastics team is considered one of nation’s strongest Olympic programs alongside its Judo and sailing teams. The team is only a week removed from a successful trip at the Artistic Gymnastics World Cup in Germany, where the country’s star Artem Dolgopyat won the gold medal in floor gymnastics.

Now, the team will have to seek safety until the attacks are over.

The U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem has directed all U.S. government employees and their family members to continue to shelter in place either in or near their residences as Iran continues to fire missiles at Israel.

Additionally, the embassy announced that due to the security situation, it would be closed on March 2, and did not give an estimate on when it would be reopening. The closure includes consular sections in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.

The embassy also said it is “not in a position at this time to evacuate or directly assist Americans in departing Israel.” It noted that Ben Gurion Airport remains closed and there there are neither commercial nor charter flights operating from the airport.

On Friday, ahead of the launch of Operation Epic Fury, the embassy gave all non-essential workers permission to leave Israel, with reports that U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee urged those looking to leave to do so as soon as possible.

Iranian airstrikes killed at least eight Israelis on Sunday as Tehran’s latest missile barrage landed just miles from Jerusalem.

The strikes landed in the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh. Initial reports said four people were killed when missiles landed in a residential area on Sunday, but that death toll rose to eight, according to Israel’s national emergency service.

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Iran’s military has carried out counterattacks against Israel and U.S. bases in the Middle East after a joint U.S.-Israeli strike killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Saturday.

The strikes also killed several other top Iranian leaders, including the head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

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Jackson Thompson is a sports reporter for Fox News Digital covering critical political and cultural issues in sports, with an investigative lens. Jackson’s reporting has been cited in federal government actions related to the enforcement of Title IX, and in legacy media outlets including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Associated Press and ESPN.com.