Rams CB Troy Hill gets first real test in 9-3 win vs. Seahawks

LOS ANGELES >> On Sunday afternoon, Troy Hill smiled and pointed into the stands at the Coliseum, where just over a dozen of his friends and family sat.

Once an all-conference cornerback at Oregon, the 25-year-old has bounced around the league since going undrafted in 2015. The Cincinnati Bengals signed him, waived him, signed him to their practice squad, and waived him again. Last Christmas, the New England Patriots signed him, then waived him five days later.

That was when the Rams bit, claiming him off waivers on Dec. 30 — giving him the chance to climb up to depth chart this summer, and eventually earn first-string reps in a 9-3 win over the Seahawks.

Asked to reflect on his journey after the game, Hill sat by his locker and said, “Damn. Long way.”

Prior to this weekend, the 5-foot-10 cornerback had seen just 88 snaps in the NFL — with the vast majority of those coming on special teams. He looked to be on the roster bubble at the start of training camp at UC Irvine, but worked his way into the rotation as a backup. Against Seattle, the Rams (1-1) threw him into the fire, subbing him in over Coty Sensabaugh, a former fourth-round pick they signed in March.

The results were mixed. Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson started picking on Hill early in the second quarter. The first try turned into a 40-yard gain for Tyler Lockett — but Hill drew an offensive pass interference flag and negated the play. Three plays later, Hill broke up a deep ball to Paul Richardson, forcing Seattle into one of their seven punts.

But late in the fourth quarter, Lockett burned him for a 53-yard catch, the longest play in the game by either team. It set the Seahawks (1-1) up on the Rams’ 35-yard line, threatening a comeback that linebacker Alec Ogletree snuffed out with a forced fumble and recovery.

“They took, I don’t know how many shots at me,” said Hill, who had only expected to play a couple of defensive series. “I was just an unproven corner, so I’ve got to expect that.”

Whatever ups and downs he had, none of them could ruin what amounted to a dream homecoming. Hill was raised in Youngstown, Ohio — one of the most economically depressed cities in the United States — but moved to Ventura as a high school freshman to live with his uncle, Jim Gilmer. There, he starred for St. Bonaventure High, located roughly seven miles from where the Rams held OTAs this summer.

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“Everything came out perfect for us,” Hill said. “We were reunited.”

Star studded

True to form, the stars came out to welcome the Rams back to Los Angeles.

Before the Coliseum hosted its first NFL regular-season game since Dec. 24, 1994, the Red Hot Chili Peppers wore Rams jerseys and performed two songs: “Can’t Stop” and “Dark Necessities” — curiously eschewing the more California-focused parts of their discography.

After the short set, lead singer Anthony Kiedis — who shed his No. 16 Jared Goff jersey halfway through this performance — remained on stage afterward to announce the Rams’ starting defense as it ran onto the field.

During the first quarter, “The Late Late Show” host James Corden danced in the end zone with the Rams’ cheerleaders, wearing a similar outfit.

Other big names in the audience included LeBron James, Magic Johnson, Mayor Eric Garcetti, and actress Elizabeth Banks. Shortly after the game, the Emmys began less than four miles away at L.A. Live.

Extra points

For the second week in a row, defensive end Robert Quinn raised his right fist during the pre-game national anthem — part of the movement that 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick has sparked to protest the oppression of black Americans and other people of color. However, he was not joined this time by receiver Kenny Britt, who had also raised his fist during the season opener. … The Rams donned their throwback jerseys on Sunday, pleasing many fans who have yearned for the old L.A. colors. “Everybody in the locker room loves the throwbacks,” said quarterback Case Keenum. “Something about that blue and yellow that go together.”