Matthew Stafford heard from childhood friend Clayton Kershaw ahead of Super Bowl

As Matthew Stafford prepares for the Super Bowl, the Los Angeles Rams quarterback heard from someone quite familiar with winning a championship in Los Angeles.

Stafford admitted he’d spoken with Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher and childhood friend Clayton Kershaw in the buildup to next Sunday’s game. The two grew up together in the Dallas area and went to Highland Park High School, where Kershaw even briefly served as Stafford’s center.

“He’s excited for me, which I appreciated,” Stafford said Thursday, via Greg Beacham of the Associated Press. “We didn’t get too deep into what it’s like, what to expect. His job is so much different than mine. But he’s just excited. It’s just cool to be doing it in the same city as him.”

Kershaw and the Dodgers won a championship in 2020. By Stafford’s admission, the idea of winning a title did not really come up during their chat. The topic probably didn’t need to.

This does serve as an acknowledgement that the friendship between Stafford and Kershaw isn’t just for show. Maybe the Rams quarterback will bring back an old audible in Kershaw’s honor for the big game.