Former Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth speaks in Los Angeles, an area affected by wildfires, before the Rams vs. Vikings NFC Wild Card Game at State Farm Stadium in Arizona on Monday. He gave an emotional speech to society.
“We are strong,” Whitworth said. “We will not be defined by this devastation. We will join hands to rebuild Los Angeles. We will continue to build it together, whatever it takes, for as long as it takes.” We love you, Los Angeles. And we are with you.”
Harrowing footage has been captured of dozens of wildfires burning across parts of California, destroying entire communities and forcing the evacuation of more than 150,000 people, as strong winds and flames combined to fuel their spread.
AccuWeather estimated the fire started on Monday. Caused more than $250 billion in damagesAs of Monday, the death toll was at least 24. According to the Washington Post.
CalFire said three active wildfires – the Palisades, Eaton and Hearst fires – were 14%, 33% and 97% contained by Monday evening.
As the Rams' playoff game approached, the NFL moved the game to Arizona, which had previously been listed as an alternate venue, as the NHL and NBA postponed contests between the Kings and Lakers, respectively.
Whitworth, a former All-Pro who now works on Amazon Prime's pregame and postgame shows, took to the microphone to deliver his message from the field.
He spent the last five years of his NFL career with the Rams, making the Pro Bowl in 2017 while with the team and helping them win the Super Bowl in his final year.
“Over the past week, our Los Angeles area has been affected by devastating wildfires,” Whitworth said at the beginning of his speech. “More than 150,000 people have been evacuated. Our friends and neighbors have been left homeless and entire communities have been destroyed. There is still work to be done. The courage and bravery of our firefighters and first responders is… It proved that real heroes live among us. But I believe in the people of Los Angeles.”
The field was changed to resemble SoFi Stadium as much as possible, and the Rams won 27-9 despite Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold's struggles.
