Compared to rural Chatsworth, Ga. — population 4,871 — Los Angeles might as well be a different planet for rookie Ladd McConkey. He’s a Southern-tinged Martian adjusting to a new frontier in this sprawling metropolis.
“Chatsworth is a small town and everybody knows everybody,” McConkey said. “Here you have a lot more people and I didn’t expect it to all mesh together.”
He is originally from Georgia and only knows the ‘Peach State’.
McConkey, a second-round pick, grew up in Chatsworth — two hours north of Atlanta. He played at North Murray High before spending four years in Athens at the University of Georgia.
McConkey previously visited LA as a Georgia Bulldog, when they won back-to-back national championships at SoFi Stadium against Texas Christian in 2022.
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This is very different.
Life as an NFL rookie comes with immense pressure. High draft picks like McConkey try to justify the draft capital spent on them. And then there are the practice squad rookies, who carry the fear that they’re one organizational decision away from unemployment.
However, the transition off the field is just as challenging.
To accomplish this, McConkey lives with his fiancée, Sydney Horne, in Redondo Beach, a much more manageable location than living in the heart of L.A. The couple found a place where McConkey opted for an open floor plan, avoiding the cramped spaces often found in older California homes.
With his fiancée by his side, McConkey’s transition to the NFL went much more smoothly, as he received support from the club to navigate the grind of an NFL season.
“It’s awesome,” McConkey said. “After practice, whether it’s a good day or a bad day, I can go home and just talk to her and hang out. She’s my support system.”
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Although McConkey’s family still lives in Georgia, he stays in touch through regular phone calls, which helps ease the challenge of being so far from home. Family visits during preseason games have also helped bridge the gap.
“It sucks because my whole family lives in Chatsworth,” McConkey said. “Not being able to drive home and see them is definitely different.”
Like McConkey, a mix of country boys, East Coasters and Florida natives try to adjust to the fast-paced life in Los Angeles after spending training camp at the team hotel in El Segundo.
For beginners, dealing with these changes is easier thanks to people like Arthur Hightower.
As the Chargers’ senior director of player engagement, Hightower has guided rookies through NFL life since 2005, from the team’s days in San Diego to their current home in Los Angeles. His role includes overseeing their financial education, life skills, relocation and overall off-field development.
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“The one thing they all have in common is they’re rookies and everything is new,” Hightower said. “People just assume they know everything because they’re making X amount of money. But they’re still young professionals. This is their first real job.”
Hightower and his staff’s efforts to help players settle in are all-encompassing, from deciding whether living with a roommate is more appropriate to considering the importance of proximity to amenities or dealing with unexpected needs, such as finding a hair salon.
“There are stressors no matter where you are in life,” Hightower said. “The quicker they can acclimate, the better they’re going to perform.”
Offensive tackle Karsen Barnhart quickly adjusted to city life after growing up in small towns, but the reality of LA is far different than he imagined.
“I felt like it was like New York,” Barnhart said of the Big Apple, which he doesn’t like. “The idea didn’t make sense with how spread out it is. There’s a big city every five minutes and it’s not as crowded.”
He sees similarities between El Segundo, where the team’s facilities are located, and Ann Arbor, where he played for the Michigan Wolverines. However, El Segundo has the advantage of being on the ocean.
Now the ocean is closer for Barnhart, thanks to first-round rookie Joe Alt, who offered him a place to stay in Manhattan Beach.
“After training camp, I found a place and I didn’t want to use some of the rooms, so I just said, ‘Hey, do you want to stay in my room?’” Alt said.
The two tackles became good friends at the NFL combine in February, and their friendship has grown stronger during training camp, Alt said. After years of living alone, Alt liked the idea of sharing a space with someone going through a similar experience.
“It’s great to be tested with someone else and see what they’re thinking and how they process things,” Alt said.
Both buildings are over 1.95 meters high and weigh over 140 kilos. Space is therefore scarce, which could have led to discussions.
The sleeping arrangements, however, were simple. As Barnhart put it, “He gets the biggest room. There was no arguing. He was kind enough to let me stay.”
The biggest contrast to his move comes when he thinks about his hometown of Paw Paw, Michigan, a town of just 3,395 people located on I-94.
“Paw Paw is completely different,” Barnhart said. “For a kid growing up in the country … the Cali lifestyle is a completely different transition. But I’m loving it so far.”
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Barnhart’s experience with the Chargers isn’t his first visit to the L.A. area. Earlier this year, he traveled with Michigan to play Alabama in the Rose Bowl en route to a national championship.
It hasn’t taken long for the rookies to embrace California culture. Barnhart has already adopted a typical Angeleno complaint: traffic.
Others opt for the stunning ocean views from South Bay, where they soak up the endless sunshine and indulge in local delicacies.
“I’m not going to lie, I’ve come across a lot of good taco places,” Jeremiah Jean-Baptiste said. “I eat tacos at least three times a week.”
Jean-Baptiste shared his love of al pastor and carne asada, a passion he apparently practices alone. With a look of betrayal, his roommate Tre’mon Morris-Brash asked from a locker next to him, “You getting tacos, bruh?”
“No, he didn’t throw me off,” Morris-Brash said. “That’s fine.”
Jean-Baptiste, who plays inside linebacker, and Morris-Brash, who plays outside linebacker, say their living arrangements are reminiscent of another college year. They were teammates at Central Florida for four years and lived just a few doors apart in the same dorm.
Now they’re both in LA and part of the Chargers’ practice squad, continuing a shared experience.
“It’s cool to go to college with him and then have him here,” Morris-Brash said. “It’s awesome to see a familiar face every day, and even cooler that we’ve become roommates. It’s definitely sweet.”
The two share a luxury apartment just minutes from the team facilities and kept it civil when deciding who got the biggest bedroom, settling it with a game of rock, paper, scissors, with Jean-Baptiste emerging as the winner.
Although they loved the complex, the cost was still a surprise.
“Whew, one thing I can say is that rent in California is very different than where I’m from,” said Jean-Baptiste, who grew up in Florida City, Fla. (population 13,000). “Very expensive.”
The two moved in a few days before the Chargers’ season opener against the Raiders. While they were on the field planning for the Las Vegas game, off the field they were focused on setting up their Wi-Fi, which they handled themselves.
“We really tried to get our house in order first,” Morris-Brash said.
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This move isn’t the first for Morris-Brash or Jean-Baptiste. Morris-Brash left his hometown of Richmond, Va., to play at UCF in Orlando. Jean-Baptiste moved to Oxford, Miss., for his senior year at Ole Miss as a graduate transfer.
Being away from family can be a challenge, but Jean-Baptiste says their support — and the phone — has made the transition easier. He often talks to his father, who keeps him updated on the weather in Dade County.
“I was talking to my dad yesterday,” Jean-Baptiste said. “He just says one day it’s raining, the next day it’s scorching hot. One day it’s raining, the next day it’s hot.”
“My family is behind me,” said Jean-Baptiste, “and being here allows me to focus on my dream.”
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
