Fins CB Jalen Ramsey to donate $5,000 to five Los Angeles-based nonprofits

The city of Los Angeles somewhat changed Jalen Ramsey’s life.

When the All-Pro cornerback was traded from the Jacksonville Jaguars to the Rams in October 2019, Ramsey hadn’t really enjoyed football in a while. His four years with the Rams — punctuated by a Super Bowl win in the 2021 season — helped reinvigorate his love for the game.

So when the 2024 schedule dropped and Ramsey — now in his second season in Miami — saw that the Dolphins traveled to the City of Angels, he wanted to show how much the city meant to him.

“I thought, ‘Dang I never got an opportunity to get a farewell gift to all the people out there’ because L.A. is like a second home for me,” Ramsey said ahead of Monday night’s game at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.

He added that he has great memories of Los Angeles in part because “the community always treated me and my family with nothing but love and respect.”

Ramsey ultimately decided to donate a total of $25,000 to five nonprofit organizations. Each organization — SoLa Foundation, Heart of Los Angeles, A Place Called Home, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation and The RightWay Foundation — holds a special place in Ramsey’s heart.

All of the organizations that Ramsey chose to help with $5,000 each work with youth.

The SoLa Foundation exposes young people to opportunities primarily in the field of technology. The Heart of Los Angeles creates free programming for children to nurture their interests. A Place Called Home gives gang-affiliated youth a safe environment to grow. The RightWay Foundation helps older foster children find employment and housing. The Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation has several focuses — education, health care, homelessness and social justice — but what ultimately stood out to Ramsey was its work with children.

“The Dodgers players, during their off time, they go read to the youth,” Ramsey said. That $5,000 donation “can be used to go buy books and stuff so they can still keep doing that and maybe even expand it a little.”

Although Monday’s game was billed as a homecoming for Ramsey — as well as for wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr., a fellow member of that 2021 Super Bowl Rams squad — Ramsey didn’t plan to get too caught up in the moment.

“It’s going to be great moment,” said Ramsey, 30. “I’ll try to keep my emotions intact so I can focus on the task at hand to try to go in there and get a win no matter what ...

“The game ain’t about me. It’s not about me returning. It’s about the Miami Dolphins versus the L.A. Rams and us trying to get back on track.”

The Dolphins entered the game at 2-6 and on a three-game losing streak.

“I think those situations in the National Football League are always special for the individual,” coach Mike McDaniel said of Ramsey and Beckham’s return to Los Angeles, later adding, “At the same time, they’re veterans that are fully immersed into the Miami Dolphins and what we need to do to win this game. I think the initial moments of going into the stadium will probably bring up some memories, but the second the clock starts, it’s just football.”

Ramsey had his best game of the season in the Dolphins’ previous outing, a 30-27 loss Nov. 3 at Buffalo, allowing only two catches for 19 yards. He also had a monstrous red-zone interception in which he snatched the ball from receiver Keon Coleman. With the Dolphins entering Monday’s game in the bottom fifth of the league in takeaways, Ramsey hoped that his interception would prove to be the catalyst for more.

“They say turnovers come in bunches so hopefully our bunches start on Monday,” Ramsey said ahead of the game.